cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Remaining useful life estimation of Lithium-ion batteries based on thermal dynamics

Longevity remains one of the key issues for Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery technology. On-board Intelligent Battery Management Systems (BMS) implement health-conscious control algorithms in order to increase battery lifetime while maintaining the performance. For such algorithms, the information on Remaining Useful Life (RUL) of the battery is crucial for optimizing the battery performance and ensuring minimal degradation. However, accurate prediction of RUL remains one of the most challenging tasks until this date. In this paper, we present an online RUL estimation scheme for Li-ion batteries, which is designed from a thermal perspective. The key novelty lies in (i) leveraging thermal dynamics to predict RUL and, (ii) developing a hierarchical estimation algorithm with provable convergence properties. The algorithm consists of three stages working in cascade. The first two stages estimate the core temperature, State-of-Charge (SOC) and battery capacity based on a combination of thermal and Coulombic SOC model. The third stage receives this capacity information and in turn identifies a capacity fade aging model. Finally, we estimate the RUL by predicting the battery capacity fade over the cycles utilizing the identified aging model. A combination of sliding mode observers and nonlinear least-squares algorithm is utilized for designing the estimators. Simulation results illustrate the performance of the proposed RUL estimation scheme.
Moving an Evidence-Based Parenting Program Into the Community.

Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) is a parenting program developed to enhance sensitivity among parents of infants who experience early adversity. In several randomized clinical trials, the intervention's efficacy has been demonstrated. Moving interventions into the community with adequate fidelity is challenging, though, and intervention effects are often much smaller than when tested in randomized clinical trials. To enhance the likelihood that ABC is delivered with high fidelity, a microanalytic fidelity assessment was developed. Using this fidelity tool as a central component of training, supervision, and certification, changes in parent sensitivity for 108 families with children ages 6 months to 2 years were as large as those seen in laboratory settings. These findings are discussed with regard to implications for moving other evidence-based interventions into the community.
Abstract 94: Scaffolding Protein EBP50 Regulates Vascular Smooth Muscle Nox1 Activity by Binding p47phox

The NADPH oxidase (Nox) enzyme family is implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) including hypertension. In large vessel smooth muscle cells (SMCs), a unique hybrid Nox1 oxidase exists which propagates SMC dysfunction and hypertrophy. We recently demonstrated that these actions involve activation of Nox1 by hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) leading to feed-forward production of reactive oxygen species and activation of apoptosis signal regulating kinase 1 (Ask1). Here we postulate that Ezrin-radixin-moesin-binding phosphoprotein 50 (EBP50), a PDZ-domain scaffolding protein, is required for H 2 O 2 -mediated activation of SMC Nox1. In SMCs, knockdown of EBP50 by shRNA abolished superoxide (O 2 •- ) production in 50 μM H 2 O 2 -treated cells (37.7 ± 4.5, 79.9 ± 2.3 and 29.0 ± 3.5 x10 4 O 2 •- -mediated RLU for GFP plasmid vehicle-treated, GFP plasmid H 2 O 2 -treated and EBP50 shRNA plasmid H 2 O 2 -treated groups, respectively). Furthermore, H 2 O 2 -induced O 2 •- production was absent in SMCs isolated from EBP50 knockout (KO) mice (29.0 ± 2.7 vs 79.1 ± 2.4 x10 4 RLU for EBP50 KO vs wildtype after H 2 O 2 treatment). Intriguingly, p47 phox , an essential cytosolic subunit of the hybrid SMC Nox1 system, upon phosphorylation co-immunoprecipitated with EBP50 in COS-7 cells transfected with both proteins (Fig 1). Taken together, our data suggest that EBP50 promotes Nox activity by binding active p47 phox . These studies identify a novel partner in Nox1 activation and potentially provide new insights into the broader regulation of this enzyme family. Moreover, this added level of complexity could yield new therapeutic strategies to disrupt Nox in the treatment of hypertension and other CVDs.
Billardkugelabbildung und Integralgeometrie

Bisher haben wir hauptsachlich uber den Billardfluss gesprochen, also ein kontinuierliches System. Wir ersetzen nun die stetige Zeit durch eine diskrete Zeit und beschaftigen uns mit der Billardkugelabbildung.
School and Peers: Examining the Influence of Protective Factors on Delinquency and Age of Onset

This paper uses data on 10th graders from 2014 Caring Communities Youth Survey to examine the effect of protective factors on delinquency/age of onset (never, 13 or younger, 14 or older) of two ant...
Evaluation of an intervention promoting emotion regulation skills for adults with persisting distress due to adverse childhood experiences.

