The reduction of computational costs in the context of the Multidisciplinary Design Optimisation of a typical medium-range aircraft was investigated through an assessment of active constraints and the use of multi-fidelity models-based estimation of drag and structural stress. The results show that for this problem, from the set of considered constraints that includes flutter boundary, the active constraint is a 2.5g pull up Maximum Take Off Weight. Results show that the multi-fidelity approach reduced the required high-fidelity aerodynamic number of evaluations, for both drag assessment and stress assessment with sufficient level of accuracy for the former and conservatively for the latter. Further computational cost reduction can be achieved using a surrogate model based Multidisciplinary Design Optimisation. The best configuration attained shows an Aspect Ratio increase of 16%, a reduction of 4.5% in fuel consumption and wing structural weight increase of 2.7% relative to a predefined baseline configuration.

Initial assessments of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) preparedness revealed resource shortages and variations in infection prevention policies across US hospitals. Our follow-up survey revealed improvement in resource availability, increase in testing capacity, and uniformity in infection prevention policies. Most importantly, the survey highlighted an increase in staffing shortages and use of travel nursing.

In Ethics, Security, and the War-Machine, Ned Dobos highlights several negative consequences the preparation for war has for individuals and states. But he misses what I consider perhaps the most significant consequence of military mobilization for states, especially democracies: how war and the preparation for it affect deliberative politics. While many argue that all states, including democracies, require strong militaries—and there is some evidence that long wars can build democracies and states—I focus on the other effects of militarization and war on democratic states. War and militarism are antipodal to democracy and undermine it. Their normative bases are conflicting—democracy takes force off the table, whereas force is legitimate in war. Thus, while militarism and militarization can sometimes yield liberalization and the expansion of civil rights, they are arguably more likely to undermine democratic norms and practices.

We present the data and initial results from the first pilot survey of the Evolutionary Map of the Universe (EMU), observed at 944 MHz with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope. The survey covers $270 \,\mathrm{deg}^2$ of an area covered by the Dark Energy Survey, reaching a depth of 25–30 $\mu\mathrm{Jy\ beam}^{-1}$ rms at a spatial resolution of $\sim$ 11–18 arcsec, resulting in a catalogue of $\sim$ 220 000 sources, of which $\sim$ 180 000 are single-component sources. Here we present the catalogue of single-component sources, together with (where available) optical and infrared cross-identifications, classifications, and redshifts. This survey explores a new region of parameter space compared to previous surveys. Specifically, the EMU Pilot Survey has a high density of sources, and also a high sensitivity to low surface brightness emission. These properties result in the detection of types of sources that were rarely seen in or absent from previous surveys. We present some of these new results here.

Social cognitive deficits can have many negative consequences, spanning social withdrawal to psychopathology. Prior work has shown that child maltreatment may associate with poorer social cognitive skills in later life. However, no studies have examined this association from early childhood into adolescence. Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC; n = 4,438), we examined the association between maltreatment (caregiver physical or emotional abuse; sexual or physical abuse), assessed repeatedly (every 1–3 years) from birth to age 9, and social cognitive skills at ages 7.5, 10.5, and 14 years. We evaluated the role of both the developmental timing (defined by age at exposure) and accumulation of maltreatment (defined as the number of occasions exposed) using a least angle regression variable selection procedure, followed by structural equation modeling. Among females, accumulation of maltreatment explained the most variation in social cognitive skills. For males, no significant associations were found. These findings underscore the importance of early intervention to minimize the accumulation of maltreatment and showcase the importance of prospective studies to understand the development of social cognition over time.

The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiology of COVID-19 in Nigeria with a view of generating evidence to enhance planning and response strategies. A national surveillance dataset between 27 February and 6 June 2020 was retrospectively analysed, with confirmatory testing for COVID-19 done by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The primary outcomes were cumulative incidence (CI) and case fatality (CF). A total of 40 926 persons (67% of total 60 839) had complete records of RT-PCR test across 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory, 12 289 (30.0%) of whom were confirmed COVID-19 cases. Of those confirmed cases, 3467 (28.2%) had complete records of clinical outcome (alive or dead), 342 (9.9%) of which died. The overall CI and CF were 5.6 per 100 000 population and 2.8%, respectively. The highest proportion of COVID-19 cases and deaths were recorded in persons aged 31–40 years (25.5%) and 61–70 years (26.6%), respectively; and males accounted for a higher proportion of confirmed cases (65.8%) and deaths (79.0%). Sixty-six per cent of confirmed COVID-19 cases were asymptomatic at diagnosis. In conclusion, this paper has provided an insight into the early epidemiology of COVID-19 in Nigeria, which could be useful for contextualising public health planning.

Computerised CBT (CCBT) offers a new way for Cognitive behaviour therapy to be offered. 19 people who had completed at least 2 sessions of the “Overcoming Depression” CBT-based CDRom were asked to participate in focus group discussions of their experience. They had all participated in a Randomised Control Trial of the effectiveness of Overcoming Depression CDRom for patients on a clinical psychology waiting list. If patients declined participation in a focus group they were offered an alternative of telephone or face to face interviews as a method of gathering this data.

A topic guide was devised after a search of the relevant literature and in conjunction with the researchers of the RCT. A grounded theory approach was utilised to modify the Topic Guide at each of the subsequent focus groups and interviews. All sessions were facilitated and recorded on a digital voice recorder and fully transcribed to aid thematic analysis.

