Illegal or Undocumented: An Analysis of Immigrant Terminology in Contemporary American Media

This purpose of this study was to analyze the terms illegal alien, illegal immigrant, and undocumented immigrant in order to determine if these legal synonyms exhibit pragmatic differences in actual practice found in American media. Studies have reported that differences in terminology, metaphor, and discourse framing largely serve to dehumanize or empower immigrants for partisan purposes in legal language (Johnson 1996), politics (Mehan 1997), and in the media (Santa Ana, 1999). Given the semantic presumption of criminality with the terms illegal alien and illegal immigrant, it can be argued that undocumented immigrant is used in more positive contexts in the media when compared with the terms illegal alien or illegal immigrant. In order to test this theory, the authors used the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA, 2016) to analyze the frequency, presumption of criminality in context, and different media outlets’ use of illegal alien, illegal immigrant, and undocumented immigrant. Results of this study found that the terms illegal immigrant and illegal alien have been used significantly more in American media than the term undocumented immigrant, although that trend appears to be shifting. While there was little difference in the presumption of criminality with illegal immigrant and undocumented immigrant, contexts using illegal alien assumed criminality twice as often as the other terms. Fox News and CNN used terms with illegal much more than any other group, although CNN has largely phased the terms out of use in recent years; NPR used the term undocumented immigrant significantly more than other media

Whole-blood sorting, enrichment and in situ immunolabeling of cellular subsets using acoustic microstreaming

Analyzing undiluted whole human blood is a challenge due to its complex composition of hematopoietic cellular populations, nucleic acids, metabolites, and proteins. We present a novel multi-functional microfluidic acoustic streaming platform that enables sorting, enrichment and in situ identification of cellular subsets from whole blood. This single device platform, based on lateral cavity acoustic transducers (LCAT), enables (1) the sorting of undiluted donor whole blood into its cellular subsets (platelets, RBCs, and WBCs), (2) the enrichment and retrieval of breast cancer cells (MCF-7) spiked in donor whole blood at rare cell relevant concentrations (10 mL− 1), and (3) on-chip immunofluorescent labeling for the detection of specific target cellular populations by their known marker expression patterns. Our approach thus demonstrates a compact system that integrates upstream sample processing with downstream separation/enrichment, to carry out multi-parametric cell analysis for blood-based diagnosis and liquid biopsy blood sampling

Can Small and Synthetic Benchmarks Drive Modeling Innovation? A Retrospective Study of Question Answering Modeling Approaches

Datasets are not only resources for training accurate, deployable systems, but are also benchmarks for developing new modeling approaches. While large, natural datasets are necessary for training accurate systems, are they necessary for driving modeling innovation? For example, while the popular SQuAD question answering benchmark has driven the development of new modeling approaches, could synthetic or smaller benchmarks have led to similar innovations? This counterfactual question is impossible to answer, but we can study a necessary condition: the ability for a benchmark to recapitulate findings made on SQuAD. We conduct a retrospective study of 20 SQuAD modeling approaches, investigating how well 32 existing and synthesized benchmarks concur with SQuAD -- i.e., do they rank the approaches similarly? We carefully construct small, targeted synthetic benchmarks that do not resemble natural language, yet have high concurrence with SQuAD, demonstrating that naturalness and size are not necessary for reflecting historical modeling improvements on SQuAD. Our results raise the intriguing possibility that small and carefully designed synthetic benchmarks may be useful for driving the development of new modeling approaches.Comment: 40 pages, 13 figures; preprin

The MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI) survey discloses persistent moderate to high-level symptoms in cancer survivors

cancer survivorship care; patient reported outcomeshttps://openworks.mdanderson.org/acif24/1006/thumbnail.jp

ODIN: Where Do Lyman-alpha Blobs Live? Contextualizing Blob Environments within the Large-Scale Structure

While many Lyman-alpha Blobs (LABs) are found in and around several well-known protoclusters at high redshift, how they trace the underlying large-scale structure is still poorly understood. In this work, we utilize 5,352 Lyman-alpha emitters (LAEs) and 129 LABs at z=3.1 identified over a $\sim$ 9.5 sq. degree area in early data from the ongoing One-hundred-deg$^2$ DECam Imaging in Narrowbands (ODIN) survey to investigate this question. Using LAEs as tracers of the underlying matter distribution, we identify overdense structures as galaxy groups, protoclusters, and filaments of the cosmic web. We find that LABs preferentially reside in regions of higher-than-average density and are located in closer proximity to overdense structures, which represent the sites of protoclusters and their substructures. Moreover, protoclusters hosting one or more LABs tend to have a higher descendant mass than those which do not. Blobs are also strongly associated with filaments of the cosmic web, with $\sim$ 70% of the population being within a projected distance of 2.4 pMpc from a filament. We show that the proximity of LABs to protoclusters is naturally explained by their association with filaments as large cosmic structures are where many filaments converge. The contiguous wide-field coverage of the ODIN survey allows us for the first time to firmly establish a connection between LABs as a population and their environment.Comment: 24 pages, 17 figures; submitted to Ap

