The Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope has carried out a survey of the entire Southern Sky at 887.5 MHz. The wide area, high angular resolution, and broad bandwidth provided by the low-band Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey (RACS-low) allow the production of a next-generation rotation measure (RM) grid across the entire Southern Sky. Here we introduce this project as Spectral and Polarisation in Cutouts of Extragalactic sources from RACS (SPICE-RACS). In our first data release, we image 30 RACS-low fields in Stokes I, Q, U at 25$^{\prime\prime}$ angular resolution, across 744–1032 MHz with 1 MHz spectral resolution. Using a bespoke, highly parallelised, software pipeline we are able to rapidly process wide-area spectro-polarimetric ASKAP observations. Notably, we use ‘postage stamp’ cutouts to assess the polarisation properties of 105912 radio components detected in total intensity. We find that our Stokes Q and U images have an rms noise of $\sim$80 $\unicode{x03BC}$Jy PSF$^{-1}$, and our correction for instrumental polarisation leakage allows us to characterise components with $\gtrsim$1% polarisation fraction over most of the field of view. We produce a broadband polarised radio component catalogue that contains 5818 RM measurements over an area of $\sim$1300 deg$^{2}$ with an average error in RM of $1.6^{+1.1}_{-1.0}$ rad m$^{-2}$, and an average linear polarisation fraction $3.4^{+3.0}_{-1.6}$ %. We determine this subset of components using the conditions that the polarised signal-to-noise ratio is $>$8, the polarisation fraction is above our estimated polarised leakage, and the Stokes I spectrum has a reliable model. Our catalogue provides an areal density of $4\pm2$ RMs deg$^{-2}$; an increase of $\sim$4 times over the previous state-of-the-art (Taylor, Stil, Sunstrum 2009, ApJ, 702, 1230). Meaning that, having used just 3% of the RACS-low sky area, we have produced the 3rd largest RM catalogue to date. This catalogue has broad applications for studying astrophysical magnetic fields; notably revealing remarkable structure in the Galactic RM sky. We will explore this Galactic structure in a follow-up paper. We will also apply the techniques described here to produce an all-Southern-sky RM catalogue from RACS observations. Finally, we make our catalogue, spectra, images, and processing pipeline publicly available.

Background: Occult bacterial infection is a proposed etiology of low back pain (LBP). However, a causative link between LBP and bacteria remains unconfirmed. Herein, we determined the incidence of occult discitis in patients receiving surgery for LDH. Methods: Study Design: prospective cohort study. Inclusion criteria: consecutive adult patients undergoing discectomy for symptomatic LDH. Exclusion criteria: prior epidural steroid use, prior spinal surgery, and antibiotic use within 2 weeks of surgery. Tissue samples: Four nuclear tissue and ligamentum flavum (control) samples were obtained per patient using stringent aseptic protocol. Samples underwent 16S-PCR and culturing. Results: Eighty-one patients were enrolled (mean age 43.3±13.3 years). All (100%) of tissue samples were negative by 16S PCR and no virulent species were detected. Nuclear and ligament cultures were both negative in 51 (62.9%) cases. Cultures were positive for nuclear tissue only, ligament only, or both in 14.8%, 12.3%, and 9.9% of cases, respectively. Fifteen of 20 (75%) disc positive samples grew a single colony of an indolent species. Conclusions: The findings of this prospective cohort study of consecutive patients receiving surgery for LDH do not support the theory of occult discitis. All samples were 16S-PCR negative, and most cultures were negative or grew a single colony suggestive of contamination.

To enhance the performance of anti-ship missiles cooperative attack, this paper proposes a finite-time trajectory shaping-based cooperative guidance law (TSCGL). Firstly, the cooperative guidance model is established on segmented linearisation of the missile’s heading angle. Then, a trajectory shaping guidance law for a single missile is derived by a weighted optimal energy cost function and Schwarz inequality. On this basis, a finite-time TSCGL is proposed combined with trajectory shaping technology and finite-time theory. The desirable finite-time convergence performance can ensure a simultaneous attack. Through an improved method of time-to-go estimation, it is independent of small-angle assumption and relaxes the launching conditions of the missiles. Additionally, the proposed finite-time TSCGL can achieve better damage performance through energy management. Finally, simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed finite-time TSCGL.

