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The WARP Reactor Concept promises orders of magnitude increase of intense ion beam energies and respective radiation yields at a fraction of the size and cost over existing z-pinch class accelerators allowing the economically viable study of new Relativistic High Energy Density Physics regimes for probing the intersection between General Relativity and Quantum Field Theory along with game-changing direct applications from rep-rated Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion devices for energy production and advanced propulsion to multi-pulse compact flash x-ray/neutron radiography sources for assessing nuclear weapons stockpile. An overview of the WARP Reactor Concept is presented., Comment: 12 pages, 26 figures, 9 tables. Submitting to Physical Review Accelerators and Beams

Als die COVID-19-Pandemie über die Welt hereinbrach, waren viele Menschen gezwungen, sich auf online-basierte Routinen einzustellen, darunter auch qualitative Forscher*innen, die nach alternativen Möglichkeiten zur Erhebung aussagekräftiger Daten suchten. Während Fokusgruppen traditionell Face to Face durchgeführt werden, bieten Fortschritte bei Online-Videokonferenzanwendungen neue Methoden zur Datenerhebung, die jedoch bisher nur selten untersucht wurden. In diesem Artikel berichten wir über die Erfahrungen von 12 Doktorand*innen mit der Durchführung von Fokusgruppen unter Verwendung von Zoom im Rahmen eines Kurses zu qualitativen Interviewmethoden. Wir reflektieren Chancen und Herausforderungen, die wir als Moderator*innen und Teilnehmer*innen bei der Nutzung von Zoom erlebten z.B. bei der Vorbereitung oder in Bezug auf Rapport, die Einbindung anderer digitaler Tools und von Internetverbindungen. Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass die Durchführung von Online-Fokusgruppen unter Verwendung von Zoom insgesamt eine positive Erfahrung war und mit Face-to-Face-Fokusgruppen vergleichbar ist. Möglichkeiten der Teilnehmer*innenrekrutierung, die Sicherheitsmerkmale von Zoom und die Nutzung von Zoom und allgemeiner neuen Technologien sollten auch jenseits der Pandemie weiter erforscht werden., As the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the world, it forced many people to adapt to an online-based routine, including qualitative researchers looking for alternative ways to collect meaningful data. While focus groups are traditionally conducted in-person, advances with online videoconferencing applications present a new method to collect data, however, few studies have explored this. In this article we present 12 doctoral students' experiences with conducting focus groups using the videoconferencing application Zoom during a qualitative methods course on interviewing methods. Through this self-study qualitative analysis, participants reflected on the opportunities and challenges experienced as both moderators and participants using Zoom including: preparation, rapport, incorporating other digital tools, and internet connectivity. In conclusion, doing focus groups online using Zoom was a positive experience overall and comparable to in-person focus groups for collecting qualitative data, despite the introduction of technology. More research on participant recruitment, new technology, Zoom's security features, and Zoom's use outside of a pandemic should be further explored.

Autonomous systems provide the military with advanced capabilities permitting the execution of increasingly dangerous and difficult missions. A human in the loop is still required to decide how and when to deploy these technologies. The research problem this dissertation addresses is a user’s rejection of new technology in high-risk applications due to a lack of trust in the use of the technology. This is a problem because users’ lack of trust in new technology, designed to support users in high-risk situations, will prevent the use of the technology. The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the effect of information presented about a new technology as well as the effect of the level of automation offered by the new technology on the perceived trust (i.e., as measured by the perceived usefulness, ease of use, and intent to use). An experiment was conducted that manipulated the level of automation and the presentation of information in three systems. The results indicated that, in high-risk scenarios, it is not possible to develop trust in technology without the system presentation of operational information. The study results also indicated that the level of automation was not a factor in developing technology trust in high-risk scenarios. Civilian, Department of the Navy Approved for public release. distribution is unlimited

Additional file 3: Supplementary Table 3. Secondary analysis: mutations detected in whole exome analysis.

17 USC 105 interim-entered record; under temporary embargo. U.S. Government affiliation is unstated in article text.

Additional file 2: Supplementary Table 2. Secondary analysis: mutations detected in candidate genes. Single instances of loss-of-function mutations were detected in three of the candidate genes in the secondary analysis.

Additional file 1: Supplementary Table 1. Secondary analysis of candidate genes. The symbols, names, and functions of genes included in the secondary analysis due to their role in melanin synthesis or melanosome structure.

