Unconstrained Astrometric Orbits for Hipparcos Stars with Stochastic Solutions

A considerable number of astrometric binaries whose positions on the sky do not obey the standard model of mean position, parallax and linear proper motion, were observed by the Hipparcos satellite. Some of them remain non-discovered, and their observational data have not been properly processed with the more adequate astrometric model that includes nonlinear orbital motion. We develop an automated algorithm based on "genetic optimization", to solve the orbital fitting problem with no prior information about the orbital elements is available (from, e.g., spectroscopic data or radial velocity monitoring). We test this method on Hipparcos stars with known orbital solutions in the catalog, and further apply it to stars with stochastic solutions, which may be unresolved binaries. At a confidence level of 99%, orbital fits are obtained for 65 stars, most of which have not been known as binary. A few of the new probable binaries with A-type primaries with periods 444-2015 d are chemically peculiar stars, including Ap and \lambda Boo type. The anomalous spectra of these stars are explained as admixture of the light from the unresolved, sufficiently bright and massive companions. We estimate the apparent orbits of four stars which have been identified as members of the 300 Myr-old UMa kinematic group. Another four new nearby binaries may include low-mass M-type or brown dwarf companions. Similar astrometric models and algorithms can be used for binary stars and planet hosts observed by SIM PlanetQuest and Gaia

A CMOS wideband amplifier for use in a microcantilever sensing device

Four different designs for a wideband, open-loop amplifier for potential use in a microcantilever sensor platform were designed, fabricated and evaluated in two different processes, the AMI0.8 um and AMI 1.2 um 5 V CMOS processes. Bench performance testing of the amplifiers was performed and compared to simulation results. The measured amplifiers\u27 gains ranged from approximately 5 to 11 V/V and the bandwidths ranged from approximately 75 MHz to 195 MHz. Power consumption was below 15 mW for all designs. Differences between experimental and simulated results were investigated and the best performing amplifier design was recommended. In conjunction with designing the amplifiers, a review of the two different fabrication processes was performed,primarily through DC characterization of test transistors and comparison with HSpice simulation result

Standard and retrial queueing systems: a comparative analysis

We describe main models and results of a new branch of the queueing theory, theory of retrial queues, which is characterized by the following basic assumption: a customer who cannot get service (due to finite capacity of the system, balking, impatience, etc.)leaves the service area, but after some random delay returns to the system again. Emphasis is done on comparison with standard queues with waiting line and queues with losses. We give a survey of main results for both single server M/G/1 type and multiserver M/M/c type retrial queues and discuss similarities and differences between the retrial queues and their standard counterparts. We demonstrate that although retrial queues are closely connected with these standard queueing models they, however, ossess unique distinguished features. We also mention some open problems.We describe main models and results of a new branch of the queueing theory, theory of retrial queues, which is characterized by the following basic assumption: a customer who cannot get service (due to finite capacity of the system, balking, impatience, etc.)leaves the service area, but after some random delay returns to the system again. Emphasis is done on comparison with standard queues with waiting line and queues with losses. We give a survey of main results for both single server M/G/1 type and multiserver M/M/c type retrial queues and discuss similarities and differences between the retrial queues and their standard counterparts. We demonstrate that although retrial queues are closely connected with these standard queueing models they, however, ossess unique distinguished features. We also mention some open problems

From an Embodied Understanding to Ethical Considerations during Creative Practice

This paper discusses material-based creative processes in the context of higher education. The focus is on the ethical aspects related to material considerations during the iterative phases of personal projects. We explore how personal feelings and an embodied understanding of the material world influence decisions on how and why we engage with different materials during creative processes. Recent trends in material-based research aim to explore the relationships between humans and materials, examining them as equal members in research and thus challenging the top-down perception of materials as mere resources for human needs. However, this kind of approach to research and material-based creative practices requires ethical considerations that reach not only the human but also the non-human world. In this paper, we open this discussion by examining design students’ creative processes, which unfold an understanding of ethics in relation to non-humans. We build on data consisting of documentation, reflections and outcomes derived from the creative processes of four MA-level students and discuss a number of complementing ethical guidelines for art, culture and earth systems. The paper uses ‘ethically disturbing moments’ as an analytical tool for looking into students’ material choices in their creative processes. The four selected processes open up a personal connection to materials that results in ethical considerations during the creative practice and thus reveal the need for discussing material-focused ethics in the context of craft, design and art education. Personal aspects related to materials are discussed as embodied understanding and are seen to affect the ethics of engaging with materials

Serendipity at the Smithsonian: The 107-year journey of Rhipidocyrtus muiri Falin & Engel, new genus and species (Ripidiinae, Ripidiini), from jungle beast to valid taxon

