Design of a 10.8 kWh, 28V Ni-MH Battery Using Commercial Ni-MH Cells

This paper describes the design of a 10.8 kWh, 28V, Ni-MH battery using commercial off-the shelf (COTS) 4/3A Ni-MH cells for the X-38 vehicle, an experimental version of the Crew Return Vehicle (CRY). This will be an autonomous vehicle that will enable International Space Station crews to return to earth in the event of a medical, or other, emergency. The X-38 will be powered by 3 batteries: a 32 V primary battery, which will power the vehicle avionics for up to 7 hours for a loiter and de-orbit phase of the descent; a 28 V Ni-MH battery which will take over for the primary battery after de-orbit until landing, and a 270V Ni-Cd battery, which will be used to power electromechanical actuators and the winches controlling a parachute for landing

Facial Recognition and Posthuman Technologies in Shakespeare’s Sonnets

The human face, real and imagined, has long figured into various forms of cultural and personal recognition—to include citizenship, in both the modern and the ancient world. But beyond affiliations related to borders and government, the human face has also figured prominently into biometrics that feed posthuman questions and anxieties. For while one requirement of biometrics is concerned with “unicity,” or that which identifies an individual as unique, another requirement is that it identify “universality,” confirming an individual’s membership in the species. Shakespeare’s sonnets grapple with the crisis of encountering a universal beauty in a unique specimen to which Time and Nature nonetheless afford no special privilege. Between fair and dark lies a posthuman lament over the injustice of natural law and the social valorizations arbitrarily marshaled to defend it

Understanding shoreline landowner views on water quality best management practices and outreach

Place-based research targeting rural shoreline property owners provided valuable insights into water quality issue awareness, viewpoints, and willingness to adopt best management practices (BMPs). This information can improve the efficacy of outreach programs designed to motivate shoreline homeowners to protect adjacent waterways. Between 2009 and 2016, 7 different sets of audience research were conducted to determine how to increase the voluntary adoption of water quality BMPs on private land. The studies focused on shoreline landowners and were conducted in rural areas in the South Puget Sound and Hood Canal regions of Washington State. Barriers and motivators for a variety of water quality related BMPs were identified and outreach methods and messages were developed and tested. BMPs were related to on-site septic maintenance, pet waste, shoreline vegetation plantings, and livestock management. Septic and planting BMPs are the focus of this presentation which demonstrate the importance of audience assessment and evaluation. Differences and similarities in audience responses of the different sub-regions were determined and evaluated. The similarities that did exist across all areas were that shoreline property owners are most motivated by messages that connect BMPs to specific, local waterbodies; demonstrate an effect on personal interests; and are accompanied by factual information and data. The research also indicated that successful outreach programs identify credible messengers and focus on a BMP of highest interest to the audience. Post outreach evaluation showed that the high interest BMP focus allowed outreach staff to then introduce other BMPs to shoreline homeowners with greater success

Predictors of Acute Liver Failure in Patients With Acute Hepatitis A: An Analysis of the 2016-2018 San Diego County Hepatitis A Outbreak.

Background:Between 2016 and 2018, San Diego County experienced a hepatitis A outbreak with a historically high mortality rate (3.4%) that highlighted the need for early recognition of those at risk of developing acute liver failure (ALF). Methods:A retrospective case series of adult hospitalized patients with acute hepatitis A. Results:One hundred six patients with hepatitis A were studied, of whom 11 (10.4%) developed ALF, of whom 7 (6.6%) died. A history of alcohol abuse, hyperbilirubinemia, hypoalbuminemia, hyponatremia, and anemia were associated with increased odds of developing ALF. Initial Maddrey's and Model of End-Stage Liver Disease Sodium (MELD-Na) scores were also associated with the development of ALF. Multivariable analysis showed that a higher initial MELD-Na score (odds ratio [OR], 1.205; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.018-1.427) and a lower initial serum albumin concentration (OR, 9.35; 95% CI, 1.15-76.9) were associated with increased odds of developing ALF. Combining serum albumin and MELD-Na (SAM; C-statistic, 0.8878; 95% CI, 0.756-0.988) yielded a model that was not better than either serum albumin (C-statistic, 0.852; 95% CI, 0.675-0.976) or MELD-Na (C-statistic, 0.891; 95% CI, 0.784-0.968; P = .841). Finally, positive blood cultures were more common among patients with ALF compared with those without ALF (63.6% vs 4.3%; P < .00001). Conclusions:Hypoalbuminemia was associated with an increased risk of ALF in patients with acute hepatitis A. Positive blood cultures and septic shock as a cause of death were common among patients with ALF. Providers caring for patients with acute hepatitis A should monitor for early signs of sepsis and consider empiric antibiotics, especially in patients presenting with hypoalbuminemia

