A Search for Lost Planets in the Kepler Multi-planet Systems and the Discovery of the Long-period, Neptune-sized Exoplanet Kepler-150 f

The vast majority of the 4700 confirmed planets and planet candidates discovered by the Kepler mission were first found by the Kepler pipeline. In the pipeline, after a transit signal is found, all data points associated with those transits are removed, creating a "Swiss cheese"-like light curve full of holes, which is then used for subsequent transit searches. These holes could render an additional planet undetectable (or "lost"). We examine a sample of 114 stars with $3+$ confirmed planets to evaluate the effect of this "Swiss cheesing". A simulation determines that the probability that a transiting planet is lost due to the transit masking is low, but non-negligible, reaching a plateau at $\sim3.3\%$ lost in the period range of $P=400-500$ days. We then model all planet transits and subtract out the transit signals for each star, restoring the in-transit data points, and use the Kepler pipeline to search the transit-subtracted (i.e., transit-cleaned) light curves. However, the pipeline did not discover any credible new transit signals. This demonstrates the validity and robustness of the Kepler pipeline's choice to use transit masking over transit subtraction. However, a follow-up visual search through all the transit-subtracted data, which allows for easier visual identification of new transits, revealed the existence of a new, Neptune-sized exoplanet (Kepler-150 f) and a potential single transit of a likely false positive (Kepler-208). Kepler-150 f ($P=637.2$ days, $R_{\rm{P}}=3.64^{+0.52}_{-0.39}$ R$_{\oplus}$) is confirmed with $>99.998\%$ confidence using a combination of the planet multiplicity argument, a false positive probability analysis, and a transit duration analysis.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables. Accepted into A

Active Interfacial Shear Microrheology of Aging Protein Films

This is the published version. Copyright 2010 The American Physical SocietyThe magnetically driven rotation of 300 nm diameter rods shows the surface viscosity of albumin at an air-water interface increases from 10−9 to 10−5  N s/m over 2 h while the surface pressure saturates in minutes. The increase in surface viscosity is not accompanied by a corresponding increase in elasticity, suggesting that the protein film anneals with time, resulting in a more densely packed film leading to increased resistance to shear. The nanometer dimensions of the rods provide the same sensitivity as passive microrheology with an improved ability to measure more viscous films

Outpatient Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Infection to Prevent COVID-19 Progression

As of March 2021, COVID-19 has caused more than 123 million infections, and almost 3 million deaths worldwide. Dramatic advances have been made in vaccine development and non-pharmaceutical interventions to stop the spread of infection. But treatments to stop the progression of disease are limited. A wide variety of "repurposed" drugs explored for treatment of COVID-19 have had little or no benefit. More recently, intravenous monoclonal antibody (mAb) combinations have been authorized by the US FDA for emergency use (EUA) for outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19 including some active against emerging SARS-COV-2 variants of concern (VOC). Easier to administer therapeutics including intramuscular and subcutaneous mAbs and oral antivirals are in clinical trials. Reliable, safe, effective COVID-19 treatment for early infection in the outpatient setting is of urgent and critical importance. Availability of such treatment should lead to reduced progression of COVID-19

Iterative Learning Control of Single Point Incremental Sheet Forming Process using Digital Image Correlation

Single Point Incremental Sheet Forming (SPIF) is a versatile forming process that has gained significant traction over the past few decades. Its increased formability, quick part adaption, and reduced set-up costs make it an economical choice for small batch and rapid prototype forming applications when compared to traditional stamping processes. However, a common problem with the SPIF process is its tendency to produce high geometric error due to the lack of supporting dies and molds. While geometric error has been a primary focus of recent research, it is still significantly larger for SPIF than traditional forming processes. In this paper, the convergence behavior and the ability to reduce geometric error using a simple Iterative Learning Control (ILC) algorithm is studied with two different forming methods. For both methods a tool path for the desired reference geometry is generated and a part is formed. A Digital Image Correlation (DIC) system takes a measurement and the geometric error along the tool path is calculated. The ILC algorithm then uses the geometric error to alter the tool path for the next forming iteration. The first method, the Single Sheet Forming (SSF) method, performs each iteration on the same sheet. The second method, the Multi Sheet Forming (MSF) method, performs each iteration on a newly replaced sheet. Multiple experiments proved the capability of each method at reducing geometric error. It was concluded that using the MSF method allows for negative corrections to the forming part and, therefore, leads to better final part accuracy. However, this method is less cost effective and more time consuming than using the standard SSF methodology. In addition, it was found that in order to effectively correct a part with an ILC algorithm, steps must be taken to increase the controllability of the part geometry

Analysis of Geometric Accuracy and Thickness Reduction in Multistage Incremental Sheet Forming using Digital Image Correlation

Incremental Sheet Forming (ISF) is a freeform manufacturing method whereby a 3D geometry is created by progressively deforming a metal sheet with a single point tool following a defined trajectory. The thickness distribution of a formed part is a major consideration of the process and is believed to be improved by forming the geometry in multiple stages. This paper describes a series of experiments in which truncated cone geometries were formed using two multistage methods and compared to the same geometry formed using the traditional single stage method. The geometric accuracy and thickness distributions, including 3D thickness distribution plots, of each are examined using digital image correlation (DIC). The data collected indicate that multistage forming, compared to single stage forming, has a significant effect on the geometric accuracy of the processed sheets. Moreover, the results of the experiments conducted in this paper show that sheets processed with multistage forming do not have a uniform sheet thickness reduction, rather they have a parabolic-like thickness distribution in the processed region