The long and tortuous history of an enigmatic and rare new genus and species of ripidiine wedge beetle (Ripiphoridae: Ripidiinae: Ripidiini) from Borneo is discussed and the taxon described and figured as Rhipidocyrtus muiri Falin & Engel, gen. n. and sp. n. The holotype male, and only known specimen, was collected 107 years ago in Borneo but subsequent to this it was transferred among early researchers in the early 1900s. The specimen was dissected and many portions slide mounted, but these were disassociated from the pinned body for more than a generation. A happenstance encounter led to the rediscovery and reassociation of the body and slide-mounted abdomen and other sclerites in 2011, and to its eventual description herein. Ripidiine diversity is briefly discussed and comparisons made between Rhipidocyrtus and other members of the subfamily

Topical clobetasol for the treatment of toxic epidermal necrolysis: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BackgroundToxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a rare systemic allergic drug eruption with high patient mortality. Currently, no established treatments have been shown to be effective for TEN beyond supportive care. Prior studies of systemic corticosteroids have yielded conflicting data, with some showing a possible benefit and others reporting in increased mortality. However, topical steroids have shown promise for treatment of ocular sequelae of TEN, such as scarring and vision loss. We have designed a randomized controlled trial to evaluate topical clobetasol for treatment of the epidermal manifestations of TEN. In addition, we propose genetic studies to characterize the TEN transcriptome and alterations in cutaneous gene expression that might occur following topical steroid treatment.Methods/designThis split-body randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase IIa proof-of-concept trial will evaluate the safety and efficacy of once-daily topical clobetasol applied to the skin of patients with TEN. This multicenter trial will recruit a total of 15 patients between the ages of 12 and 85 from the University of California Davis Medical Center and Shriners Hospital for Children inpatient burn units. Designated treatment areas on opposite sides of the body will be treated with blinded clobetasol 0.05% ointment or control petrolatum ointment daily for 14 days. On day 3 of therapy, a biopsy will be taken from the treated area for genetic studies. The primary study aims will be to establish the safety of topical clobetasol treatment and determine the time to cessation of skin detachment for the control and clobetasol-treated areas. Secondary endpoints will evaluate efficacy using parameters such as time to 90% re-epithelialization and percentage of affected skin at 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 days. Genomic DNA and RNA will be obtained from biopsy samples, to characterize the TEN transcriptome and identify changes in gene expression after topical steroid treatment.DiscussionTopical steroids have shown promise for treating ocular complications of TEN, but to date have not been evaluated for cutaneous manifestations of the disease. This trial will investigate clinical and molecular outcomes of topical clobetasol application and hopefully provide insight into the disease pathophysiology.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02319616. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02351037

Relating to Clay - Tuning in to the Workings of the Aesthetic Dimension in Ceramic Practice