The X-ray Correlation Spectroscopy instrument at the Linac Coherent Light Source

The X-ray Correlation Spectroscopy instrument is dedicated to the study of dynamics in condensed matter systems using the unique coherence properties of free-electron lasers. It covers a photon energy range of 4–25 keV. The intrinsic temporal characteristics of the Linac Coherent Light Source, in particular the 120 Hz repetition rate, allow for the investigation of slow dynamics (milli-seconds) by means of X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy. Double-pulse schemes could probe dynamics on the picosecond timescale. A description of theinstrument capabilities and recent achievements is presented

Ly-alpha Emitting Galaxies at z = 2.1: Stellar Masses, Dust and Star Formation Histories from Spectral Energy Distribution Fitting

We study the physical properties of 216 z ~ 2.1 LAEs discovered in an ultra-deep narrow-band MUSYC image of the ECDF-S. We fit their stacked Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) using Charlot & Bruzual templates. We consider star formation histories parametrized by the e-folding time parameter tau, allowing for exponentially decreasing (tau>0), exponentially increasing (tau<0), and constant star formation rates. These LAEs are characterized by best fit parameters and 68% confidence intervals of log(M_*/M_sun)=8.6[8.4-9.1], E(B-V)=0.22[0.00-0.31], tau=-0.02[(-4)-18] Gyr, and age_ SF=0.018[0.009-3] Gyr. Thus, we obtain robust measurements of low stellar mass and dust content, but we cannot place meaningful constraints on the age or star formation history of the LAEs. We also calculate the instantaneous SFR to be 35[0.003-170] M_sun/yr, with its average over the last 100 Myr before observation giving _100=4[2-30] M_sun/yr. When we compare the results for the same star formation history, LAEs at z~2.1 are dustier and show higher instantaneous SFRs than z~3.1 LAEs, while the observed stellar masses of the two samples seem consistent. LAEs appear to occupy the low-mass end of the distribution of star forming galaxies at z~2. We perform SED fitting on several sub-samples selected based on photometric properties and find that LAE sub-samples at z~2.1 exhibit heterogeneous properties. The IRAC-bright, UV-bright and red LAEs have the largest stellar mass and dust reddening. The UV-faint, IRAC-faint, and high equivalent width LAE sub-samples appear less massive (<10^9 M_sun) and less dusty, with E(B-V) consistent with zero.Comment: 11 figures, 9 tables, accepted by Ap

Lyman-Alpha-Emitting Galaxies at z = 2.1 in ECDF-S: Building Blocks of Typical Present-day Galaxies?

We discovered a sample of 250 Ly-Alpha emitting (LAE) galaxies at z=2.1 in an ultra-deep 3727 A narrow-band MUSYC image of the Extended Chandra Deep Field-South. LAEs were selected to have rest-frame equivalent widths (EW) > 20 A and emission line fluxes > 2.0 x 10^(-17)erg /cm^2/s, after carefully subtracting the continuum contributions from narrow band photometry. The median flux of our sample is 4.2 x 10^(-17)erg/cm^2/s, corresponding to a median Lya luminosity = 1.3 x 10^(42) erg/s at z=2.1. At this flux our sample is > 90% complete. Approximately 4% of the original NB-selected candidates were detected in X-rays by Chandra, and 7% were detected in the rest-frame far-UV by GALEX. At luminosity>1.3 x 10^42 erg/s, the equivalent width distribution is unbiased and is represented by an exponential with scale-length of 83+/-10 A. Above this same luminosity threshold, we find a number density of 1.5+/-0.5 x 10^-3 Mpc^-3. Neither the number density of LAEs nor the scale-length of their EW distribution show significant evolution from z=3 to z=2. We used the rest frame UV luminosity to estimate a median star formation rate of 4 M_(sun) /yr. The median rest frame UV slope, parametrized by B-R, is that typical of dust-free, 0.5-1 Gyr old or moderately dusty, 300-500 Myr old populations. Approximately 40% of the sample occupies the z~2 star-forming galaxy locus in the UVR two color diagram. Clustering analysis reveals that LAEs at z=2.1 have r_0=4.8+/-0.9 Mpc and a bias factor b=1.8+/-0.3. This implies that z=2.1 LAEs reside in dark matter halos with median masses Log(M/M_(sun))=11.5^(+0.4)_(-0.5), which are among of the lowest-mass halos yet probed at this redshift. We used the Sheth-Tormen conditional mass function to study the descendants of these LAEs and found that their typical present-day descendants are local galaxies with L* properties, like the Milky Way.Comment: 35 pages, 9 figures, ApJ, in pres

The effectiveness, acceptability and cost-effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for maltreated children and adolescents: an evidence synthesis.

