This study investigates L2 Spanish rhotic production in intermediate learners of Spanish, specifically addressing the duration of the influence of L1 English rhotic articulations and a phonetic ...environment involving English taps on the acquisition of Spanish taps and trills that Olsen (2012) found. Results from multiple linear regressions involving thirty-five students in Spanish foreign language classes show that the effect of English rhotic articulations evident in beginners has disappeared after four semesters of Spanish study. However, results from paired samples t-tests show that these more advanced learners produced accurate taps significantly more in words containing phonetic environments that produce taps in English. This effect is taken as evidence that L1 phonetic influences have a shorter duration on L2 production than do L1 phonological influences. These results provide insights into L2 rhotic acquisition which Spanish educators and students can use to formulate reasonable pronunciation expectations.
A coring technique is an effective strategy to overcome short linear segmental chronic occlusions in subclavian veins caused by previously implanted leads. We present the case of an 82-year-old male ...who was transferred from a primary care center for consideration for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement following an episode of sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia and hemodynamic compromise that required direct-current cardioversion. A coring technique was successfully used in this patient.
High-entropy oxides (HEOs) are an emerging class of advanced ceramic materials capable of stabilizing ultrasmall nanoparticle catalysts. However, their fabrication still relies on high-temperature ...thermal treatment methodologies affording nonporous architectures. Herein, we report a facile synthesis of single-phase, fluorite-structured HEO nanocrystals via an ultrasound-mediated co-precipitation strategy under ambient conditions. Within 15 min of ultrasound exposure, high-quality fluorite-structured HEO (CeHfZrSnErOx) was generated as ultrasmall-sized particles with high surface area and high oxygen vacancy concentration. Taking advantage of these unique structural features, palladium was introduced and stabilized in the form of highly dispersed Pd nanoclusters within the CeHfZrSnErOx architecture. Neither phase segregation of the CeHfZrSnErOx support nor Pd sintering was observed under thermal treatment up to 900°C. The as-afforded Pd/CeHfZrSnErOx catalyst exhibits good catalytic performance toward CO oxidation, outperforming Pd/CeO2 of the same Pd loading, which highlights the inherent advantage of CeHfZrSnErOx as carrier support over traditional oxides.
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•Single-phase, fluorite-structured high-entropy oxides nanocrystals was synthesized•An ultrasound-mediated co-precipitation strategy under ambient conditions was used•CeHfZrSnErOx exhibited high surface area and high oxygen vacancy concentration•Pd nanoclusters within the CeHfZrSnErOx architecture can be stabilized
Chemistry; Inorganic materials; Materials science; Materials chemistry; Materials synthesis
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) causes chronic infection that can manifest disease in many organs. The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a common location for CMV disease. This article reviews the signs, ...symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of GI CMV disease.
In current building design practices, the operation and performance of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are rarely documented in detail. This is mainly caused by the manual ...burden of generating detailed HVAC simulation models. To lower the barrier for detailed HVAC simulations, this paper presents an automated toolchain that generates and simulates models in Modelica language utilizing building information structured in a web-based common data environment. This approach differs from previous approaches by its focus on HVAC systems and integration with a common data environment over file-based BIM, which increases interoperability and allows users to run simulation studies in the cloud. The tool successfully generated and simulated a model of the HVAC systems in a small building under ideal and faulty operation of the heating system and thus demonstrated a fully interoperable data exchange between a common data environment and a simulation environment while showcasing the potential of analyzing HVAC systems with Modelica.
To describe a case of an adult female Filipino with hypereosinophilia and bilateral carotid artery aneurysms who subsequently developed bilateral cerebral hemisphere strokes following aneurysm ...stenting.
A 57-year-old female patient with persistent hypereosinophilia presented with progressively enlarging bilateral neck masses, revealed to be carotid artery aneurysms on computed tomography angiography. Following surgical exploration, she later developed right-sided hemiplegia, aphasia, and right hemianopia. Cranial computed tomography revealed infarcts on both middle cerebral artery territories. Bone marrow biopsy and fluorescent in situ hybridization revealed findings suggestive of hypereosinophilic syndrome. She was started on standard aspirin and statin therapy and was discharged sixteen days after the procedure. Partial improvement of neurologic deficits was noted two months later on follow up. Chemotherapy with imatinib was initiated.