Solvent as Electron Donor: Donor/Acceptor Electronic Coupling Is a Dynamical Variable

We combine analysis of measurements by femtosecond optical spectroscopy, computer simulations, and the generalized Mulliken−Hush (GMH) theory in the study of electron-transfer reactions and electron donor−acceptor interactions. Our focus is on ultrafast photoinduced electron-transfer reactions from aromatic amine solvent donors to excited-state acceptors. The experimental results from femtosecond dynamical measurements fall into three categories:  six coumarin acceptors reductively quenched by N,N-dimethylaniline (DMA), eight electron-donating amine solvents reductively quenching coumarin 152 (7-(dimethylamino)-4-(trifluoromethyl)coumarin), and reductive quenching dynamics of two coumarins by DMA as a function of dilution in the nonreactive solvents toluene and chlorobenzene. Applying a combination of molecular dynamics trajectories, semiempirical quantum mechanical calculations (of the relevant adiabatic electronic states), and GMH theory to the C152/DMA photoreaction, we calculate the electron donor/acceptor interaction parameter HDA at various time frames. HDA is strongly modulated by both inner-sphere and outer-sphere nuclear dynamics, leading us to conclude that HDA must be considered as a dynamical variable

Complete Nucleotide Sequence and Full-Length cDNA Clone of S.A.AR86, a South African Alphavirus Related to Sindbis

S.A.AR86 and Girdwood S.A., two South African Sindbis-like arboviruses, are closely related antigenically to the Swedish isolate, Ockelbo82 [Lundström, J. O., Vene, S., Saluzzo, J. F., and Niklasson, B. (1993) Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 49(5), 531-537]. Each of these viruses is associated with human disease, and Girdwood S.A. was isolated from a human case. In addition, S.A.AR86 is unique among Sindbis-like viruses in that adult mice remain sensitive to lethal infection with S.A.AR86. The complete genomic sequences of S.A.AR86 and Girdwood S.A. were determined. The S.A.AR86 RNA genome contained 11,663 nucleotides, excluding the 5' CAP structure and 3' poly(A) tail. In comparison to the consensus sequence of the prototype Egyptian Sindbis strain AR339, S.A.AR86 differed at 5.57% of the nucleotides, including a 54-nucleotide deletion, two insertions of 6 nucleotides each, and a 3-nucleotide insertion in the 3' terminal one-third of the S.A.AR86 nsP3 gene. S.A.AR86 is one of only three alphaviruses sequenced to date that does not have an opal termination codon between the nsP3 and the nsP4 genes. These genes are separated by a cysteine codon in the S.A.AR86 genome. The genome of Girdwood S.A. was 11,717 nucleotides in length, excluding the 5' CAP and 3' poly(A) tail. Girdwood S.A. contained an opal termination codon between nsP3 and nsP4 and did not have the large 54-nucleotide deletion in nsP3, although Girdwood S.A. did contain the remaining insertions and deletions characteristic of S.A.AR86. S.A.AR86 was more closely related to Girdwood S.A. than to the Egyptian isolate, and the South African isolates as a group were more closely related to the Swedish isolate. Comparison of the S.A.AR86 sequence to that of Ockelbo82, Girdwood S.A., and Sindbis virus AR339 revealed several codons where S.A.AR86 differed from the conserved amino acid encoded by the other three viruses. These changes may be related to the ability of S.A.AR86 to initiate a lethal central nervous system infection in adult mice. To fulfill a prerequisite for testing this hypothesis, a full-length cDNA clone of S.A.AR86 was constructed from which infectious genomic RNA replicas could be derived. The sequence of this clone differed from the S.A.AR86 genomic RNA sequence at four translationally silent positions, and virus derived from the clone reproduced the adult mouse neurovirulence phenotype of its biological progenitor

