Recent Children\u27s Policy and Legislative Developments in Virginia: A Brief History, A Bright Future

In this piece, we will outline the structural and policy developments implemented in Virginia in recent years that set the stage for a sea change in children’s services in Virginia

Clinicopathological characteristics of histiocytic sarcoma affecting the central nervous system in dogs.

BackgroundHistiocytic sarcoma affecting the central nervous system (CNS HS) in dogs may present as primary or disseminated disease, often characterized by inflammation. Prognosis is poor, and imaging differentiation from other CNS tumors can be problematic.ObjectiveTo characterize the clinicopathological inflammatory features, breed predisposition, and survival in dogs with CNS HS.AnimalsOne hundred two dogs with HS, 62 dogs with meningioma.MethodsRetrospective case series. Records were reviewed for results of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, CBC, treatment, and outcome data.ResultsPredisposition for CNS HS was seen in Bernese Mountain Dogs, Golden Retrievers, Rottweilers, Corgis, and Shetland Sheepdogs (P ≤ .001). Corgis and Shetland Sheepdogs had predominantly primary tumors; Rottweilers had exclusively disseminated tumors. Marked CSF inflammation was characteristic of primary rather than disseminated HS, and neoplastic cells were detected in CSF of 52% of affected dogs. Increased neutrophil to lymphocyte ratios were seen in all groups relative to controls (P <.008) but not among tumor subtypes. Definitive versus palliative treatment resulted in improved survival times (P < .001), but overall prognosis was poor.Conclusions and clinical importanceClinicopathological differences between primary and disseminated HS suggest that tumor biological behavior and origin may be different. Corgis and Shetland Sheepdogs are predisposed to primary CNS HS, characterized by inflammatory CSF. High total nucleated cell count and the presence of neoplastic cells support the use of CSF analysis as a valuable diagnostic test. Prognosis for CNS HS is poor, but further evaluation of inflammatory mechanisms may provide novel therapeutic opportunities

Allogeneic Stem Cells Alter Gene Expression and Improve Healing of Distal Limb Wounds in Horses.

Distal extremity wounds are a significant clinical problem in horses and humans and may benefit from mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy. This study evaluated the effects of direct wound treatment with allogeneic stem cells, in terms of gross, histologic, and transcriptional features of healing. Three full-thickness cutaneous wounds were created on each distal forelimb in six healthy horses, for a total of six wounds per horse. Umbilical cord-blood derived equine MSCs were applied to each wound 1 day after wound creation, in one of four forms: (a) normoxic- or (b) hypoxic-preconditioned cells injected into wound margins, or (c) normoxic- or (d) hypoxic-preconditioned cells embedded in an autologous fibrin gel and applied topically to the wound bed. Controls were one blank (saline) injected wound and one blank fibrin gel-treated wound per horse. Data were collected weekly for 6 weeks and included wound surface area, thermography, gene expression, and histologic scoring. Results indicated that MSC treatment by either delivery method was safe and improved histologic outcomes and wound area. Hypoxic-preconditioning did not offer an advantage. MSC treatment by injection resulted in statistically significant increases in transforming growth factor beta and cyclooxygenase-2 expression at week 1. Histologically, significantly more MSC-treated wounds were categorized as pro-healing than pro-inflammatory. Wound area was significantly affected by treatment: MSC-injected wounds were consistently smaller than gel-treated or control wounds. In conclusion, MSC therapy shows promise for distal extremity wounds in horses, particularly when applied by direct injection into the wound margin. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2018;7:98-108

Interannual and interdecadal variability in the predominant Pacific region SST anomaly patterns and their impact on climate in the mid-Mississippi valley region