This patient's prothrombotic state from FIP1L1-PDGFRA–positive hypereosinophilia may have led to large carotid artery aneurysm formation and intramural thrombosis. This case demonstrates a possible and heretofore undocumented neurovascular sequela of hypereosinophilic syndrome.
Abstract Objectives This study evaluated the incidence of ventricular arrhythmia and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) therapies in patients with a diagnosis of cancer. Background ...Cardiac disease and cancer are prevalent conditions and share common predisposing factors. No studies have assessed the impact of cancer on the burden of ventricular arrhythmia in patients with cancer and ICDs. Methods Retrospective study of patients with an ICD and cancer followed from January 2007 to June 2015. Rates of ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) before and after patients’ cancers were diagnosed were evaluated by searching device data collection systems. Rates were adjusted for length of follow-up and compared using the Wilcoxon test, and times to first therapy following diagnosis (stages I to III vs. IV) were compared using Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank test. Results Among 1,598 patients with an ICD, 209 patients (13.1%) had a pathological diagnosis of malignancy; and in 102 patients (6.4%), malignancy was diagnosed following device insertion. After the diagnosis of cancer, 32% of patients experienced VT/VF over 23.2 ± 23.6 months, and the frequency of arrhythmic events was significantly increased after the diagnosis (1.19 ± 0.32 vs. 0.12 ± 0.21 episodes per month, respectively; p = 0.03). The incidence of VT/VF was markedly higher in patients with stage IV cancer than in those with earlier stages (p = 0.03). In this group, the incidence of VT/VF was 41.2%, with an average of 7.2 ± 18.5 events per patient, all of whom received ICD shocks. The rate of ICD deactivation in stage IV patients was 35.3%. Inappropriate therapies occurred in 13.7%, and atrial fibrillation was the most frequent cause. Conclusions One-third of patients who had received ICDs developed ventricular arrhythmia after a diagnosis of cancer. The incidence was significantly higher in those with advanced metastatic disease. Findings underscore the need to discuss ICD management as part of end-of-life care.
The Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (TSTT) has demonstrated its approach to modernization via integration of technological systems with international telecommunications ...providers. With the recognition of TSTT’s need to develop an international telecommunication system capable of 95% nation coverage with rich broadband content, Chinese company Huawei leapfrogged into Trinidad and Tobago’s developing market. Huawei achieved what Western providers did not and gained strategic partnership with TSTT in a short period of time, given the government-to-government support for trade, TSTT’s telecommunication demand, and Huawei’s growth plans. Despite the functional advantages derived from Huawei, the partnership was not without risk given the speed and liability of newness of greenfield investments. If the TSTT and Huawei partnership is to be sustainable, we must model the relationship and then identify weaknesses in a bid to remove them. Huawei’s approach to investment in the Latin American and Caribbean region is grounded in the model presented in this article, which follows: the creation of a leapfrog environment, an internationalization strategy, and risk management. The needs of a technology-deprived partner changes as they meet industry standards and investing firms must seek to understand and anticipate future needs or risk competition from an innovative supplier.
Voices of Labor Michael Curtin, Kevin Sanson / Michael Curtin, Kevin Sanson
2017
eBook
Motion pictures are made, not mass produced, requiring a remarkable collection of skills, self-discipline, and sociality—all of which are sources of enormous pride among Hollywood's craft and ...creative workers. The interviews collected here showcase the ingenuity, enthusiasm, and aesthetic pleasures that attract people to careers in the film and television industries. They also reflect critically on changes in the workplace brought about by corporate conglomeration and globalization. Rather than offer publicity-friendly anecdotes by marquee celebrities, Voices of Labor presents off-screen observations about the everyday realities of Global Hollywood. Ranging across job categories—from showrunner to make-up artist to location manager—this collection features voices of labor from Los Angeles, Atlanta, Prague, and Vancouver. Together they show how seemingly abstract concepts like conglomeration, financialization, and globalization are crucial tools for understanding contemporary Hollywood and for reflecting more generally on changes and challenges in the screen media workplace and our culture at large. Despite such formidable concerns, what nevertheless shines through is a commitment to craftwork and collaboration that provides the means to imagine and instigate future alternatives for screen media labor.