Assessing spatial non-uniformities in lithium-ion battery state of charge using ultrasound immersion testing

Enhancing the performance, safety and reliability of battery management systems is crucial for advancing the state of the art in battery electric vehicles. Current research explores the potential of ultrasound to monitor state of charge (SoC) changes in individual cells. Understanding spatial variations in SoC is essential, as non-uniformities could lead to sub-optimal performance, premature ageing, and possible safety risks. This study uses ultrasound immersion C-scans to map wave speed and attenuation at different SoC levels during battery cycling. Results indicate non-uniform wave speed and attenuation suggestive of SoC spatial variations within single cells, emphasising the importance of addressing this issue. Acoustic measurements under various C-rates and relaxation periods are discussed, providing insights into lithium-ion rearrangement in graphite particles. Potential causes of structure and manufacturing variations of the cell are discussed, highlighting the need to address these issues to prevent overcharging or overdischarging in specific battery areas

Domesticating the Exotic? An Online Survey of Attitudes towards the International Wildlife Pet Trade

There are a variety of perspectives on wildlife management and conservation, necessitating interdisciplinary research to develop better management strategies. We answered the call to action provided by Teel et al. (2018) to integrate social sciences into conservation and explored an important but understudied issue: views on the international pet-trade of exotic animals. Some pet owners advocate the pet trade as a means to promote conservation, where removing wild animals from their natural habitat could protect them from degraded environments. To gauge how prevalent this attitude is in a cross-national sample, we conducted an online survey that asked 882 participants worldwide to evaluate the pet trade and its relationship with biological conservation. Overall, our survey results showed regional patterns and indicated that younger respondents were more likely to consider international pet trade as a form of acceptable conservation practice compared to older respondents. Education also played a role in shaping views on the pet-trade and indicated that respondents with higher education degrees were less prone to accept pet trade as a substitute for conservation practices. Our research provides novel insights applicable to education programmes and international conservation efforts while highlighting variation in attitudes even among professionals with formal training in natural sciences and ecology

Lower-Third Standardized Letters of Evaluation in Emergency Medicine: Does Gender Make a Difference in Match Outcome?

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether gender influences the likelihood of receiving a lowerthird global assessment (GA) on the standardized letter of evaluation (SLOE) submitted as part of the emergency medicine (EM) application process as well as the impact of gender on ultimate match outcomes for applicants receiving a lower-third GA ranking. Our hypothesis was that female applicants with a lowerthird GA ranking have a higher risk of not matching. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study evaluating U.S.-based allopathic applicants to a single EM residency program in the Mid-Atlantic region during the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 match cycles. GA SLOE rankings and gender for all applicants were extracted and compared to the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) data for each applicant on match outcome. Comparative analyses were conducted between gender and SLOE GA rankings in order to obtain an odds ratio (OR) of gender and match outcomes. Results A total of 2,017 SLOEs were reviewed from 798 applicants in the 2018 and 2019 EM match cycles. Overall, 716 (90%) applicants successfully matched in EM, with 82 (10%) applicants failing to match into EM; 277 students had at least one lower-third GA ranking. For all applicants, having at least one lower-third GA ranking was associated with a significant risk of not matching (OR: 0.20; 95% CI: 0.12-0.34). Of the 277 students with at least one lower-third GA ranking, 85 (31%) were female and 192 (69%) were male. Of the female applicants with a lower-third GA ranking, 15 (18%) failed to match in EM, and 39 (20%) of the males failed to match in EM. For applicants with a lower-third GA ranking, female gender alone was not associated with a significantly increased risk of not matching (OR: 1.18; 95% CI: 0.61-2.21). Conclusions Female applicants receive a lower-third GA ranking less frequently than their male counterparts. One or more lower-third rankings on the GA significantly reduced an applicant’s chances of matching into an EM program. For those with a lower-third GA ranking, female gender alone does not significantly increase the risk of not matching into EM

Consumer perspectives on acceptability of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy in Tanzania and Kenya: A mixed methods study