Through sustained practice, creative practitioners begin to develop a relationship with the material with which they work. This kind of relating to the material accompanies aesthetic qualities that are not only perceived as belonging to the material but also recognised within the body, creating a connection between the practitioner and the material. This research emphasises the role of aesthetic qualities in creating these connections and concentrates on this level of ceramic practice, where the body's role is central in feeling, sensing and extending towards the material world. This research has developed in two phases; the research material was firstly gathered through practice-led research focusing on the subjective experience in ceramic practice, and then, secondly, the research has continued to develop from the topics identified during the first phase within a collaborative approach to conducting research. The first phase of the research included studio work, an artist residency period and a workshop. The second research phase discussed and developed the identified research topics within and through workshops in collaboration with other professional practitioners. The particular interest is in the subtle body that implies understanding a more nuanced level in material work. Here, the bodily perspective in creative practice is examined, and the discussed practice is focused on attuning to feeling and experiencing the material bringing our body's sensuous understanding to the forefront. The aim is to understand how creative practitioners begin to tune in with the aesthetics of materials and their processes within making. The research focus is framed through three directions on the body: the experiencing body, the sentient body and the performing body. The common perception of creative practice is through its outcomes; however, a practitioner's creativity that sustains a material practice is built through experiences understood in the body. What is opened up through this research is the experiential and performative dimension of creative acts in the context of ceramics. One of the main outcomes of this research is the Subtle Ground method that offers an aesthetic-driven direction in making whereby the creative practitioner's attention is directed towards the subtle body and the experiential dimension in making.This research argues that focusing on aesthetic qualities and giving attention to embodied connections can create the basis for a meaningful material relationship in the context of creative practices. Relating to material is a process that engages the body to perform and experience the felt material qualities. These felt and performed qualities in creative material work can also have therapeutic possibilities and thus widen the implications of the research results.Luovassa toiminnassa kuten taiteessa tai muotoilussa, tekijä luo usein suhteen työstettävään materiaaliin jatkuvan toiminnan seurauksena. Tällaiseen materiaaliin samaistumiseen liittyy esteettisiä laatuja, jotka ovat osa materiaalin ominaisuuksia, mutta tekijä tunnistaa nämä esteettiset laadut myös kehossaan, mikä luo yhteyttä tekijän ja materiaalin välille. Tämä tutkimus korostaa esteettisten laatujen roolia näiden yhteyksien syntymisessä ja keskittyy keramiikan tekemiseen, jossa tunteva ja aistiva keho suuntautuu kohti aineellista maailmaa. Tämä tutkimus on muodostunut kahdessa vaiheessa. Ensimmäisessä vaiheessa tutkimuksen materiaali on kerätty käytäntölähtöisen (practice-led) tutkimuksen menetelmiä käyttäen, jossa kohteena on ollut subjektiivinen kokemus keramiikan tekemisessä. Toisessa vaiheessa tutkimuksen tekemisen tapa muuttuu subjektiivisesta yhteistyöhön perustuvaan. Ensimmäisessä vaiheessa tutkimuksen materiaali on kerätty studiotyöskentelyn kautta, taide-residenssissä ja työpajassa tiilitehtaassa. Toinen vaihe syventyy tunnistettujen aiheiden tutkimiseen tekemällä yhteistyötä toisten ammattilaisten kanssa mm. työpajojen avulla. Erityinen kiinnostuksen kohde tutkimuksessa on Subtle body, joka viittaa laajempaan ja vivahteikkaampaan jäsennykseen, jolla pyritään ymmärtämään materiaaliin keskittynyttä työskentelyä. Tutkimuksen näkökulma keskittyy kehoon luovassa työssä ja tutkimuksen kohteena olevassa luovassa tekemisessä syvennytään tunnusteluun ja materiaalin ominaisuuksiin virittäytymiseen, jolloin kehomme aistillinen ymmärrys on etusijalla. Tavoitteena on ymmärtää miten luovan työn tekijä alkaa virittyä materiaalin estetiikkaan ja tekemisen prosesseihin. Tutkimuksen kohde rajautuu kolmella suunnalla kehoon: kokeva keho, aistiva keho ja suorittava keho. Luovaa tekemistä tarkastellaan usein tietynlaisiin lopputulemiin tähtäävänä toimintana. Kuitenkin tekijän praktiikkaa ylläpitävä luovuus rakentuu kehollisten kokemusten kautta. Tämä tutkimus avaa luovan toiminnan kokemuksellista ulottuvuutta sekä suorittavan kehon osuutta keramiikkataiteen kontekstissa. Yksi keskeisimmistä lopputulemista tässä tutkimuksessa on Subtle Ground menetelmä, joka tarjoaa esteettis-ohjautuvan suunnan tekemiseen, missä luovan tekijän huomiota suunnataan kohti hienovaraisempaa, herkempää kehoa (subtle body) ja kokemuksellista ulottuvuutta tekemisessä. Tämä tutkimus argumentoi, että esteettisiin laatuihin keskittymällä ja huomioimalla kehossa tunnistettuja yhteyksiä materiaaliin voidaan luoda perusta merkitykselliselle materiaalisuhteelle luovan toiminnan kontekstissa. Materiaaliin samaistuminen on prosessi, joka sitouttaa kehon suorittamaan ja kokemaan aistittuja materiaalilaatuja. Materiaalilaatujen aistiminen ja samaistuminen avaa myös terapeuttisia mahdollisuuksia, jotka laajentavat tämän tutkimuksen vaikutuksia

A new genus of Pelecotominae from Mexico, with notes on the genera Clinops and Scotoscopus and the description of new species (Coleoptera, Ripiphoridae)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.Taxonomic notes are provided on species of the uncommonly encountered ripiphorid subfamily Pelecotominae. Zapotecotoma sumichrasti gen. et sp. nov., is described from southern Mexico based on a unique male likely collected in the later part of the mid-19th Century. The discovery of additional species of the South African genus Clinops Gerstaecker permit a revised diagnosis and distinction of the group from the eastern Mediterranean genus Scotoscopus Brenske and Reitter, resurrected status. Two new species of Clinops are established: Clinops inexpectatus sp. nov. (northeast of Durban near Swaziland) and C. perpessus sp. nov. (region of Durban), and Scotoscopus spectabilis (Schaufuss) is newly recorded for the Peloponnese in Greece.Institutional Research Support grant of Charles University, Prague (No. SVV 260 434 / 2018)Charles University Grant Agency (GAUK, No. 1546218