Abstract This phase II trial evaluated psychosocial and health outcomes of an intervention designed to improve emotion regulation skills in adults suffering from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). The study utilized a pretest-posttest design in which 92 adults enrolled in the community-based program completed pretest measures, attended either a faith-based or secular version of the 12-week ACE Overcomers program, and then completed posttest measures. The theory-guided program involved group sessions providing education and skills training to improve emotion regulation, self-awareness, resilience, and social functioning. Pretest and posttest surveys included measures of emotional regulation (suppression, rumination, cognitive reappraisal, and mindfulness), resilience (ego resilience and general self-efficacy), emotional experiences (perceived stress, moods, and depressive symptoms), quality of life (the SF-36 domains), and physical symptoms and illness (symptom load and sick days). Analyses revealed significant improvements from pretest to posttest in all facets of emotion regulation ( p p p p p p
Parallel Latent Dirichlet Allocation on GPUs

Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) is a statistical technique for topic modeling. Since it is very computationally demanding, its parallelization has garnered considerable interest. In this paper, we systematically analyze the data access patterns for LDA and devise suitable algorithmic adaptations and parallelization strategies for GPUs. Experiments on large-scale datasets show the effectiveness of the new parallel implementation on GPUs.
Melatonin exposures reported to Texas poison centers in 1998-2003.

Melatonin regulates circadian rhythms, and although widely used in the US, information on the public use of melatonin and patterns of reported adverse effects associated with the substance is limited. To describe the patterns of melatonin calls to poison centers in Texas during 1998-2003, data on all melatonin calls reported to the Texas Poison Center Network were analyzed. During 1998-2003, there were 779 identified human exposures to melatonin identified. Of those patients with a known age, 59.1% were age 6 years were managed outside of a health care facility. Of those cases with a known outcome, the proportion of cases with at least minor effects rose with increasing age. The majority of melatonin exposures reported to Texas poison centers involved children < 6 y. Younger patients were more likely to be male, have unintentional exposures, have no clinical effect, and to not require management at health care facilities. The observed clinical effects and treatment methods were consistent with the literature.
Musing on Clio: Why Study the Past, History, and Legal History

This paper pursues two themes. First, it argues that there is a commonality between the general interest in the past, the interest of historians, and interest of legal historians. Second, it shows that several ideas about the past commonly appear in all three contexts. In pursuing this themes, the paper begins by reviewing the initial study of past and the emergence of history and legal history in academia. It explores the various reasons that the early historians and later academic historians and legal historians studied the past and the different ways in which they used it. The paper then pursues in more detail the development of Anglo-American legal history as a scholarly tradition. It identifies three types of academic legal history: classical, liberal, and critical and discusses their natures and different uses of the past. Finally, the paper explores the substantial legal history scholarship and its relevance to scholars who are not legal historians. The paper concludes by stressing the importance of studying the legal past.
Question-based acquisition of conceptual indices for multimedia design documentation

Information retrieval systems that use conceptual indexing to describe the information content perform better than syntactic indexing methods based on words from a text. However, since conceptual indices represent the semantics of a piece of information, it is difficult to extract them automatically from a document, and it is tedious to build them manually. We implemented an information retrieval system that acquires conceptual indices of text, graphics and videotaped documents. Our approach is to use an underlying model of the domain covered by the documents to constrain the usds queries. This facilitates question-based acquisition of conceptual indices: converting user queries into indices which accurately model the content of the documents, and can be reused. We discuss Dedal, a system that facilitates the indexing and retrieval of design documents in the mechanical engineering domain. A user formulates a query to the system, and if there is no corresponding index, Dedal uses the underlying domain model and a set of retrieval heuristics to approximate the retrieval, and ask for confirmation from the user. If the user finds the retrieved information relevant, Dedal acquires a new index based on the query. We demonstrate the relevance and coverage of the acquired indices through experimentation.
Crocuta crocuta (Spotted hyena)

The preparations shown were made from skin biopsies of two immature animals from the National Zoological Park, Washington, D.C., USA, courtesy of Dr. C. Gray. The karyotype is essentially the same as that of the striped hyena, Hyaena hyaena, reported by Hsu and Arrighi. The smallest autosome has prominent satellites similar to the marker autosome of the cat. It is here placed as the tenth element.
Augmented Reality Experiences in Informal Education

The development of several digital technologies has enabled educators and researchers to approach learning and education from a personalized perspective. At the forefront of this technological-pedagogical development is augmented reality (AR). Though research has demonstrated AR's implementations within formal learning environments, there is a distinct lack of research evaluating AR applications within informal learning environments. In order to address this gap in literature, this study provides a systematic review of empirical investigations involving AR applications in informal learning settings. In total, eighteen (18) articles were examined between the time period of 2010 to 2017. Preliminary analysis has revealed several similarities between experiments within formal and informal learning environments such as expected learning outcomes, research design, and data collection methods. This review looks to expand on these overarching trends to answer questions regarding how AR implementations vary across formal and informal contexts.
Secure overlay communication and control model for decentralized autonomous control of smart micro-grids

