Investigating the origin of strangeness enhancement using jet-like [eta] − [phi] angular correlations in p-Pb Collisions with ALICE

The strong nuclear force that is responsible for binding together protons and neutrons within atomic nuclei - and responsible for forming the nucleons themselves - can be explained by a quantum field theory known as Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). At extreme temperatures and pressures, QCD predicts the formation of a new state of nuclear matter called the Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP). The behavior of QCD interactions under these extreme conditions can be studied in the laboratory by colliding together ultra-relativistic heavy-ions, where the energy density is expected to reach well above the critical transition temperature for QGP formation. Heavy-ion collisions have been studied for decades at multiple different particle accelerator facilities, including the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). At the LHC, the primary experiment focused on studying these heavy-ion collisions is known as A Large Ion Collider Experiment (ALICE). ALICE is designed to study high multiplicity heavy-ion collisions, as well as proton-proton and proton-ion collisions that can be used as baseline measurements. Among the expected signatures of QGP formation is an increase in the production of strange quarks within the medium, a phenomenon known as strangeness enhancement. Strangeness enhancement can be studied by measuring the production ratio of strange particles to non-strange particles. While first predicted, and later observed, to be present in heavy-ion collisions, more recent measurements have observed an onset of strangeness enhancement occurring in smaller systems, such as p-Pb collisions. The enhancement seen in heavy-ion collisions can be fairly well described using a statistical hadron production model, where the temperature is high enough that the strange quark is in full equilibrium with the two other light flavor quarks. However, the microscopic behavior underlying this enhancement in smaller systems is still not completely understood. Further differentiation of strange particle production is needed to pinpoint the partonic interactions, particularly in the soft-scattering sector, responsible for strangeness enhancement. In this analysis, angular correlations between a high momentum hadron and a φ(1020) meson (comprised of a strange quark-antiquark pair) are measured within p-Pb collisions with ALICE at the LHC. With the high momentum trigger hadron acting as a proxy for a high energy jet of particles, and the φ(1020) meson acting as a strangeness probe, these correlations can be used to separate out the production of φ(1020) mesons within jets (closely aligned to the direction of the trigger) from production in the non-jet underlying event (uncorrelated with the direction of the trigger). These differential yield measurements are a way to separate out hard-scattering production (more jet-like) from soft-scattering production (more medium-like). The φ(1020) correlations can be directly compared with inclusive dihadron correlations to calculate the strange to non-strange production ratio (i.e φ/h). With this technique, strangeness production within jets and the underlying events are measured as a function of multiplicity and are compared between a lower and higher momentum region. These different production regimes show a clear ordering, with φ/h production in the underlying event significantly higher than in jets for all multiplicities. The evolution of the per-trigger yields within the near-side (jet) and away-side (modified jet) as a function of multiplicity are studied separately, and differences in behavior suggest a change to the away-side production at lower momentum. This technique for measuring yield ratios is then discussed as a way to further constrain the origin of strangeness enhancement in small systems.Physic

HarvardX and MITx: The First Year of Open Online Courses, Fall 2012-Summer 2013

HarvardX and MITx are collaborative institutional efforts between Harvard University and MIT to enhance campus-based education, advance educational research, and increase access to online learning opportunities worldwide. Over the year from the fall of 2012 to the summer of 2013, HarvardX and MITx launched 17 courses on edX, a jointly founded platform for delivering massive open online courses (MOOCs). In that year, 43,196 registrants earned certificates of completion. Another 35,937 registrants explored half or more of course content without certification. An additional 469,702 registrants viewed less than half of the content. And 292,852 registrants never engaged with the online content. In total, there were 841,687 registrations from 597,692 unique users across the first year of HarvardX and MITx courses. This report is a joint effort by institutional units at Harvard and MIT to describe the registrant and course data provided by edX in the context of the diverse efforts and intentions of HarvardX and MITx instructor teams

PH207x: Health in Numbers and PH278x: Human Health and Global Environmental Change: 2012-2013 Course Report

In the 2012-2013 academic year, the first two Harvard School of Public Health courses were offered through HarvardX on the edX platform: PH207x: Health in Numbers and PH278x: Human Health and Global Environmental Change. They were taught by Professors Earl Francis Cook and Marcello Pagano, and Aaron Bernstein and Jack Spengler, respectively. This report describes the structure of these two courses, the demographic characteristics of registrants, and the activity of students. This report was prepared by researchers external to the course teams and is based on examination of the courseware, analyses of the data collected by the edX platform, and interviews and consultations with the course faculty and team members