Background There is a substantial mental health treatment gap globally. Increasingly, mental health treatments with evidence of effectiveness in western countries have been adapted and tested in culturally and contextually distinct countries. Findings from these studies have been promising, but to better understand treatment outcome results and consider broader scale up, treatment acceptability needs to be assessed and better understood. This mixed methods study aimed to examine child and guardian acceptability of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) in two regions in Tanzania and Kenya and to better understand how TF-CBT was perceived as helpful for children and guardians. Methods Participants were 315 children (7–13), who experienced the death of one or both parents and 315 guardians, both of whom participated in TF-CBT as part of a randomized controlled trial conducted in Tanzania and Kenya. The study used mixed methods, with quantitative evaluation from guardian perspective (N=315) using the Treatment Acceptability Questionnaire (TAQ) and the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8 (CSQ-8). Acceptability was assessed qualitatively from both guardian and child perspectives. Qualitative evaluation involved analysis using stratified selection to identify 160 child and 160 guardian interviews, to allow exploration of potential differences in acceptability by country, setting (urban/rural), and youth age (younger/older). Results Guardians reported high acceptability on the TAQ and, using an interpretation guide from U.S.-based work, medium acceptability on the CSQ-8. Guardians and children noted high acceptability in the qualitative analysis, noting benefits that correspond to TF-CBT’s therapeutic goals. Analyses exploring differences in acceptability yielded few differences by setting or child age but suggested some potential differences by country. Conclusion Quantitative and qualitative data converged to suggest high acceptability of TF-CBT from guardian and child perspectives in Tanzania and Kenya. Findings add to accumulating evidence of high TF-CBT acceptability from Zambia and other countries (United States, Norway, Australia). Plain Language Summary: Evidence-based treatments have been shown to be effective in countries and regions that are contextually and culturally distinct from where they were developed. But, perspectives of consumers on these treatments have not been assessed regularly or thoroughly. We used open-ended questions and rating scales to assess guardian and youth perspectives on a group-based, cognitive behavioral treatment for children impacted by parental death, in regions within Tanzania and Kenya. Our findings indicate that both guardians and youth found the treatment to be very acceptable. Nearly all guardians talked about specific benefits for the child, followed by benefits for the family and themselves. Eighty percent of youth mentioned benefits for themselves and all youth said they would recommend the program to others. Benefits mentioned by guardians and youth corresponded to treatment goals (improved mood/feelings or behavior, less distress when thinking about the parent/s’ death). Both guardians and children named specific aspects of the treatment that they liked and found useful. Dislikes and challenges of the treatment were less frequently mentioned, but point to areas where acceptability could be further improved. Recommendations from participants also offer areas where acceptability could be improved, namely guardians’ recommendation that the treatment also address non-mental health needs and offer some follow-up or opportunity to participate in the program again. Our study provides an example of how to assess acceptability and identify places to further enhance acceptability

CD62L expression marks a functionally distinct subset of memory B cells

The memory B cell response consists of phenotypically distinct subsets that differ in their ability to respond upon antigen re-encounter. However, the pathways regulating the development and function of memory B cell subsets are poorly understood. Here, we show that CD62L and CD44 are progressively expressed on mouse memory B cells and identify transcriptionally and functionally distinct memory B cell subsets. Bcl6 is important in regulating memory B cell subset differentiation with overexpression of Bcl6 resulting in impaired CD62

Anti-proliferative Effects of Common Plant Extracts on Tumor Cells in Vitro

In 2018, the World Health Organization identified cancer as responsible for 1 in 6 deaths globally, encouraging the exploration of creative forms of cancer treatment. Our research interests include identifying anti-proliferative plant extracts and illuminating mechanisms of growth inhibition. In this study we measured the effects of Vitis vinifera (grapeseed), Juniperus communis (juniper berry), and Curcuma longa (turmeric) extracts on the proliferation of several normal and tumorigenic cell strains and lines (HFF-S2, HeLa, HepG2, MDA MB 231, and RAW 264.7). We performed dose response CyQUANT assays to analyze the effects on cell growth. We are using DNA analysis, recovery experiments, and DAPI staining to investigate whether our extracts induce apoptosis in these cells. Our results showed dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth in vitro with all three extracts but not with extracts from other plants. The results of this study suggest the potential for further study of components of grapeseed, juniper berry, and turmeric extracts as potential chemo preventive agents

Comparative genomic analysis reveals evidence of two novel Vibrio species closely related to V. cholerae