Abstract The smart grid is expected to self-heal, self-optimize, self-configure, and self-protect from physical and cyber-disturbances. These requirements are expected to be built into intelligent electronic devices (IEDs), which would enable autonomous control of power distribution buses in the smart grid. Power distribution buses are used to redistribute electric loads across power generation sources, control voltage/VAR, satisfy economic dispatch objectives and improve the resiliency of the grid against physical disturbance and cyber-attacks. The current power grid has a centralized communication system with a centralized human-in-the-loop controller (such as in a typical SCADA system) in order to adjust operating configurations of equipment within a distribution zone. Implementing autonomous functions by moving from a centralized control architecture to a decentralized architecture can empower bus controllers with greater control over local equipment and operations. We present the secure overlay communication model (SOCOM) for smart microgrids as a solution to decentralizing the traditional centralized control architecture and a decentralized communication platform for peer bus controllers to operate and optimize operations of the grid. We demonstrate the utility of this overlay model in an 11-Bus microgrid network to achieve self-healing. Using this model, we were able to accurately detect data modification attacks that target the controller’s state-estimation and malicious control of switching devices.
“Do I feel safe revealing this information to you?”: Patient perspectives on disclosing sexual orientation and gender identity in healthcare

Objective: To examine university student perspectives on, and experiences with, disclosing sexual orientation and gender identity (SO/GI) in healthcare. Participants: Thirty-four graduate and undergraduate students from a large mid-Atlantic city in the United States participated in 1 of 6 focus groups held from October 2017 to February 2018. Methods: Focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis and principles of grounded theory to identify emerging themes. Results: Patient considerations around disclosing SO/GI fell within three thematic categories: the relevancy of SO/GI information to the clinical encounter, the patient-provider relationship, and concerns about negative provider reactions to disclosure. Conclusions: Findings highlight the need for provider understanding of SO/GI diversity and establishing safe and comfortable environments to facilitate disclosure for young adult patients. Lack of sensitivity to patients' experiences may exacerbate health disparities among sexual and gender minorities by failing to collect accurate epidemiological data and discouraging seeking care.
Household air pollution from domestic combustion of solid fuels and health.

Inefficient cooking and heating with solid fuels in poorly ventilated homes are a major source of exposure to indoor air pollution in developing countries. Household air pollution from cooking and heating with solid fuels also is an important contributor to outdoor air pollution. The combustion of organically derived solid fuel is qualitatively similar to the burning of tobacco in terms of emissions of particulate matter and gases, and the mechanisms by which solid fuel smoke causes adverse health effects in human subjects are likely similar. The public health effect of domestic cooking and heating with solid fuels is great. The World Health Organization estimates that there are 3.8 million deaths globally per year attributable to household air pollution. This estimate is based on the strength of the evidence, primarily meta-analyses of epidemiologic studies of acceptable scientific quality, although for cardiovascular disease, the evidence is more inferential. The greatest burden of household air pollution–related premature deaths is in children with pneumonia exposed to biomass smoke. The greatest estimated burden in adults is cardiovascular disease, but chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer are important causes of disability and premature death in women, who are the primary cooks and tend not to smoke tobacco in developing countries. Research gaps and opportunities for interventions to reduce effects of solid fuel smoke on public health are identified.
The role of parental problems in functional family therapy outcomes

Abstract Functional Family Therapy (FFT) is an evidence-based treatment intervention targeted toward justice-involved adolescents and their families. Prior research suggests that FFT is effective in treating delinquent tendencies, and may also be effective in improving family members' inner strengths, self-efficacy, and psycho-social functioning. While FFT has been demonstrated to reduce youth recidivism, less is known about the role parents may play throughout therapy and how parental problems (i.e., poor knowledge of the child's needs, or inadequate supervision of their child) impede successful treatment. Furthermore, the role of missed therapy sessions is often a neglected area of research, despite having a critical impact on treatment outcomes. Using structural equation modeling, this study explores the effect parental problems have on missed therapy appointments and treatment outcomes using a sample of 117 justice involved youth and their families who participated in FFT. Findings demonstrate that missed therapy sessions act as an important intervening variable between parental problems and therapy incompletion, where parental problems are directly related to missed sessions and missed sessions are directly related to the unsuccessful termination of treatment. Implications for FFT specialists are discussed.
Jagged Edge Noise Barriers

A novel design of traffic noise barriers is presented: barriers that have a jagged instead of the conventional straight top edge. Experimental, numerical, and analytical investigations show that noise barrier performance can be improved by making the top edge jagged. In many, but not all, cases the jagged edge improves insertion loss, by up to 6 dB. The most promising theoretical approach is to model the edge as a directive line source. Besides yielding predictions that agree favourably with measurements, the line source model reveals that the diffracted field behind a jagged edge barrier depends strongly on the receiver location, the portion of the edge on the most direct path between source and receiver, and the inclination of the straight barrier edge segments. Further, because the model is easy to apply, it is a promising and powerful tool for design of optimum edge profiles.
Papilloma diagnosed on core biopsies has a low upgrade rate.

