Observations of the 21 cm signal face significant challenges due to bright astrophysical foregrounds that are several orders of magnitude higher than the brightness of the hydrogen line, along with various systematics. Successful 21 cm experiments require accurate calibration and foreground mitigation. Errors introduced during the calibration process such as systematics can disrupt the intrinsic frequency smoothness of the foregrounds, leading to power leakage into the Epoch of Reionisation window. Therefore, it is essential to develop strategies to effectively address these challenges. In this work, we adopt a stringent approach to identify and address suspected systematics, including malfunctioning antennas, frequency channels corrupted by radio frequency interference, and other dominant effects. We implement a statistical framework that utilises various data products from the data processing pipeline to derive specific criteria and filters. These criteria and filters are applied at intermediate stages to mitigate systematic propagation from the early stages of data processing. Our analysis focuses on observations from the Murchison Widefield Array Phase I configuration. Out of the observations processed by the pipeline, our approach selects 18%, totalling 58 h, that exhibit fewer systematic effects. The successful selection of observations with reduced systematic dominance enhances our confidence in achieving 21 cm measurements.

As COVID-19 was declared a health emergency in March 2020, there was immense demand for information about the novel pathogen. This paper examines the clinician-reported impact of Project ECHO COVID-19 Clinical Rounds on clinician learning. Primary sources of study data were Continuing Medical Education (CME) Surveys for each session from the dates of March 24, 2020 to July 30, 2020 and impact surveys conducted in November 2020, which sought to understand participants’ overall assessment of sessions. Quantitative analyses included descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney testing. Qualitative data were analyzed through inductive thematic analysis. Clinicians rated their knowledge after each session as significantly higher than before that session. 75.8% of clinicians reported they would ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ use content gleaned from each attended session and clinicians reported specific clinical and operational changes made as a direct result of sessions. 94.6% of respondents reported that COVID-19 Clinical Rounds helped them provide better care to patients. 89% of respondents indicated they ‘strongly agree’ that they would join ECHO calls again.COVID-19 Clinical Rounds offers a promising model for the establishment of dynamic peer-to-peer tele-mentoring communities for low or no-notice response where scientifically tested or clinically verified practice evidence is limited.

The search for novel anxiolytics and antidepressants has focused on compounds with the potential to reduce excessive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. L-glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter ubiquitously present within the central nervous system, conceivably plays an important role in activating the neural sites involved in stress modulation. Deactivation of the HPA axis by glutamatergic neurotransmission modulation may represent a novel therapeutic approach. Accordingly, the acute intravenous effects of the novel metabotropic (mGlu2/3) agonist LY354740 were tested on bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata) undergoing acute infusions of yohimbine, a noradrenergic stimulant. Dependent measures were the magnitude of the increase of plasma cortisol and plasma 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) customarily elicited by yohimbine. Next, the effects of 6 weeks of chronic oral administration of LY354740 on baseline (postcapture) plasma cortisol and MHPG levels in comparison to the identical measure in untreated controls were assessed. Subjects chronically treated with LY354740 received yohimbine infusions which were compared to yohimbine infusions and saline infusions in non-LY354740-treated subjects. Preliminary evidence supports the view that acute LY354740 infusion resulted in a marked diminution of yohimbine-induced stress response, as manifest by a substantial attenuation of cortisol and MHPG response observed in comparison to the saline-treated yohimbine condition. Chronic oral administration of LY354740 led to postcapture baseline cortisol levels which were markedly reduced (∼50%) in comparison to untreated control subjects; however, there were no significant parallel differences in MHPG levels. Yohimbine infusions elicited an increase in cortisol and MHPG levels in both LY354740-treated and non-LY354740-treated subjects, in comparison to declines in cortisol values observed following vehicle infusions (group X time interaction; P<.0001). Chronic LY354740-treated subjects failed to achieve cortisol levels comparable in range to those of untreated subjects primarily because of their low baseline cortisol levels. In contrast, despite equivalent baselines, yohimbine-induced MHPG values were increased overall in the chronically treated group compared to the saline and yohimbine-alone groups. Thus, LY354740 markedly reduced the acute corticoid and noradrenergic response elicited by yohimbine infusion. Chronic administration of LY354740 appears to present a safe and effective mechanism to markedly down-modulate the HPA axis while retaining noradrenergic responsivity.

