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Case summary An 8-year-old female spayed Siamese indoor cat presented with a 3 week history of inspiratory dyspnoea, stridor and open-mouth breathing after exercise. Laryngoscopy, tracheoscopy, bronchoscopy and retroflexed nasopharyngoscopy were performed, and identified a multilobulated intraluminal mass within the trachea. Brush cytology was performed on the mass but was inconclusive in providing a definitive diagnosis. A CT scan of the neck failed to identify an obvious intraluminal mass and was negative to contrast uptake. Surgery was performed and seven rings of the trachea were removed to enable the complete excision of the mass. Histopathology of the excised mass was consistent with B cell lymphoma. After surgery, chemotherapy treatment was started. At the time of writing, 20 months since diagnosis, the cat remained clinically well, with no clinical signs or recurrence of macroscopic disease on endoscopic evaluation. Relevance and novel information Upper airway endoscopy was considered to be an essential diagnostic tool in this case presenting with signs of upper respiratory dyspnoea. Moreover, combined surgery and chemotherapy were considered effective treatments and positively affected the long-term prognosis of this patient.

The demand for bendable sensors increases constantly in the challenging field of soft and micro-scale robotics. We present here, in more detail, the flexible, functional, insect-inspired curved artificial compound eye (CurvACE) that was previously introduced in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS, 2013). This cylindrically-bent sensor with a large panoramic field-of-view of \(180^\circ\) \(\times\) \(60^\circ\)composed of 630 artificial ommatidia weighs only 1.75 g, is extremely compact and power-lean (0.9 W), while it achieves unique visual motion sensing performance (1950 frames per second) in a five-decade range of illuminance. In particular, this paper details the innovative Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) sensing layout, the accurate assembly fabrication process, the innovative, new fast read-out interface, as well as the auto-adaptive dynamic response of the CurvACE sensor. Starting from photodetectors and microoptics on wafer substrates and flexible printed circuit board, the complete assembly of CurvACE was performed in a planar configuration, ensuring high alignment accuracy and compatibility with state-of-the art assembling processes. The characteristics of the photodetector of one artificial ommatidium have been assessed in terms of their dynamic response to light steps. We also characterized the local auto-adaptability of CurvACE photodetectors in response to large illuminance changes: this feature will certainly be of great interest for future applications in real indoor and outdoor environments.

This essay revisits and expands on Gary A. Olson and Joseph M. Moxley's 1989 article "Directing Freshman Composition: The Limits of Authority" by looking at revised notions of writing program administrators' work and authority in 2012. Whereas the original essay surveyed only department chairs, our study includes data from both department chairs and directors of first-year writing to explore issues of authority. The essay complicates Olson and Moxley's notion of authority, distinguishing among power, authority, and influence, and examining how they inflect the work of directors of first-year writing. In addition, common assumptions about the connections between WPAs' tenure status and authority are re-examined in light of survey results.

Historians of rhetoric and composition need to be more explicit and specific about their investigative methods when reporting their research, states this author. This should be done in a systematic and incremental way that both highlights the uniqueness of archival study and creates the depth and breadth of knowledge required to begin generalizing about the tools the discipline needs and uses. Aside from modeling archival strategies for other researchers, a methods section allows the readers to evaluate the presented information and determine its trustworthiness and accuracy. (Contains 18 notes.)