Abstract Context Surgical excision of benign intraductal papillomas (IDP) diagnosed on core needle biopsy (CNB) remains controversial. Objective To examine the upgrade rate of IDPs diagnosed at core needle biopsy to carcinoma at surgical excision. Design We identified 188 consecutive IDPs diagnosed at CNB from 2011 to 2016 with subsequent surgical excision. Radiologic, clinical, and histologic features were evaluated and correlated with upgrade rate at surgical excision. Results Two of the 188 IDPs (1.1%) were upgraded to ductal carcinoma in situ or invasive carcinoma at excision. Features associated with upgrade rate include patient age (P = .03), largest size of papilloma on a single core at CNB (P = .04), and the presence of additional masses noted at ultrasound (P = .03). Conclusions Our study demonstrated a low 1.1% upgrade rate of surgically excised benign, concordant papillomas with no atypia or concurrent ipsilateral malignancy originally diagnosed on core biopsy. This data suggests that observation may be appropriate for radiologic-pathologic concordant benign IDPs diagnosed at CNB.
Initial Kinetic Characterization of Sterile Alpha and Toll/Interleukin Receptor Motif-Containing Protein 1.

Sterile alpha and toll/interleukin receptor (TIR) motif-containing protein 1 (SARM1) plays a pivotal role in triggering the neurodegenerative processes that underlie peripheral neuropathies, trauma...
High-School Students Rarely Use E-Cigarettes Alone: A Sociodemographic Analysis of Polysubstance Use Among Adolescents in the United States.

Introduction Most adolescents reporting e-cigarette use have also used combustible tobacco; however, the extent to which they use other substances is less clear. This study assessed e-cigarette use with tobacco, alcohol, or cannabis and quantified the risk of polysubstance use among adolescents overall and by sociodemographic characteristics. Aims and methods Using 2017 Youth Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from adolescents (grades 9-12) with complete substance use information (n = 11 244), we examined e-cigarette poly-use status (none [referent], e-cigarettes only, or e-cigarettes + other substances). We estimated the prevalence of substance use and modeled odds of e-cigarette use, alone or with other substances, by several sociodemographic characteristics. Analyses were completed in Stata version 15.1 using survey procedures to account for the complex survey design. Results Approximately 12% of adolescents reported past 30-day e-cigarette use. Almost all (93%) e-cigarette users also reported other substance use; alcohol appeared most frequently in combinations. Odds of e-cigarette single use and e-cigarette poly-use (vs. no use) were higher for males and adolescents with lower grades (odds ratios [ORs] = 1.44-2.31). Racial/ethnic minorities had lower odds of e-cigarette poly-use than White peers (ORs = 0.18-0.61), and bisexual (vs. straight) adolescents were more likely to be e-cigarette poly-users (OR = 1.62). E-cigarette use increased from 9th grade (7%) to 12th grade (16%). Conclusions Polysubstance use is highly prevalent among adolescents who use e-cigarettes. Therefore, e-cigarette screening should include the assessment of other substances, especially alcohol. Early and comprehensive prevention efforts to reduce e-cigarette and other substance use could have a substantial beneficial impact on population health over time. Implications This study extends knowledge about e-cigarette use among adolescents by exploring its use with alcohol, cannabis, and other tobacco products. We found that e-cigarettes were very rarely used alone, and our analysis identified several sociodemographic factors associated with greater odds of e-cigarette polysubstance use. In response, we recommend that prevention interventions address multiple substances concurrently, screen repeatedly to detect new initiation as age increases, focus on e-cigarette use as a less stigmatized entry point to discussions of substance use, and target priority population subgroups.
Analysis of rodent platelet glycoprotein IIb: evidence for evolutionarily conserved domains and alternative proteolytic processing

