Development of a stroke assessment team: focus on physiotherapy

A multidisciplinary team was appointed for acute stroke services in preparation for opening a stroke assessment unit at Walsgrave Hospitals NHS Trust. Since introduction, the frequency of physiotherapy treatment for stroke patients has improved, as an indirect consequence of increasing awareness of therapy needs and greater staff confidence in treating stroke patients. </jats:p

Introduction: an overview of the acquisition of reference

Language is a social tool that allows us to speak to others about the world. In doing so we need words that pick out those entities that we want to talk about. Linguistic expressions that identify such entities are known as referential or referring expressions, including proper names (Laura), natural kind terms (water, gold, tiger), indexicals (you, I, she), and definite descriptions (the dog, the smallest positive number). The mechanisms of reference have been the subject of intense speculation, and the debate over descriptive (Frege 1892/1948; Searle, 1958) vs. causal (Kripke, 1972/1980) or hybrid theories of reference (Evans, 1973) is still rife in the semantics literature (Genone & Lombrozo, 2012; Lam, 2010; Martí, 2014). Whatever the theoretical approach to reference, from a developmental perspective the three key questions are the following: What is the trajectory of language learners’ comprehension and production of referential expressions? To what extent, and in which contexts, do children abide by the same linguistic constraints as adults in their referential choices? How do cross-linguistic differences shape the process of referential choice acquisition

Localized chemical switching of the charge state of nitrogen-vacancy luminescence centers in diamond

We present a direct-write chemical technique for controlling the charge state of near-surface nitrogen vacancy centers (NVs) in diamond by surface fluorination. Fluorination of H-terminated diamond is realized by electron beam stimulated desorption of H2O in the presence of NF3 and verified with environmental photoyield spectroscopy (EPYS) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. PL spectra of shallow NVs in H- and F-terminated nanodiamonds show the expected dependence of the NV charge state on their energetic position with respect to the Fermi-level. EPYS reveals a corresponding difference between the ionization potential of H- and F-terminated diamond. The electron beam fluorination process is highly localized and can be used to fluorinate H-terminated diamond, and to increase the population of negatively charged NV centers. © 2014 AIP Publishing LLC

Role of Gas Molecule Complexity in Environmental Electron Microscopy and Photoelectron Yield Spectroscopy

© 2016 American Chemical Society. Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) and environmental photoelectron yield spectroscopy (EPYS) enable electron imaging and spectroscopy of surfaces and interfaces in low-vacuum gaseous environments. The techniques are both appealing and limited by the range of gases that can be used to amplify electrons emitted from a sample and used to form images/spectra. However, to date only H2O and NH3 gases have been identified as highly favorable electron amplification media. Here we demonstrate that ethanol vapor (CH3CH2OH) is superior to both of these and attribute its performance to its molecular complexity and valence orbital structure. Our findings improve the present understanding of what constitutes a favorable electron amplification gas and will help expand the applicability and usefulness of the ESEM and EPYS techniques

Silicon oxide nanowire growth mechanisms revealed by real-time electron microscopy

© 2016 The Royal Society of Chemistry. Growth of one-dimensional materials is possible through numerous mechanisms that affect the nanowire structure and morphology. Here, we explain why a wide range of morphologies is observed when silicon oxide nanowires are grown on silicon substrates using liquid gallium catalyst droplets. We show that a gallium oxide overlayer is needed for nanowire nucleation at typical growth temperatures, and that it can decompose during growth and, hence, dramatically alter the nanowire morphology. Gallium oxide decomposition is attributed to etching caused by hydrogen that can be supplied by thermal dissociation of H2O (a common impurity). We show that H2O dissociation is catalyzed by silicon substrates at temperatures as low as 320 °C, identify the material supply pathways and processes that rate-limit nanowire growth under dry and wet atmospheres, and present a detailed growth model that explains contradictory results reported in prior studies. We also show that under wet atmospheres the Ga droplets can be mobile and promote nanowire growth as they traverse the silicon substrate

Taking the pulse of snowmelt: in situ sensors reveal seasonal, event and diurnal patterns of nitrate and dissolved organic matter variability in an upland forest stream