Who stands in the way of women? Open vs. closed lists and candidate gender in Estonia

The literature on women's descriptive representation has looked at the debate on open and closed lists as a choice between electoral systems. This article instead focuses on whether voters or the parties are biased against female candidates. Using data from six Estonian elections, the article finds that voters are not consistently biased against female candidates and open lists do not necessarily decrease women's representation. However, unknown and non-incumbent female candidates fare significantly worse than similar men. The analysis also shows that parties do not place women in electable positions on closed lists, and closed lists do not improve women's representation

Traumatic surfing injuries in New Zealand: a descriptive epidemiology study

BACKGROUND: New Zealand (NZ) has nearly 14,000 km of coastline and a surfing population of approximately 315,000 surfers. Given its popularity, surfing has a high frequency of injury claims, however, there remains a lack of data on traumatic surfing-related injuries from large population studies. The primary purpose of this study was to examine traumatic surfing injuries in NZ specific to injury incidence, duration, location, type, mechanism of injury and associated risk factors. METHODS: A sample of self-identified surfers currently living in NZ participated in an online retrospective cross-sectional survey between December 2015 and July 2016. Demographic and surfing injury data were collected and analysed. RESULTS: The survey yielded 1,473 respondents (18.3% female); a total of 502 surfers reported 702 major traumatic injuries with an overall incidence proportion of 0.34 (95% CI [0.32–0.37]). When comparing the number of injured surfers who sustained an injury at various body locations, a significantly higher proportion of competitive surfers, compared to recreational surfers, had an injury at the neck (6.8% vs 4%, χ(2) (1,1473) = 5.84, P = 0.019); shoulder (7.4% vs 4.3%, χ(2) (1,1473) = 6.34, P = 0.017), upper back (1% vs 2.4%, χ(2) (1,1473) = 4.77, P = 0.043), lower back (7% vs 3.1%, χ(2) (1,1473) = 11.98, P = 0.001) and knee (7% vs 3.4%, χ(2) (1,1473) = 9.67, P = 0.003). A significantly higher proportion of surfers who performed aerial manoeuvres compared to those who did not reported a higher proportion of knee injuries (9.7% vs 3.9%, χ(2) (1,1473) = 13.00, P = 0.001). With respect to injury duration, the shoulder represented the largest proportion of chronic injuries (>3 months) (44.4%), and the head and face represented the largest proportion of acute injuries (≤3 months) (88%). Muscle and tendon injuries were reported most frequently (25.6%) and direct contact injuries accounted for 58.1% of all injury mechanisms. Key risk factors for traumatic injury included: competitive compared to recreational status (41.0% vs 30.1%, Relative Risk (RR) = 1.36, P < 0.001), ability to perform aerial manoeuvres (48.1% vs 31.8%, RR = 1.51, P < 0.001) and intermediate or above skill level surfers compared to beginner surfers (35.8% vs 22.7%, RR = 1.58, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: One third of recreational surfers sustained a major traumatic injury in the previous 12 months. For competitive or aerialist surfers the risk was greater, with this proportion approximately half. Overall, the head/face was the most common location of traumatic injury, with competitive surfers being more likely to sustain a neck, shoulder, lower back, and knee injury compared to recreational surfers. The shoulder was associated with the highest proportion of injuries of chronic duration. Future research should investigate injury mechanisms and causation using prospective injury monitoring to better underpin targeted injury prevention programs

HWA Expanded Scopes of Practice program evaluation: Advanced Practice in Endoscopy Nursing sub-project: final report

The Advanced Practice in Endoscopy Nursing (APEN) sub-project was undertaken in response to a national trend of increasing demand for endoscopy services, in part due to the implementation of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program. The aim was to train nurses to perform endoscopic procedures previously only undertaken in Australia by doctors. Although new to Australia, nurse endoscopists are well established in the United Kingdom. Recently published evidence based on a systematic review of the literature indicates that nurses can achieve similar results for efficacy and safety to those achieved by doctors