Recently, the full-length primary amino acid sequence for human glycoproteins (GP) IIb and IIIa have been derived from their respective cDNAs. Potential functional domains within these proteins have been proposed based primarily on homology with similar domains in other proteins having known biologic function. To further understand the relationship between structure and function of the platelet fibrinogen receptor, we have begun comparative studies of the human GPIIb/IIIa receptor with the corresponding rodent receptor. The rodent rGPIIb/IIIa receptor differs from the human receptor, having low affinity for R.G.D- containing oligopeptides and not binding at all to the C-terminus of the gamma chain of human fibrinogen. We describe the structure of rodent platelet GPIIb derived from a combination of peptide sequencing, and cDNA and partial genomic DNA sequence analysis. The initial transcript is 1037 amino acid residues, having 78% amino acid identity with its 1039 residue human analog. Both heavy chains have the N- terminal sequence L.N.L.D, agreeing with the consensus derived from other integrin family alpha heavy chains. All 18 cysteine residues occur at positions conserved in human GPIIb and the vitronectin receptor alpha subunit VNR alpha. The putative calcium-binding domains of the GPIIbs have a high level of amino acid identity (92%), supporting the supposition that these regions have a critical biologic role. The final 48 C-terminal amino acid residues of the heavy chain of rodent GPIIb share only 56% identity with its human counterpart, and the proposed cleavage site of human GPIIb into its heavy and light chains is not present in the rodent sequence. Although we demonstrate that rodent GPIIb is split into two subunits during its maturation, this process either involves a different recognition sequence in the rodent or occurs at a different site. Finally, partial genomic DNA sequence analysis indicates that there are at least two rodent GPIIb genes: a normal gene, containing introns in positions similar to those in the human gene, and a processed pseudogene. The human haploid genome contains only a single GPIIb gene.
The Role of Certainty

I argue that we can achieve certainty about some empirical propositions. When someone is having a migraine and attending to it, she can be certain that she is in pain. I show that examples intended to undermine claims of certainty or to raise doubts about the reliability of introspection do not touch such cases. Traditional foundationalists have held that epistemically certain beliefs can serve as the basis for all one’s other justified beliefs. This is not so, because those beliefs that are certain are spread too thinly to serve as broad justificatory foundations. Certainty has a different role. The best explanation for the existence of epistemically certain empirical beliefs is experientialism, the view that nondoxastic sensory experiences can justify beliefs. Experientialism then offers a framework for showing how the stream of sensory experiences can provide an adequate basis for the justification of our ordinary beliefs about the external world.
Genome-wide patterns of differentiation within and among U.S. commercial honey bee stocks

The population genetics of U.S. honey bee stocks remain poorly characterized despite the agricultural importance of Apis mellifera as the major crop pollinator. Commercial and research-based breeding programs have made significant improvements of favorable genetic traits (e.g. production and disease resistance). The variety of bees produced by artificial selection provides an opportunity to characterize the genetic diversity and regions of the genome undergoing selection in commonly managed stocks. Pooled sequencing of eight honey bee stocks found strong genetic similarity among six of the stocks. Two stocks, Pol-line and Hilo, showed significant differentiation likely due to their intense and largely closed breeding for resistance to the parasitic Varroa mite. Few variants were identified as being specific to any one stock, indicating potential admixture among the sequenced stocks. Juxtaposing the underlying genetic variation of stocks selected for disease- and parasite-resistance behavior, we identified genes and candidate regions putatively associated with resistance regulated by hygienic behavior. This study provides important insights into the distinct genetic characteristics and population diversity of honey bee stocks used in the United States, and provides further evidence of high levels of admixture in commercially managed honey bee stocks. Furthermore, breeding efforts to enhance parasite resistance in honey bees may have created unique genetic profiles. Genomic regions of interest have been highlighted for potential future work related to developing genetic markers for selection of disease and parasite resistance traits. Due to the vast genomic similarities found among stocks in general, our findings suggest that additional data regarding gene expression, epigenetic and regulatory information are needed to more fully determine how stock phenotypic diversity is regulated.
An Ultra-Wide Band Radome for High-Performance and Dual-Polarized Radar and Communication Systems

This paper presents a new design technique to develop a multi-layer radome for ultra-wide-band, dual-polarized radar and communication systems. In the proposed technique, a multi-layer radome is designed using a combination of A-sandwich structures, which are not used in conventional multi-layer radomes. In contrast with conventional radomes, this technique enables a substantial increase of bandwidth with a negligible change in the overall radome thickness. In addition, it provides excellent RF performance, thermal isolation, and mechanical strength. Three different multi-layer radomes for different bandwidths are designed. Parameters such as co-polarization mismatch and depolarization ratio are used to evaluate the proposed dual-polarized radome as a function of incident angle and frequency. To validate this new technique, a 5A-sandwich radome is designed to operate from 1 GHz to 14 GHz and its RF performance is evaluated by measuring S-parameters. The proposed radome is further investigated by measuring the radiation patterns of horn antennas at different bands (S-, C-, X- and Ku-bands) with and without the radomes. The measured losses recorded are below 0.5 dB with an absolute error less than 0.05 dB between the calculations and measurements. An S-band electronically scanned active phased array antenna is also used to evaluate the radome as a function of incident angles. In this case, the maximum recorded losses are below 0.4 dB and the absolute errors between the calculations and measurements are below 0.1 dB. The proposed technique and radome can be used in different applications such as surveillance systems, earth exploration satellite, aeronautical radio-navigation, and especially in dual-polarized weather radars that require a high polarization performance.
Design of next-generation covalent inhibitors: Targeting residues beyond cysteine