Highly resolved time series data are useful to accurately identify the timing, rate, and magnitude of solute transport in streams during hydrologically dynamic periods such as snowmelt. We used in situ optical sensors for nitrate (NO3 −) and chromophoric dissolved organic matter fluorescence (FDOM) to measure surface water concentrations at 30 min intervals over the snowmelt period (March 21–May 13, 2009) at a 40.5 hectare forested watershed at Sleepers River, Vermont. We also collected discrete samples for laboratory absorbance and fluorescence as well as δ18O–NO3 − isotopes to help interpret the drivers of variable NO3 − and FDOM concentrations measured in situ. In situ data revealed seasonal, event and diurnal patterns associated with hydrological and biogeochemical processes regulating stream NO3 − and FDOM concentrations. An observed decrease in NO3 − concentrations after peak snowmelt runoff and muted response to spring rainfall was consistent with the flushing of a limited supply of NO3 − (mainly from nitrification) from source areas in surficial soils. Stream FDOM concentrations were coupled with flow throughout the study period, suggesting a strong hydrologic control on DOM concentrations in the stream. However, higher FDOM concentrations per unit streamflow after snowmelt likely reflected a greater hydraulic connectivity of the stream to leachable DOM sources in upland soils. We also observed diurnal NO3 − variability of 1–2 μmol l−1 after snowpack ablation, presumably due to in-stream uptake prior to leafout. A comparison of NO3 − and dissolved organic carbon yields (DOC, measured by FDOM proxy) calculated from weekly discrete samples and in situ data sub-sampled daily resulted in small to moderate differences over the entire study period (−4 to 1% for NO3 − and −3 to −14% for DOC), but resulted in much larger differences for daily yields (−66 to +27% for NO3 − and −88 to +47% for DOC, respectively). Despite challenges inherent in in situ sensor deployments in harsh seasonal conditions, these data provide important insights into processes controlling NO3 − and FDOM in streams, and will be critical for evaluating the effects of climate change on snowmelt delivery to downstream ecosystems

Childhood membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis type I: Limited steroid therapy

Childhood membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis type I: Limited steroid therapy. Nineteen patients with biopsy proven membranopro liferative glomerulonephritis type I (MPGN I) and a minimum of three years of follow-up (mean 6.5 ± 0.7 years) have been treated with an uncontrolled regimen of limited corticosteroids . Initial therapy ranged from 20 mg per os (po) every other day to 30 mg/kg/day i.v. for three consecutive days, depending on clinical disease severity. Therapy was then decreased based on each patient's improving clinical status. At diagnosis creatinine clearance (Ccr) was < 80 ml/min/l .73 m2 in 12 patients and < 50 in 2. All patients had hematuria and proteinuria, with 15 in the nephrotic range. Hypertension, present at diagnosis in 13, developed in five others following institution of prednisone, and was controlled medically. Renal biopsy was repeated after two years of therapy prior to cessation of treatment (mean total treatment duration 38 ± 3 months). Follow-up biopsy revealed decreased glomerular inflamn activity in 88% of patients. All patients have now been off prednisone for 40 ± 9 months. The mean CCr is 126 ± 5 ml/min/l.73 m2. Eight patients have normal urinalyses. These data suggest that early therapy with a limited course of corticosteroids, and control of associ ated hypertension, may forestall progressive renal insufficiency in children with MPGN type I

Assessing credibility in online abortion information

Previous literature on Web credibility has shied away from controversial topics because of the unique challenges they present. This paper seeks to examine how students evaluate online sources about abortion, and how they categorize those sources as pro-choice, prolife, or neutral. By asking students to evaluate the bias of sources, this study identifies some of the characteristics by which students judge partiality in online information, and what role their own biases play in that assessment. In this study, participants identified expertise and association with an organization to be important criteria for assessing credibility. They found neutral Web pages to be most credible overall, while pro-life pages were least credible. These results are complicated by the fact that participants considered their personal opinions to play a role in evaluation, and because of the small sample size of pages and participants