Overall, 14 participants shared their views and experiences. Seven main themes have been identified: People generally liked the approach and found it helpful and useful whilst on a waiting list. Practical and technical suggestions for change were made. It was felt that the intervention would have helped at an earlier stage in illness. The package helped patients in skills acquisition. Other comments related to the role of the nurse as a support. Some participants have valued the anonymity provided by a CDRom based approach and felt it a useful adjunct to individual therapy.

Ichthyosporean parasites (order Dermocystida) can cause morbidity and mortality in amphibians, but their ecology and epidemiology remain understudied. We investigated the prevalence, gross and histologic appearance, and molecular phylogeny of a novel dermocystid in the state-endangered silvery salamander (Ambystoma platineum) and the co-occurring, non-threatened small-mouthed salamander (Ambystoma texanum) from Illinois. Silvery salamanders (N = 610) were sampled at six ephemeral wetlands from 2016 to 2018. Beginning in 2017, 1–3 mm raised, white skin nodules were identified in 24 silvery salamanders and two small-mouthed salamanders from five wetlands (prevalence = 0–11.1%). Skin biopsy histology (N = 4) was consistent with dermocystid sporangia, and necropsies (N = 3) identified infrequent hepatic sporangia. Parasitic 18S rRNA sequences (N = 5) from both salamander species were identical, and phylogenetic analysis revealed a close relationship to Dermotheca viridescens. Dermocystids were not identified in museum specimens from the same wetlands (N = 125) dating back to 1973. This is the first report of Dermotheca sp. affecting caudates in the Midwestern United States. Future research is needed to determine the effects of this pathogen on individual and population health, and to assess whether this organism poses a threat to the conservation of ambystomatid salamanders.

Lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) are promising for applications in light emitting devices owing to a strong emission spectrum that is tunable throughout the visible region by altering halide composition. However, in mixed-halide perovskite systems photoinduced migration drives formation of halide-segregated domains, altering the emission spectrum. The mechanism by which this segregation occurs is currently the subject of intense investigation. Processes involving the perovskite surface are expected to be of enhanced prevalence in NCs due to their large surface area to volume ratio. In this work, we use transient absorption spectroscopy to probe the excited-state dynamics of NCs before and after halide segregation. Comparison of global fit spectra of the measured signals suggests the accumulation of iodide at the surface, resulting in a redshifted emission spectrum.

Our research on bias in family formation is rooted in the extant literature of gender and academia but moves beyond discussion of the “leaky-pipeline” metaphor to explore less frequently addressed issues including pregnancy loss, illness, lactation, and challenges faced by academic parents who are the partners of those who have given birth. We explore the lower-order processes that inform the gap in professional achievement between men and women in political science specifically and in academia more broadly. In turn, these lower-order processes manifest as more observable higher-order outcomes such as the disparate rates of tenure and promotion. We conducted a 100-question survey from November 2017 through July 2019 involving more than 300 respondents. Through analysis of open-ended survey responses, we identified a common theme uniting faculty experiences at a range of universities: family formation and parenting can be isolating processes for academics, and there often is a gross lack of both formal and informal support within universities, which creates the potential for setbacks in both personal and professional life. We highlight the challenges confronting academic parents—especially women—and suggest potential avenues to a more inclusive and balanced approach to academia.

The convergence of sports and celebrity can have a powerful influence on everyday politics, especially for groups underrepresented in mainstream American society. This article examines the relationship between race, celebrity, and social movements, specifically Colin Kaepernick’s protest of police violence and whether his activism mobilizes black Americans to political action. Using the 2017 Black Voter Project (BVP) Pilot Study, we explore African American political engagement in the 2016 election, a time devoid of President Obama as a mobilizing figure. We find African Americans who strongly approve of Kaepernick’s protest engage in politics at elevated rates, even after accounting for alternative explanations. Moreover, approval for Kaepernick also moderates other forces rooted in group identity, such as identification with the Black Lives Matter movement. In the end, Kaepernick and the protest movement he leads offers a powerful mobilizing force for African Americans.

The photophysical properties of lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) are critical to their potential application in light emitting devices and other optoelectronics, and are typically characterized using optical spectroscopies. Measurements of nuclei and nascent NC photophysics during synthesis provide insight into how the reaction can be changed to control the properties of the resulting NCs. However, these measurements are typically only performed ex situ after growth is halted by centrifuging the reaction mixture for several minutes. Here, a method is reported to rapidly sample the reaction mixture during a solvation-limited synthesis to enable multiple spectroscopic measurements during nucleation and NC growth. Absorbance and fluorescence measurements of a reaction mixture during the formation of methylammonium lead triiodide perovskite NCs are reported. The changing positions of spectral features as a function of reaction time show the expected weakening of exciton confinement during NC growth. The evolving fluorescence spectra demonstrate that the capping and surface passivation of nascent NCs changes during the reaction. The species in the reaction mixture, particularly during the early stages of the synthesis, are shown to be unstable. This indicates that, even for a relatively slow solvation-limited reaction, the photophysics of the reaction mixture can only be accurately captured if spectroscopic measurements are completed within seconds of sampling. The common use of centrifugation to quench NC syntheses prior to spectroscopic measurement biases the NC population towards more stable, well-capped NCs and does not accurately report on the full NC population in a reaction mixture.