Abstract Covalent protein inhibitors have found considerable utility in medicinal chemistry and chemical biology. Chemical probes and drugs have been rationally designed and fine-tuned to engage cysteine residues predominantly using electrophilic acrylamide warheads that deliver inhibitors with improved pharmacological efficacy, duration and selectivity over reversible binders. However, cysteine is rarely present in protein binding sites and so there is a need to advance inhibitors that engage alternative amino acid residues. This review describes recent progress in the development of covalent small molecules that target residues beyond cysteine. Numerous electrophiles have been incorporated into inhibitors that selectively label various reactive amino acid side chains including lysine, tyrosine, histidine, serine, threonine, glutamate, aspartate and methionine. Several synthetic strategies have facilitated these advances, particularly in the area of sulfonyl-exchange chemistry, though other emerging approaches are presented. We hope the review will inspire future research into next-generation covalent protein inhibitors that positively effect therapeutic discovery and drive fundamental biological insights through novel chemical probe development.
Interventions for Distal Radius Fractures: A Meta-analysis of Comparison Studies.

Background Distal radius fractures are one of the most frequent orthopaedic injuries. There are many effective treatment methods, such as volar plate, dorsal plate, percutaneous pins, external fixation, and casting; however, comparison of the treatment outcomes has not been thoroughly investigated. Our purpose is to determine if volar plating is the superior treatment method for distal radius fractures. We will address this through the following questions: First, is volar plating superior to dorsal plating, percutaneous pins, external fixation, or casting in terms of reported complications? Second, does volar plating produce superior functional outcomes to dorsal plating, percutaneous pins, external fixation, or casting? Third, are the radiographic outcomes superior for volar plating when compared with dorsal plating, percutaneous pins, external fixation, or casting? Methods MEDLINE, Academic Search Ultimate, Academic Search Complete, CINAHL Plus, and JSTOR databases, as well as manual search, were used to identify papers comparing complications and functional results of volar plating to other treatment methods for distal radius fractures published after the year 2000. Complication data and function scores were recorded. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool and data was analyzed for meta-analysis using Cochrane ReviewManager software. Results Compared with dorsal plate, volar plate performed significantly better in Gartland and Werley score. Volar plating outperformed percutaneous pins for loss of reduction, infection, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) score, and ulnar deviation. Loss of reduction, malunion, Patient Related Wrist Evaluation (PRWE) score, DASH score, grip strength, ulnar deviation, and supination were significantly better for volar plating when compared with casting. When compared with external fixation, volar plating had significantly less cases of infection, lower QuickDASH score, and higher range of motion for flexion, pronation, and supination. All other complication and functional outcomes were not significantly different. Conclusions Distal radius fractures treated with volar plating showed relatively better measures of complications, function scores, and range of motion than other treatment methods; however, there was no significant difference in healing time when compared with percutaneous pins. More studies are needed to compare the rest of the treatment methods with each other.
Case 5. Parakeratosis variegata in a patient with CD8+ mycosis fungoides with post-inflammatory hypopigmentation

Parakeratosis variegata (in old books, “parapsoriasis variegate”) represents a unique type of poikilodermatous MF where the lichenoid infiltrate contributes to mottled discoloration of the skin. In this book, we present three similar cases. Interestingly, both of those cases had CD8+ phenotype of MF.
Local Government Plaintiffs and the Opioid Multi-District Litigation

In late 2017, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ordered the consolidation of a few hundred cases pending around the country against opioid manufacturers and distributors into a Multi-District Litigation (MDL) in the Northern District of Ohio. Today, the Opioid MDL consists of over 1900 opioid-related cases brought primarily by states, cities, counties, and other local entities, and that number is growing weekly. Strikingly, these lawsuits are not, in their main, seeking damages for injuries to individuals. Rather, they are seeking compensation for the cost of public services needed to address the consequences of addicted communities, ranging from emergency response capabilities to rehabilitation services. The Opioid MDL is the first mass litigation to involve this number of local government plaintiffs, and although this Note predicts that the Opioid MDL, like most MDLs, will resolve in an aggregate settlement, the presence of local governments poses a unique problem for achieving that outcome. Mass litigation can only result in settlement if the settlement provides some guarantees to the defendants of “global peace”—meaning that the settlement forecloses all, or close to all, current and future litigation against the defendants—and any settlement arising out of the Opioid MDL will have to contend with resolving the claims of around 33,000 city, township, and county governments. Even though only a fraction of these local governments are currently part of the Opioid MDL, their presence leaves open the threat that absent localities will sue later, undermining the likelihood or value of any settlement. This Note discusses the various ways that a settlement could be structured with local governments by looking to prior mass tort litigation and applying the settlement tactics used in those cases to the Opioid MDL. In doing so, this Note proposes that even though the players in this MDL are unique, the solutions are not.
Hyperacute hyponatremia mimicking acute ischemic stroke: A case report.