Nutrigenomics is the study of how constituents of the diet interact with genes, and their products, to alter phenotype and, conversely, how genes and their products metabolise these constituents into nutrients, antinutrients, and bioactive compounds. Results from molecular and genetic epidemiological studies indicate that dietary unbalance can alter gene–nutrient interactions in ways that increase the risk of developing chronic disease. The interplay of human genetic variation and environmental factors will make identifying causative genes and nutrients a formidable, but not intractable, challenge. We provide specific recommendations for how to best meet this challenge and discuss the need for new methodologies and the use of comprehensive analyses of nutrient–genotype interactions involving large and diverse populations. The objective of the present paper is to stimulate discourse and collaboration among nutrigenomic researchers and stakeholders, a process that will lead to an increase in global health and wellness by reducing health disparities in developed and developing countries.

We present a novel microfabrication process for realizing a new type of flexible sensory “smart skin”. In this work, we focus on demonstration of a skin containing a two dimensional array of tactile sensors using polyimide and metal strain gauges. A novel polymer microfabrication approach coupled with surface release methods is demonstrated. The process yields flexible sensory skins in a low cost, efficient manner. Experimental characterization of the devices is also presented. The demonstrated sensors use metal-film strain gauges in a multiplexed two-dimensional array of tactile pixels (taxels) embedded in a polyimide thin film membrane to detect force distribution on the flexible skin. The arrays have been used to image force distributions and could be used with slip-detection friction measurement for robotic gripping application.

Large grain polycrystalline Si films were grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) onto TiB2 substrates using the SiCl4–H2 reagent system. A statistically designed processing study was used to correlate the film growth rate, crystallographic orientation, and grain size with deposition temperature, the SiCl4 : H2 ratio, and the level of B doping. Each process variable influenced grain size with temperature having the dominant effect. Grains as large as 15 to 20 μm were achieved for a coating thickness of about 50 μm.

An internally consistent set of data was generated for the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of SiC from methyltrichlorosilane (MTS) and H2 at atmospheric pressure. A moving fiber tow was used as the substrate. Coating rates between 0.3 and 3.7 µm/min and deposition efficiencies between 24 and 48% were obtained for MTS and H2 flow rates in the range 30 to 200 cm3/min and 300 to 2000 cm3/min, respectively. The data were analyzed and found to be best fit under a mass transfer regime. Based on this fit, a value of the constant in the Chilton–Colburn j factor expression for a moving fiber tow was estimated to be 2.74 × 10−6 with a standard deviation of 3.2 × 10−7. The efficiency of the reaction was found to decrease with increases in the total flow rate, indicating that the effect of the decreased residence time of reagents in the reactor was larger than the increase in the mass transfer coefficient. Finally, a comparison between the efficiencies for a stationary and a moving tow revealed that the moving tow had a higher efficiency, possibly due to a disruption of the boundary layer by the tow motion or due to the decrease in the canning of the moving tow.

We are acquiring a large-area sample of faint, high-latitude carbon star candidates for the study of halo dynamics by using an intermediate-band color system with CCDs in efficient survey modes. Except for one odd dwarf carbon (C) star, G77-61, it has long been assumed that these faint C stars are distant giants. However, we recently demonstrated that three more faint C stars are high proper motion objects, and therefore dwarfs. Now we are completing a proper motion survey of known faint high-latitude C stars to search for additional C dwarfs. The CCD and proper motion surveys together will place significant limits on the space density of C stars, be they dwarfs or giants.