BACKGROUND: Child maltreatment is a substantial social problem that affects large numbers of children and young people in the UK, resulting in a range of significant short- and long-term psychosocial problems. OBJECTIVES: To synthesise evidence of the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and acceptability of interventions addressing the adverse consequences of child maltreatment. STUDY DESIGN: For effectiveness, we included any controlled study. Other study designs were considered for economic decision modelling. For acceptability, we included any study that asked participants for their views. PARTICIPANTS: Children and young people up to 24 years 11 months, who had experienced maltreatment before the age of 17 years 11 months. INTERVENTIONS: Any psychosocial intervention provided in any setting aiming to address the consequences of maltreatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Psychological distress [particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety, and self-harm], behaviour, social functioning, quality of life and acceptability. METHODS: Young Persons and Professional Advisory Groups guided the project, which was conducted in accordance with Cochrane Collaboration and NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination guidance. Departures from the published protocol were recorded and explained. Meta-analyses and cost-effectiveness analyses of available data were undertaken where possible. RESULTS: We identified 198 effectiveness studies (including 62 randomised trials); six economic evaluations (five using trial data and one decision-analytic model); and 73 studies investigating treatment acceptability. Pooled data on cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) for sexual abuse suggested post-treatment reductions in PTSD [standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.44 (95% CI -4.43 to -1.53)], depression [mean difference -2.83 (95% CI -4.53 to -1.13)] and anxiety [SMD -0.23 (95% CI -0.03 to -0.42)]. No differences were observed for post-treatment sexualised behaviour, externalising behaviour, behaviour management skills of parents, or parental support to the child. Findings from attachment-focused interventions suggested improvements in secure attachment [odds ratio 0.14 (95% CI 0.03 to 0.70)] and reductions in disorganised behaviour [SMD 0.23 (95% CI 0.13 to 0.42)], but no differences in avoidant attachment or externalising behaviour. Few studies addressed the role of caregivers, or the impact of the therapist-child relationship. Economic evaluations suffered methodological limitations and provided conflicting results. As a result, decision-analytic modelling was not possible, but cost-effectiveness analysis using effectiveness data from meta-analyses was undertaken for the most promising intervention: CBT for sexual abuse. Analyses of the cost-effectiveness of CBT were limited by the lack of cost data beyond the cost of CBT itself. CONCLUSIONS: It is not possible to draw firm conclusions about which interventions are effective for children with different maltreatment profiles, which are of no benefit or are harmful, and which factors encourage people to seek therapy, accept the offer of therapy and actively engage with therapy. Little is known about the cost-effectiveness of alternative interventions. LIMITATIONS: Studies were largely conducted outside the UK. The heterogeneity of outcomes and measures seriously impacted on the ability to conduct meta-analyses. FUTURE WORK: Studies are needed that assess the effectiveness of interventions within a UK context, which address the wider effects of maltreatment, as well as specific clinical outcomes. STUDY REGISTRATION: This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42013003889. FUNDING: The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme

The Fourteenth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: First Spectroscopic Data from the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey and from the second phase of the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment

The fourth generation of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-IV) has been in operation since July 2014. This paper describes the second data release from this phase, and the fourteenth from SDSS overall (making this, Data Release Fourteen or DR14). This release makes public data taken by SDSS-IV in its first two years of operation (July 2014-2016). Like all previous SDSS releases, DR14 is cumulative, including the most recent reductions and calibrations of all data taken by SDSS since the first phase began operations in 2000. New in DR14 is the first public release of data from the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS); the first data from the second phase of the Apache Point Observatory (APO) Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE-2), including stellar parameter estimates from an innovative data driven machine learning algorithm known as "The Cannon"; and almost twice as many data cubes from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO (MaNGA) survey as were in the previous release (N = 2812 in total). This paper describes the location and format of the publicly available data from SDSS-IV surveys. We provide references to the important technical papers describing how these data have been taken (both targeting and observation details) and processed for scientific use. The SDSS website (www.sdss.org) has been updated for this release, and provides links to data downloads, as well as tutorials and examples of data use. SDSS-IV is planning to continue to collect astronomical data until 2020, and will be followed by SDSS-V.Comment: SDSS-IV collaboration alphabetical author data release paper. DR14 happened on 31st July 2017. 19 pages, 5 figures. Accepted by ApJS on 28th Nov 2017 (this is the "post-print" and "post-proofs" version; minor corrections only from v1, and most of errors found in proofs corrected