We present a case of hyperacute hyponatremia with stroke like symptoms on presentation. Symptoms included confusion, left-sided facial droop, right-sided hemiparesis, dysarthria and aphasia, with an NIH stroke score of 5. Sodium level at the time of presentation was 119 mmol/L which dropped acutely from 138 mmol/L seven hours prior. Symptoms improved after treatment with 3% saline and no evidence of stroke, intracranial hemorrhage or space-occupying lesion was seen on imaging. The most likely cause of the hyponatremia was increased free water consumption and ADH surge. The patient remained symptom free after discharge with resolution of hyponatremia. Acute hyponatremia can cause focal neurological complaints and deficits, mimicking acute ischemic stroke. We advise clinicians to be aware of this entity when considering interventions for possible acute ischemic stroke and evaluating a patient with focal neurological deficits.
Learning assistants as student partners in introductory physics

Using learning assistants as student partners in creating change supports sustainable curricular improvements.
Dazed and Confused: Altered Mental Status in an Adolescent Male.

Abstract Background Absence status epilepticus (ASE) is a form of generalized nonconvulsive status epilepticus. ASE is characterized by impairment in consciousness, which can vary widely, making the diagnosis more difficult. The typical patient with ASE will be confused yet responsive and in a “trance-like state” with delayed speech, clumsy gait, and the ability to perform simple tasks after prompting. With treatment, typical ASE has an excellent prognosis and does not appear to be associated with significant neuronal damage. Case Presentation An 11-year-old boy with history of febrile seizures presented to the emergency department (ED) with altered mental status without trauma or ingestion. His vital signs and physical examination were normal, with the exception of appearing intoxicated with sparse verbalization and inappropriate emotional responses. All laboratory results and imaging were unremarkable. While in the ED, his neurologic examination trended toward normal, returning almost to baseline. He was admitted to the hospital for video electroencephalogram, which revealed status epilepticus. After benzodiazepine therapy, epileptic electrical activity ceased and the patient's symptoms resolved. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? ASE is a rare condition that is uncommonly described in the pediatric population. These patients are frequently misdiagnosed on initial presentation as their alteration in mental status can be easily confused with ingestion, trauma, psychiatric illness, or infectious etiologies. Overturning the long-standing emergency dogma of “if they're talking to you, it's not a seizure” is undoubtedly difficult, but both pediatric and adult providers should be aware of this clinical entity. Keywords: altered mental status; absence seizure; status epilepticus; pediatric emergency
The advantages of generative grammatical encodings for physical design

One of the applications of evolutionary algorithms is the automatic creation of designs. For evolutionary techniques to scale to the complexities necessary for actual engineering problems, it has been argued that generative systems, where the genotype is an algorithm for constructing the final design, should be used as the encoding. We describe a system for creating generative specifications by combining Lindenmayer systems with evolutionary algorithms, and we apply it to the problem of generating table designs. Designs evolved by our system reach an order of magnitude more parts than previous generative systems. Comparing it against a non-generative encoding, we find that the generative system produces designs with higher fitness and is faster than the non-generative system. Finally, we demonstrate the ability of our system to go from design to manufacture by constructing evolved table designs using rapid prototyping equipment.
The Organization Family:: A Question of Work and Family Boundaries

The concept of the organization family is proposed as an extention of Whyte's earlier treatise on the organization man. This family pattern includes families that are tied to work organization because the employee member and the organization have unusually strong reciprocal commitments to one another. The history of these kinds of work and family commitments is explored, including its foundation in early corporate welfare capitalism. Current environments which still maintain the organization family model include institutional type organizations such as the military, some large-scale corporations, and industries which dominate company towns. Characteristics of these relationships are explored and trends away from the organizational family model are identified, including reasons for the projected demise of this family lifestlye.
Optimal QoS sampling frequency assignment for real-time wireless sensor networks

How to allocate computing and communication resources in a way that maximizes the effectiveness of control and signal processing has been an important area of research. The characteristic of a multi-hop real-time wireless sensor network raises new challenges. First, the constraints are more complicated and a new solution method is needed. Second, we need a distributed solution to achieve scalability. This paper presents solutions to both of the new challenges. The first solution to the optimal frequency allocation is a centralized solution that can handle the more general form of constraints as compared with prior research. The second solution is a distributed version for large networks using a pricing scheme. It is capable of incremental adjustment when utility functions change.
The value of peer-to-peer knowledge transfer for engaging pacific northwest tribes in stem education and oceanographic studies