The radio signal transmitted by the Mars Express (MEX) spacecraft was observed regularly between the years 2013–2020 at X-band (8.42 GHz) using the European Very Long Baseline Interferometry (EVN) network and University of Tasmania’s telescopes. We present a method to describe the solar wind parameters by quantifying the effects of plasma on our radio signal. In doing so, we identify all the uncompensated effects on the radio signal and see which coronal processes drive them. From a technical standpoint, quantifying the effect of the plasma on the radio signal helps phase referencing for precision spacecraft tracking. The phase fluctuation of the signal was determined for Mars’ orbit for solar elongation angles from 0 to 180 deg. The calculated phase residuals allow determination of the phase power spectrum. The total electron content of the solar plasma along the line of sight is calculated by removing effects from mechanical and ionospheric noises. The spectral index was determined as $-2.43 \pm 0.11$ which is in agreement with Kolmogorov’s turbulence. The theoretical models are consistent with observations at lower solar elongations however at higher solar elongation ($>$160 deg) we see the observed values to be higher. This can be caused when the uplink and downlink signals are positively correlated as a result of passing through identical plasma sheets.

In view of the cooperative guidance problem with time delay, this paper proposes a two-stage time-delay prescribed-time cooperative guidance law in the three-dimensional (3D) space. In the first stage, by introducing a time scaling function and time-delay consensus, the proposed cooperative guidance law can overcome the negative influence of time delay to guaranteed the desired convergence performance. Derived from the Lyapunov convergence analysis, the time-delay stability of the first stage can be ensured and the convergence time can be described as the relationship between delayed time and mission-assigned convergence time. Then, taking the prescribed-time-related convergence time as the switching point, the second stage begins with suitable initial conditions and all interceptors are governed by proportional navigation guidance. Finally, comparative simulations are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed time-delay guidance law.

Background: Phase 3 PREEMPT established safety and efficacy of 155-195U onabotulinumtoxinA in adults with chronic migraine (CM). This analysis of the PREDICT study (NCT02502123) evaluates real-world effectiveness and safety of 155U, 156-195U and 195U-onabotulinumtoxinA in CM. Methods: Patients received onabotulinumtoxinA approximately every 12-weeks (≤7 treatment cycles [Tx]) per Canadian product monograph). Primary endpoint was mean change from baseline in Migraine-Specific Quality of Life (MSQ) at Tx4. Headache days, physician and patient satisfaction were evaluated. Analysis stratified safety population (≥1 onabotulinumtoxin A dose) into 3 groups (155U,156-195U,195U) by dose received on ≥3 of the first 4 Tx. Results: 184 patients received ≥1 onabotulinumtoxin A dose (155U, n=68; 156-195U, n=156; 195U, n=13 on ≥3 Tx). Headache days decreased over time compared to baseline (Tx4: -7.1[6.7] 155U; -6.5[6.7] 156-195U; -11.2[6.4] 195U). Physicians rated most patients as improved, and majority of patients were satisfied at final visit (80.8% 155U; 83.6% 156-195U; 90% 195U). Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were reported in 18/68(26.5%) patients in 155U-group, 41/65(63.1%) in 156-195U-group and 10/13(76.9%) in 195U-group; treatment-related TEAEs were 9(13.2%), 10(15.4%) and 3(23.1%) respectively; serious TEAEs were 0, 3(4.6%) and 1(7.7%), none treatment-related. Conclusions: Long-term treatment with 155U, 156-195U, and 195U-onabotulinumtoxinA in PREDICT was safe and effective CM treatment. No new safety signals were identified.

In this paper, to address the cooperative localisation of a heterogeneous UAV swarm in the GNSS-denied environment, an adaptive simulated annealing-particle swarm optimisation (SA-PSO) cooperative localisation algorithm is proposed. Firstly, the forming principle of the communication and measurement framework is investigated in light of a heterogeneous UAV swarm composition. Secondly, a reasonably cooperative localisation function is established based on the proposed forming principle, which can minimise the relative localisation error with limited available information. Then, an adaptive weight principle is incorporated into the particle swarm optimisation (PSO) for better performance. Furthermore, in order to overcome the drawbacks of PSO algorithm easily falling into the local extreme point, an adaptive SA-PSO algorithm is improved to promote the convergence speed of cooperative localisation. Finally, comparative simulations are performed among the adaptive SA-PSO, adaptive PSO, and PSO algorithms to demonstrate the feasibility and superiority of the proposed adaptive SA-PSO algorithm. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm has better performance in convergence speed, and the cooperative localisation precision can be guaranteed.