Background: In recent years genome sequencing has been used to characterize new bacterial species, a method of analysis available as a result of improved methodology and reduced cost. Included in a constantly expanding list of Vibrio species are several that have been reclassified as novel members of the Vibrionaceae. The description of two putative new Vibrio species, Vibrio sp. RC341 and Vibrio sp. RC586 for which we propose the names V. metecus and V. parilis, respectively, previously characterized as non-toxigenic environmental variants of V. cholerae is presented in this study. Results: Based on results of whole-genome average nucleotide identity (ANI), average amino acid identity (AAI), rpoB similarity, MLSA, and phylogenetic analysis, the new species are concluded to be phylogenetically closely related to V. cholerae and V. mimicus. Vibrio sp. RC341 and Vibrio sp. RC586 demonstrate features characteristic of V. cholerae and V. mimicus, respectively, on differential and selective media, but their genomes show a 12 to 15% divergence (88 to 85% ANI and 92 to 91% AAI) compared to the sequences of V. cholerae and V. mimicus genomes (ANI <95% and AAI <96% indicative of separate species). Vibrio sp. RC341 and Vibrio sp. RC586 share 2104 ORFs (59%) and 2058 ORFs (56%) with the published core genome of V. cholerae and 2956 (82%) and 3048 ORFs (84%) with V. mimicus MB-451, respectively. The novel species share 2926 ORFs with each other (81% Vibrio sp. RC341 and 81% Vibrio sp. RC586). Virulence-associated factors and genomic islands of V. cholerae and V. mimicus, including VSP-I and II, were found in these environmental Vibrio spp. Conclusions: Results of this analysis demonstrate these two environmental vibrios, previously characterized as variant V. cholerae strains, are new species which have evolved from ancestral lineages of the V. cholerae and V. mimicus clade. The presence of conserved integration loci for genomic islands as well as evidence of horizontal gene transfer between these two new species, V. cholerae, and V. mimicus suggests genomic islands and virulence factors are transferred between these species.

The Efficacy and Treatment Fidelity of Kinesiology Taping in Conjunction With Conservative Treatment Interventions Among Individuals With Shoulder Pain: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

# Purpose Kinesiology taping is a common intervention used to treat individuals with shoulder pain. While there have been several studies published to date evaluating the effectiveness of this intervention, a systematic review with meta-analysis synthesizing the collective effectiveness of kinesiology taping is not available. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review with meta-analysis investigating the efficacy and treatment fidelity of kinesiology taping (KT) in combination with conservative interventions for shoulder pain. # Methods Databases (PubMed, EMBASE, SportDiscus, CINAHL) of studies published in English meeting criteria were searched to October 2019. Methodologic quality was assessed utilizing the Modified Downs and Black checklist. Treatment fidelity was evaluated using a modified fidelity tool. Random effects meta-analyses were performed when an outcome (disability, pain, range of motion (ROM)) was reported by two or more studies. Overall effect size (pooled random effects) was estimated for studies with acceptable clinical homogeneity. # Results When KT was used with conservative treatments, meta-analysis revealed large effect sizes for improvements in disability (standard mean difference (SMD) = -1.35; 95% CI, -2.09 to -0.60) and ROM (SMD = 0.96; 95% CI, 0.60-1.33) with no significant effects for pain. The average Modified Downs & Black score for bias was 11.5 &#177; 3.9. Of 10 retained studies, only two had good treatment fidelity. # Conclusions Adding KT to interventions performed in clinical settings appears to demonstrate efficacy regarding disability and ROM when compared to conservative interventions alone. However, despite reasonably good methodologic quality, fidelity was lacking in a majority of studies. Because of its impact on the implementation of evidence-based practice, lower fidelity should be considered when interpreting results

Concise total syntheses of (–)-jorunnamycin A and (–)-jorumycin enabled by asymmetric catalysis

The bis-tetrahydroisoquinoline (bis-THIQ) natural products have been studied intensively over the past four decades for their exceptionally potent anticancer activity, in addition to strong gram-positive and -negative antibiotic character. Synthetic strategies toward these complex polycyclic compounds have relied heavily on electrophilic aromatic chemistry, such as the Pictet-Spengler reaction, that mimics their biosynthetic pathways. Herein we report an approach to two bis-THIQ natural products, jorunnamycin A and jorumycin, that instead harnesses the power of modern transition-metal catalysis for the three major bond-forming events and proceeds with high efficiency (15 and 16 steps, respectively). By breaking from biomimicry, this strategy allows for the preparation of a more diverse set of non-natural analogs