Previous research has demonstrated that Pacific Region SSTs and SST anomalies can be separated into seven general synoptic classifications (“clusters”) (A-G). Clusters B and G (C, D, and F) [A and E] were shown to be generally representative of La Niña (El Niño) [neutral] type SST distributions. Further, an analysis of the SST patterns from 1955 - 1993 demonstrated that clusters A - D were prominent from 1955-1977, while types E and F dominated the later period. Type G clusters were comparatively rare, but occurred during both periods. In retrospect, this shift during 1977 corresponds roughly with a change in phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). After updating the analysis to include the 1994 to 2005 period, there was a corresponding change in the predominant SSTs associated with a change in phase of the PDO during 1999 and 2000. The results show that SST patterns did evolve from predominantly E and F-type anomalies in 1994 to A, B, D, and G-type anomalies through 2005. Thus, these results suggest that A through D-type (C, E, and F-type) SST clusters are characteristic of the negative (positive) phase of the PDO. Also, using a modified technique for generating phase diagrams, it is shown that there are interannual and interdecadal variations in the mid-Mississippi region monthly mean surface temperature and precipitation records that can be associated with the ENSO and PDO. Additionally, an analysis was performed to see if there was any statistical association between temperature and precipitation anomalies in the mid-Mississippi region and prolonged SST regimes. B, D and G anomalies were associated with warmer-than-normal conditions, while C and E type anomalies tended to be associated with cooler-than-normal conditions across the region. C, D, F, and G anomalies were associated with drier than normal conditions

Language attitudes, linguistic authority and independence in 21st century Catalonia

peer-reviewedIn a context of increasing linguistic and cultural diversity and political uncertainty in Catalonia, this article reports on a research project which set out to explore the attitudes of members of independence organisations operating in the city of Girona toward the Catalan and Spanish languages. This study approaches language attitudes through the theoretical lens of linguistic authority, in particular, the concepts of anonymity and authenticity. The data, gathered from six focus groups, provide an insight on the nature of linguistic authority in contemporary Catalonia. Two themes emerge in the informants’ discussion of Catalan and Spanish: ‘twenty-first Century Catalanisme’ and ‘Embracing Linguistic Diversity’. The comments of the respondents indicate that, against the backdrop of the independence process in the region, bilingualism and multilingualism have become highly valued in the territory. In addition, this study suggests that a fuller understanding of the situation in Catalonia may be facilitated by qualitative approaches, which explore attitudes in-depth

The Effects of Atmospheric Dispersion on High-Resolution Solar Spectroscopy

We investigate the effects of atmospheric dispersion on observations of the Sun at the ever-higher spatial resolutions afforded by increased apertures and improved techniques. The problems induced by atmospheric refraction are particularly significant for solar physics because the Sun is often best observed at low elevations, and the effect of the image displacement is not merely a loss of efficiency, but the mixing of information originating from different points on the solar surface. We calculate the magnitude of the atmospheric dispersion for the Sun during the year and examine the problems produced by this dispersion in both spectrographic and filter observations. We describe an observing technique for scanning spectrograph observations that minimizes the effects of the atmospheric dispersion while maintaining a regular scanning geometry. Such an approach could be useful for the new class of high-resolution solar spectrographs, such as SPINOR, POLIS, TRIPPEL, and ViSP

Type-II GaAsSb/InP DHBTs with Record f T = 670 GHz and Simultaneous f T , f MAX > 400 GHz

For over 3 decades, the output power performance and power efficiencies of the leading solid-state source technology within the terahertz (THz) gap have been very low Permeable base transistors (PBT), which include almost all the salient yet favorable features of HBT and HEMT, were first proposed and demonstrated in GaAs in 1980 The performance of PBT can be enhanced in several ways. The most obvious method is to reduce the channel length to attain ballistic carrier transport with velocity overshoot. Unlike their HEMT counterparts, the deeply scaled PBT could still maintain very good short-channel integrity thanks to their multiple base finger electrode architecture. An exceedingly thin base electrode layer, however, would introduce a prohibitively large base resistance and degrade f max . An alternative approach is the introduction of high mobility semiconductor in the channel region. With the recent advancements in their growth technology, highest f T transistor demonstration, and higher saturation and overshoot velocity, high In content InGaAs-based compound semiconductors [3]-[5] could be employed to fabricate the PBT layer structures (and especially the base layer). These high mobility compound semiconductors have nonetheless relatively small bandgap energies that in turn induce a substantial base leakage current across the embedded electrode metal and emitter/channel/collector semiconductor Schottky junctions. In this work, a novel PBT structure with suppressed base current is proposed and evaluated. By wrapping the base finger electrode metal with an insulator, the low bandgap high mobility semiconductor in both the emitter and collector regions no longer makes Schottky contacts with the base electrodes that yield high leakage. Alternatively, the resultant insulator-semiconductor interfaces need to be carefully engineered to avoid Fermilevel pinning Reference