ER22x: JusticeX: Spring 2013 Course Report

ER22x was offered as a HarvardX course in Spring 2013 on edX, a platform for massive open online courses (MOOCs). It was taught by Professor Michael Sandel. The report was prepared by researchers external to the course team, based on an examination of the courseware, analyses of data collected by the edX platform, and interviews with the course faculty and team members

The Body in Isolation: The Physical Health Impacts of Incarceration in Solitary Confinement

We examine how solitary confinement correlates with self-reported adverse physical health outcomes, and how such outcomes extend the understanding of the health disparities associated with incarceration. Using a mixed methods approach, we find that solitary confinement is associated not just with mental, but also with physical health problems. Given the disproportionate use of solitary among incarcerated people of color, these symptoms are most likely to affect those populations. Drawing from a random sample of prisoners (n = 106) in long-term solitary confinement in the Washington State Department of Corrections in 2017, we conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews; Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) assessments; and systematic reviews of medical and disciplinary files for these subjects. We also conducted a paper survey of the entire long-term solitary confinement population (n = 225 respondents) and analyzed administrative data for the entire population of prisoners in the state in 2017 (n = 17,943). Results reflect qualitative content and descriptive statistical analysis. BPRS scores reflect clinically significant somatic concerns in 15% of sample. Objective specification of medical conditions is generally elusive, but that, itself, is a highly informative finding. Using subjective reports, we specify and analyze a range of physical symptoms experienced in solitary confinement: (1) skin irritations and weight fluctuation associated with the restrictive conditions of solitary confinement; (2) un-treated and mis-treated chronic conditions associated with the restrictive policies of solitary confinement; (3) musculoskeletal pain exacerbated by both restrictive conditions and policies. Administrative data analyses reveal disproportionate rates of racial/ethnic minorities in solitary confinement. This analysis raises the stakes for future studies to evaluate comparative prevalence of objective medical diagnoses and potential causal mechanisms for the physical symptoms specified here, and for understanding differential use of solitary confinement and its medically harmful sequelae

Heroesx: The Ancient Greek Hero: Spring 2013 Course Report

CB22x: The Ancient Greek Hero, was offered as a HarvardX course in Spring 2013 on edX, a platform for massive open online courses (MOOCs). It was taught by Professor Greg Nagy. The report was prepared by researchers external to the course team, based on examination of the courseware, analyses of the data collected by the edX platform, and interviews and consultations with the course faculty and team members

Fetal Demise and Failed Antibody Therapy During Zika Virus Infection of Pregnant Macaques

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection of pregnant women is associated with pathologic complications of fetal development. Here, we infect pregnant rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) with a minimally passaged ZIKV isolate from Rio de Janeiro, where a high rate of fetal development complications was observed. The infection of pregnant macaques with this virus results in maternal viremia, virus crossing into the amniotic fluid (AF), and in utero fetal deaths. We also treated three additional ZIKV-infected pregnant macaques with a cocktail of ZIKV-neutralizing human monoclonal antibodies (nmAbs) at peak viremia. While the nmAbs can be effective in clearing the virus from the maternal sera of treated monkeys, it is not sufficient to clear ZIKV from AF. Our report suggests that ZIKV from Brazil causes fetal demise in non-human primates (NHPs) without additional mutations or confounding co-factors. Treatment with a neutralizing anti-ZIKV nmAb cocktail is insufficient to fully stop vertical transmission

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy

Rockport Comprehensive Plan

This document was developed and prepared by Texas Target Communities (TxTC) at Texas A&M University in partnership with the City of Rockport, Texas Sea Grant, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Texas A&M University - School of Law and Texas Tech University.Founded in 1871, the City of Rockport aims to continue growing economically and sustainably. Rockport is a resilient community dedicated to sustainable growth and attracting businesses to the area. Rockport is a charming town that offers a close-knit community feel and is a popular tourist destination for marine recreation, fairs, and exhibitions throughout the year. The Comprehensive Plan 2020-2040 is designed to guide the city of Rockport for its future growth. The guiding principles for this planning process were Rockport's vision statement and its corresponding goals, which were crafted by the task force. The goals focus on factors of growth and development including public participation, development considerations, transportation, community facilities, economic development, parks, and housing and social vulnerability