Gravitational waves from coalescing neutron stars encode information about nuclear matter at extreme densities, inaccessible by laboratory experiments. The late inspiral is influenced by the presence of tides, which depend on the neutron star equation of state. Neutron star mergers are expected to often produce rapidly rotating remnant neutron stars that emit gravitational waves. These will provide clues to the extremely hot post-merger environment. This signature of nuclear matter in gravitational waves contains most information in the 2–4 kHz frequency band, which is outside of the most sensitive band of current detectors. We present the design concept and science case for a Neutron Star Extreme Matter Observatory (NEMO): a gravitational-wave interferometer optimised to study nuclear physics with merging neutron stars. The concept uses high-circulating laser power, quantum squeezing, and a detector topology specifically designed to achieve the high-frequency sensitivity necessary to probe nuclear matter using gravitational waves. Above 1 kHz, the proposed strain sensitivity is comparable to full third-generation detectors at a fraction of the cost. Such sensitivity changes expected event rates for detection of post-merger remnants from approximately one per few decades with two A+ detectors to a few per year and potentially allow for the first gravitational-wave observations of supernovae, isolated neutron stars, and other exotica.

Dysphoric mania is a common and often difficult-to-treat subset of bipolar mania that is associated with significant depressive symptoms. In addition to improving mania, ziprasidone has been found to reduce HAM-D scores in subjects with mixed mania. This post-hoc analysis evaluated the efficacy of ziprasidone in the treatment of depressive and other symptoms in patients with dysphoric mania. Pooled data were examined from 2 similarly designed, 3-week, placebo-controlled trials in acute bipolar mania. Subjects were considered to have dysphoric mania if they scored ≥ 2 on at least 2 items of the extracted HAM-D scale (dysphoric mood, worry, self-reproach, and negative self-evaluation). Changes in HAM-D scores from baseline to Days 2, 4, 7, 14, and 21 were evaluated by a mixed-model analysis of variance. Additional assessments included changes in the MRS, CGI-S, PANSS, and GAF scores. Starting on Day 4, HAM-D scores were significantly lower at all visits in subjects treated with ziprasidone compared with those treated with placebo (P < 0.05). Mean (± SD) improvement in HAM-D score in subjects treated with ziprasidone at study endpoint was –4.2 ± 0.7), a reduction of 44% from baseline. Ziprasidone-treated subjects also demonstrated significant and persistent improvements on the MRS, CGI-S, PANSS, and GAF scores compared with placebo, starting at Days 2, 2, 7, and 7, respectively. In conclusion, in placebo-controlled trials, ziprasidone significantly improved depressive and other symptoms associated with dysphoric mania.

In case reports of patients with bipolar disorder, atypical antipsychotic drugs are often associated with an exacerbation of manic symptoms. To determine whether the atypical antipsychotic drug ziprasidone is associated with an exacerbation of manic symptoms or a worsening of depressive symptoms when used to treat bipolar mania, we analyzed data pooled from 2 similarly designed randomized, placebo-controlled trials of ziprasidone monotherapy in the treatment of bipolar mania (ziprasidone: n=268, placebo: n=131). Exacerbation of mania was defined as CGI-S ≥ 5 and HAM-D increase from baseline to endpoint ≤ 25%, and worsening of depression was defined as HAM-D at endpoint ≥ 15 and HAM-D change from baseline to endpoint ≥ 20%. A significantly smaller proportion of subjects experienced an exacerbation of mania in the ziprasidone group than in the placebo group (6.7% vs 17.6%, P < 0.001). An analysis of dysphoric/nondysphoric and psychotic/nonpsychotic subpopulations showed significantly smaller proportions of ziprasidone subjects with an exacerbation of mania than placebo subjects in all 4 subsets (P < 0.05). The proportion of subjects experiencing a worsening of depression was smaller in the ziprasidone group than in the placebo group (1.9% vs 4.6%, n.s.). These results strongly suggest that ziprasidone causes neither exacerbation of mania nor worsening of depression in patients with acute bipolar mania. Future research will address this issue in patients with bipolar depression.

In order to accurately estimate body composition at slaughter and to meet specific market targets, the influence of age at time of castration (surgical or immunological) on body composition and boar taint indicators must be determined for male pigs. In all, 48 males were randomly assigned to one of four management regimens: (1) entire male pigs (EM), (2) EM surgically castrated at ~40 kg BW and 10 weeks of age (late castrates; LC), (3) conventional, early surgical castrates (within 4 days of birth; EC) and (4) EM immunized with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analog (primary dose at 30 kg BW and 8 weeks of age; booster dose at 70 kg and 14 weeks of age; IM). Pigs were fed corn and soybean meal-based diets that were not limiting in essential nutrients. Back fat was sampled on days −3, 8, 18 and 42, relative to administering the booster dose of GnRH analog at day 0, to determine androstenone concentrations (n=8 or 9/group). Fat androstenone concentrations in IM were lower than EM between days 8 and 42 after administering the booster dose (173 v. 863 ng/g, respectively; P<0.01), and were not different from surgically castrated males (EC and LC) after day 18. Slaughter occurred at ~115 kg BW, 42 days (6 weeks) after administering the booster dose for IM, and 10 and 20 weeks after surgical castration for LC and EC, respectively (n=8 or 9/group). At slaughter, live BW, liver weight as a percent of live BW, dissectible bone as a percent of cold carcass side, body protein and water contents and whole-body protein deposition decreased with time after surgical castration (linear; P<0.05), whereas dressing percentage, dissectible fat, probe fat depth and body fat content increased with time after surgical castration (linear; P<0.05). The IM had intermediate dressing percentage and dissected fat to EM and EC, whereas liver weight as a percent of live BW and body protein and lipid contents were not different from EM. Whole-body lipid deposition tended to be greater in IM than in EM between 14 and 20 weeks of age (373 v. 286 g/d; P=0.051). In conclusion, castration of male pigs after 6 weeks of age has a lasting effect on physical and chemical body composition. The relationship between time after castration and body composition may be developed to predict carcass composition and can be used to determine the ideal immunization schedule aimed at specific markets in the future.

