Prospects for Detecting Gravitational Waves at 5 Hz with Ground-Based Detectors.

We propose an upgrade to Advanced LIGO (aLIGO), named LIGO-LF, that focuses on improving the sensitivity in the 5-30 Hz low-frequency band, and we explore the upgrade's astrophysical applications. We present a comprehensive study of the detector's technical noises and show that with technologies currently under development, such as interferometrically sensed seismometers and balanced-homodyne readout, LIGO-LF can reach the fundamental limits set by quantum and thermal noises down to 5 Hz. These technologies are also directly applicable to the future generation of detectors. We go on to consider this upgrade's implications for the astrophysical output of an aLIGO-like detector. A single LIGO-LF can detect mergers of stellar-mass black holes (BHs) out to a redshift of z≃6 and would be sensitive to intermediate-mass black holes up to 2000 M_{⊙}. The detection rate of merging BHs will increase by a factor of 18 compared to aLIGO. Additionally, for a given source the chirp mass and total mass can be constrained 2 times better than aLIGO and the effective spin 3-5 times better than aLIGO. Furthermore, LIGO-LF enables the localization of coalescing binary neutron stars with an uncertainty solid angle 10 times smaller than that of aLIGO at 30 Hz and 4 times smaller when the entire signal is used. LIGO-LF also significantly enhances the probability of detecting other astrophysical phenomena including the tidal excitation of neutron star r modes and the gravitational memory effects.

The insignificance of personal identity for bioethics.

It has long been thought that certain key bioethical views depend heavily on work in personal identity theory, regarding questions of either our essence or the conditions of our numerical identity across time. In this paper I argue to the contrary, that personal identity is actually not significant at all in this arena. Specifically, I explore three topics where considerations of identity are thought to be essential - abortion, definition of death, and advance directives - and I show in each case that the significant work is being done by a relation other than identity.

Denaturing HPLC for identifying bacteria.

Denaturing HPLC (DHPLC) is used in a wide variety of genetic applications. Here we introduce a new application for this technique, the identification of bacteria. We combined the capability of DHPLC to detect sequence variation with the principles of rRNA genotyping analysis to develop a high-throughput method of identifying microorganisms. Thirty-nine bacterial species from a broad spectrum of genera were tested to determine if DHPLC could be usedfor identification. Most (36 of 39) species of bacteria had a unique peak profile that could be used as a molecular fingerprint. Furthermore, a blind panel of 65 different bacterial isolates was analyzed to demonstrate the diagnostic capability of this method to specifically identify Yersinia pestis and Bacillus anthracis. All the Y. pestis samples (10 of 10) and the majority of B. anthracis samples (12 of 14) were correctly identified. The procedure had an overall specificity of 100%, overall sensitivity of 91.7%, and a predictive value of 96.9%. The data suggest that DHPLC of products spanning regions of genetic variability will be a useful application for bacterial identification.

Surface calcification of silicone plate intraocular lenses in patients with asteroid hyalosis.

PURPOSE: To report three cases in which a silicone-plate lens was explanted because of whitish deposits on the posterior optic surface. DESIGN: Observational case series with clinicopathological correlation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In the three instances, the deposits were observed at least 2 years after uneventful cataract surgery. All of the patients had unilateral mild asteroid hyalosis in the concerned eye. After explantation of the lenses, gross and light microscopic analyses were performed. The posterior optic surfaces of the lenses also underwent scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy for analysis of the elemental composition of the deposits. RESULTS: Gross and light microscopic analyses revealed well-demarcated areas of whitish deposits on the posterior optic surface of the lenses, as well as multiple pits caused by Neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser treatments. The deposits formed an amorphous layer with a "crustlike" appearance, which was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. X-ray spectroscopy analyses demonstrated the composition of the deposits to be similar to hydroxyapatite. CONCLUSIONS: The material opacifying the lenses was probably derived from the asteroid bodies or from a similar process that results in this vitreous condition. We were unaware of this association between asteroid hyalosis and late postoperative dystrophic calcification of silicone lenses.

Personal identity and bioethics: the state of the art.