As past usual diet quality may affect gut microbiome (GM) composition, we examined the association of the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015 assessed 21 and 9 years before stool collection with measures of fecal microbial composition in a subset of the Multiethnic Cohort. A total of 5936 participants completed a validated quantitative FFQ (QFFQ) at cohort entry (Q1, 1993–1996), 5280 at follow-up (Q3, 2003–2008) and 1685 also at a second follow-up (Adiposity Phenotype Study (APS), 2013–2016). All participants provided a stool sample in 2013–2016. Fecal microbial composition was obtained from 16S rRNA gene sequencing (V1–V3 regions). HEI-2015 scores were computed based on each QFFQ. Using linear regression adjusted for relevant covariates, we calculated associations of HEI-2015 scores with gut microbial diversity and 152 individual genera. The mean HEI-2015 scores increased from Q1 (67 (sd 10)) to Q3 (71 (sd 11)) and APS (72 (sd 10)). Alpha diversity assessed by the Shannon Index was significantly higher with increasing tertiles of HEI-2015. Of the 152 bacterial genera tested, seven (Anaerostipes, Coprococcus_2, Eubacterium eligens, Lachnospira, Lachnospiraceae_ND3007, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-013 and Ruminococcus_1) were positively and five (Collinsella, Parabacteroides, Ruminiclostridium_5, Ruminococcus gnavus and Tyzzerella) were inversely associated with HEI-2015 assessed in Q1, Q3 and APS. The estimates of change per unit of the HEI-2015 score associated with the abundance of these twelve genera were consistent across the three questionnaires. The quality of past diet, assessed as far as ∼20 years before stool collection, is equally predictive of GM composition as concurrently assessed diet, indicative of the long-term consistency of this relation.

We employ direct numerical simulations of salt fingering engendered turbulent mixing to derive a parameterization scheme for the representation of this physical process in low-resolution ocean models and compare the results with those previously suggested on empirical grounds. In this analysis we differentiate between the reversible and irreversible contributions to diapycnal diffusivity associated with the turbulence generated by this mechanism. The necessity of such a distinction has been clearly recognized in connection with shear-driven density stratified turbulence processes: only irreversible processes can contribute to the effective turbulent diapycnal diffusivity. We expand the formalism herein to the more complicated salt-fingering case as a first step towards analysis of the general case. The irreversible fluxes are determined in the case of salt fingering related turbulence by examining high-resolution direct numerical simulation (DNS)-derived turbulence data sets based upon two different models: namely the ‘unbounded gradient model’ and the ‘interface model’ with depth-dependent gradients of temperature and salinity. By fitting the irreversible diapycnal fluxes in the unbounded gradient model (for equilibrium states) as a function of density ratio (the governing non-dimensional parameter), we derive a functional form that can be used as a basis for a next generation salt-fingering parametrization scheme. By applying this scheme to the interface model, we demonstrate that the local fluxes predicted agree well with those obtained from the numerical simulations based upon this more complex model. We compare this new DNS-derived turbulence parameterization with those that have been derived empirically.

This report is on the synthesis by electrospinning of multiferroic core-shell nanofibers of strontium hexaferrite and lead zirconate titanate or barium titanate and studies on magneto-electric (ME) coupling. Fibers with well-defined core–shell structures showed the order parameters in agreement with values for nanostructures. The strength of ME coupling measured by the magnetic field-induced polarization showed the fractional change in the remnant polarization as high as 21%. The ME voltage coefficient in H-assembled films showed the strong ME response for the zero magnetic bias field. Follow-up studies and potential avenues for enhancing the strength of ME coupling in the core–shell nanofibers are discussed.

We aimed to comprehensively examine the association of breast-feeding, types and initial timing of complementary foods with adolescent cognitive development in low- and middle-income countries. We conducted a prospective cohort study of 745 adolescents aged 10–12 years who were born to women who participated in a randomised trial of prenatal micronutrient supplementation in rural Western China. An infant feeding index was constructed based on the current WHO recommendations. Full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) was assessed and derived by the fourth edition of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. The duration of exclusive or any breast-feeding was not significantly associated with adolescent cognitive development. Participants who regularly consumed Fe-rich or Fe-fortified foods during 6–23 months of age had higher FSIQ than those who did not (adjusted mean differences 4·25; 95 % CI 1·99, 6·51). For cows’/goats’ milk and high protein-based food, the highest FSIQ was found in participants who initially consumed at 10–12 and 7–9 months, respectively. A strong dose–response relationship of the composite infant feeding index was also identified, with participants in the highest tertile of overall feeding quality having 3·03 (95 % CI 1·37, 4·70) points higher FSIQ than those in the lowest tertile. These findings suggest that appropriate infant feeding practices (breast-feeding plus timely introduction of appropriate complementary foods) were associated with significantly improved early adolescent cognitive development scores in rural China. In addition, improvement in Fe-rich or Fe-fortified foods complementary feeding may produce better adolescent cognitive development outcomes.