CARMENES (Calar Alto high-Resolution search for M dwarfs with Exo-earths with Near-infrared and optical Echelle Spectrographs) is a new instrument currently undergoing commissioning at the 3.5 m telescope of the Calar Alto Observatory. It has been constructed by a consortium of eleven Spanish and German institutions. The scientific goal of the project is a 600-night radial-velocity survey targeting 300 M dwarfs with sufficient precision to detect terrestrial planets in their habitable zones. The CARMENES instrument consists of two separate échelle spectrographs covering the wavelength range from 0.55 to 1.7 μm at a spectral resolution of R = 82,000, fed by fibers from the Cassegrain focus of the telescope. Both spectrographs are housed in a temperature-stabilized environment in vacuum tanks, to enable a long-term radial velocity precision of 1 m s−1. The wavelength calibration will be done with Th-Ne and U-Ne emission line lamps, and with Fabry-Pérot etalons.

CARMENES (Calar Alto high-Resolution search for M dwarfs with Exo-earths with Near-infrared and optical Echelle Spectrographs) will conduct a radial-velocity survey of ~ 300 M dwarfs with the 3.5m telescope at the Calar Alto Observatory. The CARMENES instrument is currently under construction; it consists of two independent échelle spectrographs, which together cover the wavelength range 0.55 – 1.7μm at a spectral resolution of R = 82,000. The spectrographs and the fiber input are designed with a goal of 1m/s radial velocity precision using simultaneous calibration with emission-line lamps.

CARMENES (Calar Alto high-Resolution search for M dwarfs with Exo-earths with Near-infrared and optical Echelle Spectrographs) is a next-generation instrument under construction for the 3.5 m telescope at the Calar Alto Observatory by a consortium of eleven Spanish and German institutions. The scientific goal of the project is a five-year exoplanet survey targeting 300 M stars with the completed instrument. The CARMENES hardware consists of two separate échelle spectrographs covering the wavelength range from 0.55 to 1.7 μm at a spectral resolution of R = 82,000, fed by fibers from the Cassegrain focus of the telescope. Both spectrographs are housed in a temperature-stabilized environment in vacuum tanks, to enable a long-term radial velocity precision of 1 m s−1 employing a simultaneous calibration with Th-Ne and U-Ne emission line lamps.

This study sought to determine whether the decline in prevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) antibodies detected in Israel in 1977, 1984, and 1987 has continued. The anti-HAV antibody prevalence of a systematic sample of 578 male and female recruits inducted into the Israel Defence Force in 1996 was 38·4%. The reduction in antibody prevalence from 1977 (64%) was highly significant (P<0·001). There was a smaller decrease rate in recruits of European, North American, Australian and South African origin than from elsewhere. A ‘strategy’ that uses active immunization against hepatitis A (inactivated vaccine, instead of gamma globulin) should be considered, particularly in high risk groups such as field units during military service.

Far UV high resolution spectra of 3 LMC and SMC stars were obtained with the Echelle spectrograph during the second ORFEUS mission in Dec. 1996. We present the first results from observations of the LMC star HDE 269546. We find definitely components of very hot gas identified as OVI and SVI absorption in the galactic halo of the Milky Way and in the LMC. Additionally, more than 30 ions of the most abundant elements in different stages of ionization can be identified in both our galaxy and the LMC. For the first time we can identify a significant absorption component of molecular hydrogen in the ORFEUS II Echelle spectrum with a redshift of 200 km s−1, doubtlessly to be attributed to the LMC.

During the second flight of the ORFEUS-SPAS satellite (Nov./Dec. 96) high resolution (λ/∆λ = 10,000) Echelle-spectra of BD+28° 4211 in the wavelength regime 912–1400 Å have been taken. Deuterium can be clearly identified in the ORFEUSII Echelle-spectra of this star. For the first time it was possible to take spectra of faint, not redshifted objects in the far ultraviolet with a sufficient spectral resolution to study the deuterium column density in the whole spectral range of the Lyman-series down to the Lyman-limit. We obtained a value of log(ND) = 14.7 (±0.3) towards BD+28° 4211. The hydrogen column density has been determined using ORFEUS Echelle- and IUE-spectra of Ly-α (log(NH) = 19.8 (±0.2)). Thus a value of 8 × 10−6 can be obtained for the D/H-ratio on the line-of-sight towards BD+28° 4211.

During the ORFEUS-SPAS (Orbiting Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer on the Shuttle Pallet Satellite) mission STS-51, flown in September 1993, we observed the central star of the planetary nebula NGC 6543 in the far ultraviolet (90 nm to 115 nm) wavelength region using the University of California, Berkeley spectrometer with a spectral resolution of 0.03 nm.

ORFEUS (Orbiting and Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer) is a 1 m normal incidence telescope for spectroscopic investigations of cosmic sources in the far and extreme ultraviolet spectral range. The instrument will be integrated into the freeflyer platform ASTRO-SPAS. ORFEUS-SPAS is scheduled with STS ENDEAVOUR in September 1992. We describe the telescope with its two spectrometers and their capabilities i.e. spectral range, resolution and overall sensitivity. The main classes of objects to be observed with the instrument are discussed and two examples of simulated spectra for the white dwarf HZ43 and an O9-star in the LMC are shown.