In this introduction to the special issue of Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics on the topic of personal identity and bioethics, I provide a background for the topic and then discuss the contributions in the special issue by Eric Olson, Marya Schechtman, Tim Campbell and Jeff McMahan, James Delaney and David Hershenov, and David DeGrazia.

Effect of health risk appraisal frequency on change in health status.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between repeat participation in health risk appraisal (HRA) and change in health status. If low-risk individuals get worse in their health status, the amount of cost increase tends to be greater than the amount of cost reduction when high-risk individuals improve their health status. Thus, "no change" in health status was considered a desired change along with "getting better" in this study. METHODS: Longitudinal data (1997 to 2004) were used to measure change in health status and participation in HRAs and wellness programs. RESULTS: Taking an HRA more than once between 2002 and 2004 was associated with a desired change in health status (staying no change or getting better) (P < 0.0001). Additionally, participation in wellness programs during the same time period was also positively associated with a desired change (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the effect of continued engagement in health promotion activities on health status change. Combined with other education and intervention programs, HRAs can be useful tools in promoting and maintaining healthy lifestyles.

Intranasal delivery of group B meningococcal native outer membrane vesicle vaccine induces local mucosal and serum bactericidal antibody responses in rabbits.

We have previously shown that intranasal immunization of mice with meningococcal native outer membrane vesicles (NOMV) induces both a good local mucosal antibody response and a good systemic bactericidal antibody response. However, in the intranasal mouse model, some of the NOMV entered the lung and caused an acute granulocytic response. We therefore developed an alternate animal model using the rabbit. This model reduces the probability of lung involvement and more closely mimics intranasal immunization of humans. Rabbits immunized intranasally with doses of 100 mug of NOMV in 0.5 ml of saline developed serum bactericidal antibody levels comparable to those of rabbits immunized intramuscularly with 25-mug doses, particularly when the primary intranasal immunization was given daily for 3 days. Intranasal immunization also induced a local mucosal response as evidenced by immunoglobulin A antibody in saliva, nasal washes, and lung lavage fluids. NOMV from a capsule-deficient mutant induced higher serum bactericidal antibody responses than NOMV from the encapsulated parent. Meningococcal NOMV could be administered intranasally at 400 mug with no pyrogenic activity, but as little as 0.03 mug/kg of body weight administered intravenously or 25 mug administered intramuscularly induced a pyrogenic response. These data indicate that the rabbit is a useful model for preclinical testing of intranasal meningococcal NOMV vaccines, and this immunization regimen produces a safe and substantial systemic and local mucosal antibody response.

Detection and identification of ciprofloxacin-resistant Yersinia pestis by denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography.

Denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) has been used extensively to detect genetic variation. We used this method to detect and identify Yersinia pestis KIM5 ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates by analyzing the quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) of the gyrase A gene. Sequencing of the Y. pestis KIM5 strain gyrA QRDR from 55 ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates revealed five mutation types. We analyzed the gyrA QRDR by DHPLC to assess its ability to detect point mutations and to determine whether DHPLC peak profile analysis could be used as a molecular fingerprint. In addition to the five mutation types found in our ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates, several mutations in the QRDR were generated by site-directed mutagenesis and analyzed to further evaluate this method for the ability to detect QRDR mutations. Furthermore, a blind panel of 42 samples was analyzed by screening for two mutant types to evaluate the potential diagnostic value of this method. Our results showed that DHPLC is an efficient method for detecting mutations in genes that confer antibiotic resistance.

Use of denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography to identify Bacillus anthracis by analysis of the 16S-23S rRNA interspacer region and gyrA gene.

Denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) was evaluated as a method for identifying Bacillus anthracis by analyzing two chromosomal targets, the 16S-23S intergenic spacer region (ISR) and the gyrA gene. The 16S-23S ISR was analyzed by this method with 42 strains of B. anthracis, 36 strains of Bacillus cereus, and 12 strains of Bacillus thuringiensis; the gyrA gene was analyzed by this method with 33 strains of B. anthracis, 27 strains of B. cereus, and 9 strains of B. thuringiensis. Two blind panels of 45 samples each were analyzed to evaluate the potential diagnostic capability of this method. Our results show that DHPLC is an efficient method for the identification of B. anthracis.