Importance:Primary open-angle glaucoma presents with increased prevalence and a higher degree of clinical severity in populations of African ancestry compared with European or Asian ancestry. Despite this, individuals of African ancestry remain understudied in genomic research for blinding disorders. Objectives:To perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of African ancestry populations and evaluate potential mechanisms of pathogenesis for loci associated with primary open-angle glaucoma. Design, Settings, and Participants:A 2-stage GWAS with a discovery data set of 2320 individuals with primary open-angle glaucoma and 2121 control individuals without primary open-angle glaucoma. The validation stage included an additional 6937 affected individuals and 14 917 unaffected individuals using multicenter clinic- and population-based participant recruitment approaches. Study participants were recruited from Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, the United States, Tanzania, Britain, Cameroon, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Morocco, Peru, and Mali from 2003 to 2018. Individuals with primary open-angle glaucoma had open iridocorneal angles and displayed glaucomatous optic neuropathy with visual field defects. Elevated intraocular pressure was not included in the case definition. Control individuals had no elevated intraocular pressure and no signs of glaucoma. Exposures:Genetic variants associated with primary open-angle glaucoma. Main Outcomes and Measures:Presence of primary open-angle glaucoma. Genome-wide significance was defined as P C) with primary open-angle glaucoma (odds ratio [OR], 1.32 [95% CI, 1.20-1.46]; P = 2 × 10-8). The association was validated in an analysis of an additional 6937 affected individuals and 14 917 unaffected individuals (OR, 1.15 [95% CI, 1.09-1.21]; P

We have developed a publicly available tool, AxonJ, which quantifies the axons in optic nerve sections of rodents stained with paraphenylenediamine (PPD). In this study, we compare AxonJ's performance to human experts on 100x and 40x images of optic nerve sections obtained from multiple strains of mice, including mice with defects relevant to glaucoma. AxonJ produced reliable axon counts with high sensitivity of 0.959 and high precision of 0.907, high repeatability of 0.95 when compared to a gold-standard of manual assessments and high correlation of 0.882 to the glaucoma damage staging of a previously published dataset. AxonJ allows analyses that are quantitative, consistent, fully-automated, parameter-free, and rapid on whole optic nerve sections at 40x. As a freely available ImageJ plugin that requires no highly specialized equipment to utilize, AxonJ represents a powerful new community resource augmenting studies of the optic nerve using mice.

The Euahlayi people are an Australian Aboriginal language group located in north-central New South Wales and south-central Queensland. They have a rich culture of astronomy, and use of the night sky in resource management. Like several other Aboriginal peoples, they did not travel extensively at night, and so were assumed not to use the night sky for navigation. This study has confirmed that they, like most other Aboriginal groups, travelled extensively outside their own country for purposes of trade and ceremonies. We also found that, previously unknown, they used star maps in the night sky for learning and remembering waypoints along their routes of travel, but not for actual navigation. Further research may find that this was common to many Aboriginal groups in Australia., 17 pages, 8 figures

Author(s): Kuo, Debbie S; Sokol, Jared T; Minogue, Peter J; Berthoud, Viviana M; Slavotinek, Anne M; Beyer, Eric C; Gould, Douglas B | Abstract: PurposeCongenital cataracts occur in isolation in about 70% of cases or are associated with other abnormalities such as anterior segment dysgenesis and microphthalmia. We identified a three-generation family in the University of California San Francisco glaucoma clinic comprising three individuals with congenital cataracts and aphakic glaucoma, one of whom also had microphthalmia. The purpose of this study was to identify a possible causative mutation in this family and to investigate its pathogenesis.MethodsWe performed exome sequencing and identified a putative mutation in gap junction protein α8 (GJA8). We used PCR and DNA sequencing of GJA8 in affected and unaffected members of the pedigree to test segregation of the variant with the phenotype. We tested cellular distribution and function of the variant protein by immunofluorescence and intercellular transfer of Neurobiotin in transiently transfected HeLa cells.ResultsExome sequencing revealed a variant in GJA8 (c.658AgG) encoding connexin50 (Cx50) that resulted in a missense change (p.N220D) in transmembrane domain 4. The variant was present in all three affected family members, but was also present in the proband's grandfather who was reported to be unaffected. The mutant protein localized to the plasma membrane and supported intercellular Neurobiotin transfer in HeLa cells.ConclusionsWe identified a variant in transmembrane domain 4 of Cx50 in a family with autosomal dominant congenital cataracts. This variant has been previously identified in other cataract cohorts, but it is also present in unaffected individuals. Our study demonstrates that the mutant protein localized to the plasma membrane and formed functional intercellular channels. These data suggest that GJA8 c.658AgG is most likely a benign rare variant.

Leopard complex spotting is a group of white spotting patterns in horses caused by an incompletely dominant gene (LP) where homozygotes (LP/LP) are also affected with congenital stationary night blindness. Previous studies implicated Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel, Subfamily M, Member 1 (TRPM1) as the best candidate gene for both CSNB and LP. RNA-Seq data pinpointed a 1378 bp insertion in intron 1 of TRPM1 as the potential cause. This insertion, a long terminal repeat (LTR) of an endogenous retrovirus, was completely associated with LP, testing 511 horses (χ(2)=1022.00, p<