Students from Native American tribes in the Pacific Northwest United States are under-represented in ocean studies despite tribes' strong cultural ties to the sea for thousands of years. Tribes with lands bordering seawater and who currently use this environment are numerous in the Puget Sound region. Yet entrainment of tribal students into ocean sciences higher education is lacking. Through efforts that span and integrate several programs, we have initiated several successful practices to understand and break through some of the barriers to improve this status. Some solutions are quite straightforward, but not obvious if Native American cultural awareness is not appreciated. One highly successful practice has been use of peer-to-peer knowledge transfer. We have also found that including sampling over the full spectrum of the pelagic ecosystem has been successful. Native American students and their communities are attracted to this work because the data are ecosystem inclusive (water to whales), the content is place-based, and the learning environment focuses on an experiential, student-led, inquiry-based approach - all of which resonate with the Native culture. The utility of this perspective as a contribution to STEM research is obvious. We seek to share our lessons learned with the ocean community to foster a wider and more diverse participation in ocean science.
Subnanometre ligand-shell asymmetry leads to Janus-like nanoparticle membranes

Self-assembly of nanoparticles at fluid interfaces has emerged as a simple yet efficient way to create two-dimensional membranes with tunable properties. In these membranes, inorganic nanoparticles are coated with a shell of organic ligands that interlock as spacers and provide tensile strength. Although curvature due to gradients in lipid-bilayer composition and protein scaffolding is a key feature of many biological membranes, creating gradients in nanoparticle membranes has been difficult. Here, we show by X-ray scattering that nanoparticle membranes formed at air/water interfaces exhibit a small but significant ∼6 A difference in average ligand-shell thickness between their two sides. This affects surface-enhanced Raman scattering and can be used to fold detached free-standing membranes into tubes by exposure to electron beams. Molecular dynamics simulations elucidate the roles of ligand coverage and mobility in producing and maintaining this asymmetry. Understanding this Janus-like membrane asymmetry opens up new avenues for designing nanoparticle superstructures.
The effects of age, sleep deprivation, and altitude on complex performance.

Abstract : Little research has been concerned with the combined effects on performance of age, sleep deprivation, and altitude. This study examined their potential interaction with laboratory tasks measuring aviation-related psychological functions. Healthy men in two age groups, 30-39 yr (N=16) and 60- 69 yr (N=14), were evaluated for complex (time-shared) performance in the four possible combinations of two altitudes (ground level vs. 3,810 m (12,500 ft)) and two sleep conditions (sleep permitted vs. sleep deprived). Following training, performance was evaluated during 3-h test sessions in the morning and afternoon of each of 4 test days. Complex performance, measured by the Multiple Task Performance Battery (MTPB), included: monitoring of warning lights and meters, mental arithmetic, problem solving, target identification, and tracking. Workload was varied within each hour by varying the tasks performed simultaneously. Performance was significantly lower in the older subjects, but age did not interact significantly with sleep deprivation or altitude. When subjects were rested, altitude had no effect. When subjects were sleep deprived, performance was significantly lower in general, and the greatest decrement in performance occurred at altitude. Increasing workload enhanced the interaction of sleep deprivation and altitude. The performance of older subjects tended to be more affected by increases in workload, but decrements induced by sleep deprivation and altitude did not appear to interact with age. These findings provide empirical evidence in support of warnings in the aeromedical literature concerning greater effects of sleep deprivation as altitude increases within the general aviation range.
Enhanced tumor initiation by mixtures of tumorigenic and nontumorigenic strains of agrobacterium.

Abstract Mixtures of two strains of Agrobacterium from the species A. tumefaciens (11 strains), A. rhizogenes (6 strains), and A. radiobacter (7 strains) were tested for their ability to initiate tumors on primary pinto bean leaves. Intra- and interspecific mixtures of A. tumefaciens and A. rhizogenes strains induced 10- to 20-fold increases in the number of tumors initiated. This complementation was observed only in mixtures in which at least one of the strains was tumorigenic when inoculated separately. Tests of various combinations of strains that formed complementary pairs showed two groups described as tumorigenic “helper” strains (donors) and conditionally tumorigenic strains (receptors). Donor, receptor, and noncomplementing strains were found among the strains of A. rhizogenes and A. tumefaciens. Donor or receptor A. tumefaciens strains substituted respectively for A. rhizogenes donor or receptor strains to form complementary pairs. A. radiobacter strains mixed with strains of the same or other Agrobacterium species did not initiate tumors and failed to promote tumor initiation in combination with a tumorigenic strain. Washing the complementing strains prior to mixing had no effect on the response, and the centrifuge supernatants from either donor or receptor strains when inoculated with cells of the opposite type did not increase tumor initiation. Neither indole acetic acid, kinetin, nor gibberellic acid could substitute for either the donor or receptor strain when tested separately on each member of a representative pair of complementing organisms. It is proposed that a substance is either produced or induced in the host by the donor strain after its inoculation on the leaf which permits tumor initiation by a receptor strain at a separate site.