Eclipse radius measurements

Methods for predicting the path edges and reducing observations of total solar eclipses for determining variations of the solar radius are described. Analyzed observations of the 1925 January eclipse show a 0.7 (arc second) decrease in the solar radius during the past fifty years

Cluster Approximation for the Farey Fraction Spin Chain

We consider the Farey fraction spin chain in an external field $h$. Utilising ideas from dynamical systems, the free energy of the model is derived by means of an effective cluster energy approximation. This approximation is valid for divergent cluster sizes, and hence appropriate for the discussion of the magnetizing transition. We calculate the phase boundaries and the scaling of the free energy. At $h=0$ we reproduce the rigorously known asymptotic temperature dependence of the free energy. For $h \ne 0$, our results are largely consistent with those found previously using mean field theory and renormalization group arguments.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figure

Marker based Thermal-Inertial Localization for Aerial Robots in Obscurant Filled Environments

For robotic inspection tasks in known environments fiducial markers provide a reliable and low-cost solution for robot localization. However, detection of such markers relies on the quality of RGB camera data, which degrades significantly in the presence of visual obscurants such as fog and smoke. The ability to navigate known environments in the presence of obscurants can be critical for inspection tasks especially, in the aftermath of a disaster. Addressing such a scenario, this work proposes a method for the design of fiducial markers to be used with thermal cameras for the pose estimation of aerial robots. Our low cost markers are designed to work in the long wave infrared spectrum, which is not affected by the presence of obscurants, and can be affixed to any object that has measurable temperature difference with respect to its surroundings. Furthermore, the estimated pose from the fiducial markers is fused with inertial measurements in an extended Kalman filter to remove high frequency noise and error present in the fiducial pose estimates. The proposed markers and the pose estimation method are experimentally evaluated in an obscurant filled environment using an aerial robot carrying a thermal camera.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, Published in International Symposium on Visual Computing 201

The myxozoan minicollagen gene repertoire was not simplified by the parasitic lifestyle: computational identification of a novel myxozoan minicollagen gene

Background Lineage-specific gene expansions represent one of the driving forces in the evolutionary dynamics of unique phylum traits. Myxozoa, a cnidarian subphylum of obligate parasites, are evolutionarily altered and highly reduced organisms with a simple body plan including cnidarian-specific organelles and polar capsules (a type of nematocyst). Minicollagens, a group of structural proteins, are prominent constituents of nematocysts linking Myxozoa and Cnidaria. Despite recent advances in the identification of minicollagens in Myxozoa, the evolutionary history and diversity of minicollagens in Myxozoa and Cnidaria remain elusive. Results We generated new transcriptomes of two myxozoan species using a novel pipeline for filtering of closely related contaminant species in RNA-seq data. Mining of our transcriptomes and published omics data confirmed the existence of myxozoan Ncol-4, reported only once previously, and revealed a novel noncanonical minicollagen, Ncol-5, which is exclusive to Myxozoa. Phylogenetic analyses support a close relationship between myxozoan Ncol-1-3 with minicollagens of Polypodium hydriforme, but suggest independent evolution in the case of the myxozoan minicollagens Ncol-4 and Ncol-5. Additional genome- and transcriptome-wide searches of cnidarian minicollagens expanded the dataset to better clarify the evolutionary trajectories of minicollagen. Conclusions The development of a new approach for the handling of next-generation data contaminated by closely related species represents a useful tool for future applications beyond the field of myxozoan research. This data processing pipeline allowed us to expand the dataset and study the evolution and diversity of minicollagen genes in Myxozoa and Cnidaria. We identified a novel type of minicollagen in Myxozoa (Ncol-5). We suggest that the large number of minicollagen paralogs in some cnidarians is a result of several recent large gene multiplication events. We revealed close juxtaposition of minicollagens Ncol-1 and Ncol-4 in myxozoan genomes, suggesting their common evolutionary history. The unique gene structure of myxozoan Ncol-5 suggests a specific function in the myxozoan polar capsule or tubule. Despite the fact that myxozoans possess only one type of nematocyst, their gene repertoire is similar to those of other cnidarians

Use of Research as a Tool to Enhance Nuclear Security Education

Introduction: Nuclear security education covers essential topics related to the security of nuclear materials. In order to provide effective training, educators are faced with the challenge of improving the trainees’ ability to retain and utilize knowledge. This project investigated whether academic research is beneficial for educators seeking to enhance nuclear security education. Methods: A survey using Google Forms was sent to nuclear security educators in academic and research institutes. The survey included questions on their experience with different aspects of nuclear security education, how research may influence nuclear security education, and how to increase knowledge retention. Results: In total, 45 people participated in the survey, with 71.1% of respondents from university settings and 13.3% from research institutes. Of these university and research institute respondents, 93.3% were members of the International Nuclear Security Education Network (INSEN), and 75.6% identified as educators. All participants indicated that research is important in order to enhance nuclear security education. Conclusion: Research on training and education in nuclear security can support trainees’ knowledge retention and application. Research is also useful for developing nuclear security training programs and curricula

Instability of misoprostol tablets stored outside the blister: a potential serious concern for clinical outcome in medical abortion

Misoprostol (Cytotec) is recognised to be effective for many gynaecological indications including termination of pregnancy, management of miscarriage and postpartum haemorrhage. Although not licensed for such indications, it has been used for these purposes by millions of women throughout the world. Misoprostol tablets are most often packaged as multiple tablets within an aluminium strip, each within an individual alveolus. When an alveolus is opened, tablets will be exposed to atmospheric conditions

MC4.3 - Optically Coupled Mode-Locked Laser Array for Spectroscopy in InP Generic Integration

We propose a two-element mode-locked laser array operating at 1.56 µm. Optical pulses with 14.5-ps width, spectral bandwidth exceeding 7 nm, and RF line width of 260 kHz at 12.448 GHz are experimentally reported

Effect of Adverse Childhood Experiences on the Mental Health of Adults

Background: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic incidents before the age of 18 years that can lead to health problems. Globally, it is estimated that 40 million children suffer from abuse or neglect. ACEs have long-term effects on physical and mental health. There is a lack of research on the prevalence of ACEs in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, information is scarce regarding the correlation between ACEs and the mental health of adults. This study was conducted to assess the impact of ACEs on mental health (social anxiety disorder (SAD), aggression, and low self-esteem) among adults in the Middle Region of Saudi Arabia.Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 430 adults. An online self-administered questionnaire was used, and it included five sections, which are sociodemographic characteristics, assessment of ACEs, aggression, SAD, and self-esteem.Results: The prevalence of ACEs was high, with 48% of participants reporting having five or more ACEs. There was a significant association between ACEs and aggression. Those with a high level of aggression had a higher score of ACEs compared to those with low aggression levels (6.3 ± 2.6 Vs. 3.2 ± 2.2). This difference was statistically highly significant (F= 26.7 and p <.0001). Participants with a high level of SAD had a higher score of ACEs compared to those with low SAD levels (5.5 ± 2.5 Vs. 3.9 ± 2.5). This difference was statistically highly significant (F= 21.7 and p <.0001). Those with a low level of self-esteem had a higher score of ACEs compared to those with high self-esteem levels (6.6 ± 1.8 Vs 3.4 ± 2.3). This difference was statistically highly significant (F= 29.3 and p <.0001).Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of ACEs among adults. ACEs were significantly linked to low self-esteem, aggression, and SAD in adulthood. Sexual abuse and physical neglect were identified as common predictors of these mental health issues. It is recommended that other studies to be conducted to explore the key factors contributing to the high prevalence of ACEs and to understand the impact of ACEs on the physical health of adults as well