Introduction: Many physician assistant (PA) programs converted from traditional in-person admission interviews to virtual interviews during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of both PA faculty and applicants to PA programs about the virtual interview process. General perceptions, advantages, and disadvantages were explored. Methods: A mixed-method approach was implemented to collect data using 2 survey instruments: one for PA program applicants and another for PA program faculty. The surveys were created using a combination of previously used and new questions and distributed through email and social media. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the independent and dependent variables. Chi-square, one-way ANOVA, and Spearman's rho correlation were conducted to analyze potential relationships between variables. Qualitative data were analyzed using an iterative process and inductive reasoning to identify recurring themes and code responses into common topical categories. Results: Completed surveys were received from 178 applicants and 325 faculty members. If given the choice, most applicants favored virtual interviews (62.4%), while the majority of faculty preferred in-person interviews (64.0%). The majority of applicants (84.6%) and faculty (64.9%) were comfortable making a decision about the program or applicant, respectively, after the virtual interview process. The top 3 advantages of virtual interviewing for both faculty and applicants included convenience, decreased travel time, and cost savings. Discussion: Both faculty and applicants perceived the virtual interview process positively, and thus, this modality may have enough advantages to support its use in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: COVID-19 has profoundly affected life throughout the world, and it greatly impacted physician assistant (PA) education programs when the virus spread across the New York region 2 years ago. PA programs at Stony Brook University, Hofstra University, and the New York Institute of Technology were located in the epicenter of the pandemic and were forced to transition to online learning during the spring of 2020. The purpose of this study was to explore didactic PA students' perceptions of virtual learning, their mental health status, and the challenges and unexpected benefits they have faced during this historic time. Methods: A consent form that linked to an 11-question electronic Qualtrics survey was emailed to all didactic students enrolled in the 3 participating PA programs. The survey data were used to conduct a descriptive analysis and a Spearman's ρ correlation analysis using SPSS 24 software. Results: The survey response rate was 39% (89/229). The students perceived it to be more challenging to maintain the same level of academic achievement with virtual learning, although they felt they were able to meet learning objectives and be prepared for clinical clerkships. They reported experiencing greater stress, anxiety, and depression related to decreased socialization and isolation. However, the students said that their PA program provided enough support to assist with student needs, and they noted unexpected benefits of remote learning, including more time to spend with family members, increased schedule flexibility, and lower commuting costs. Discussion: The PA students' education and mental health were negatively affected because of the abrupt transition from in-person to virtual learning. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the students in the 3 participating PA programs in New York were affected by the change to remote learning and the subsequent lack of socialization. PA students experienced both challenges and benefits during this unscheduled virtual learning period. While students noted increases in mental health issues, they felt supported by faculty members and prepared to start clinical rotations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the question of how the temperature profile of a Z-pinch plasma can be determined and/or constrained by the requirement that its observed K-shell spectrum be replicated. As a case study we employ spatially integrated, time-resolved K-shell data obtained from the implosion of 30-wire Al:Mg alloy arrays on the Saturn driver at Sandia National Laboratories. Given the measured pinch size, its K-shell power and line intensities are compared with the predictions of a collisional-radiative-equilibrium plasma model whose temperature profile is varied in seeking agreement with the data. The Al data rules out a large range of possible temperature profiles, but two quite different temperature distributions can both match the measurements. These are: a uniform temperature, or, one with a sharply dropping temperature near the pinch outer edge. However, the measured ratio of the Mg [Alpha] resonance lines to those of Al, even though time-integrated, excludes the possibility of a uniform temperature distribution. Index Terms - Plasma measurements, plasma pinch, spectral analysis, X-ray measurements, X-ray production, X-ray spectroscopy.

On June 25, 2001, Prof. Dr. François L'Eplattenier presented the first 'Solvias Leading Scientist' award to Dr. Benoît Pugin, Solvias AG.

Computational modeling has been widely used to evaluate battery performance and safety due to its efficiency and low cost. One challenge of conducting large-scale battery simulations is the computational intensity as the size of a battery pack can be several orders of magnitude larger than the thickness of individual layers in a cell and resolving each layer is computationally expensive. Here we present an approach that can accelerate battery simulations significantly without sacrificing much accuracy, which can be critical to extend battery simulations from cell level to module/pack level. In this approach, a newly developed element formulation, composite tshell element, is applied to mesh battery cells. One composite tshell element may contain multiple layers of materials so that local behavior can be captured. In the meanwhile, using such elements in a model reduces the number of elements and therefore computational time considerably. Case studies show that compared with models that resolve each layer using solid elements, using composite tshell elements can achieve comparable results in multiple solvers with much less time. Implementation of composite tshell elements in mechanical, electromagnetic and thermal solvers is presented. Benefits, constraints and future development of composite tshell elements in battery safety simulations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development process of electrified vehicles can benefit significantly from computer-aided engineering tools that predict themultiphysics response of batteries during abusive events. A coupled structural, electrical, electrochemical, and thermal model framework has been developed within the commercially available LS-DYNA software. The finite element model leverages a three-dimensional mesh structure that fully resolves the unit cell components. The mechanical solver predicts the distributed stress and strain response with failure thresholds leading to the onset of an internal short circuit. In this implementation, an arbitrary compressive strain criterion is applied locally to each unit cell. A spatially distributed equivalent circuit model provides an empirical representation of the electrochemical responsewith minimal computational complexity. The thermalmodel provides state information to index the electrical model parameters, while simultaneously accepting irreversible and reversible sources of heat generation. The spatially distributed models of the electrical and thermal dynamics allow for the localization of current density and corresponding temperature response. The ability to predict the distributed thermal response of the cell as its stored energy is completely discharged through the short circuit enables an engineering safety assessment. A parametric analysis of an exemplary model is used to demonstrate the simulation capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact events of a pouch cell have been simulated using three types of finite element models. It is shown that all these models can capture the essential features of a cell under impact and give similar results in the evolution of loading force, voltage and temperature. Their computational times, on the other hand, differ by orders of magnitude due to different levels of details contained in the models. It demonstrates that with appropriate strategies, multi-physics battery safety simulations can be extended from cell to module/pack with reasonable accuracy using manageable computational resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essay is presented which discusses the article "Directing Freshman Composition: The Limits of Authority" by writing instructors Gary A. Olson and Joseph M. Moxley. It mentions that the article by Oslan and Moxley deals with the role of writing program administrator. It further reports that authority of writing program directors evokes significant interests in contemporary composition studies scholars.