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{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | Perovskite makes its way into lighting business
A material that has generated excitement in the solar cell field over the past several years—perovskite—inspired a team of researchers from the University of Cambridge, University of Oxford and the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität to make low-cost, high-brightness LEDs, which could potentially yield a different breed of flexible colour displays.
Perovskite is a general term used to describe a group of materials that have a distinctive crystal structure of cuboid and diamond shapes. They have long been of interest for their superconducting and ferroelectric properties.
Perovskite-based solar cells have reached efficiencies of nearly 20 per cent, a level which took conventional silicon-based solar cells 20 years to reach. But in the past several years, their efficiency at converting light into electrical energy has opened up a wide range of potential applications.
The perovskites that were used to make the LEDs are known as organometal halide perovskites, and contain a mixture of lead, carbon-based ions and halogen ions known as halides. These materials dissolve well in common solvents, and assemble to form perovskite crystals when dried, making them cheap and simple to make.
Perovskite-based LEDs in red and green. Source: Zhi-Kuang Tan, University of Cambridge
Wonder material
"These organometal halide perovskites are remarkable semiconductors," said Zhi-Kuang Tan, a PhD student at the University of Cambridge's Cavendish Laboratory and the paper's lead author. "We have designed the diode structure to confine electrical charges into a very thin layer of the perovskite, which sets up conditions for the electron-hole capture process to produce light emission."
The perovskite LEDs are made using a simple and scalable process in which a perovskite solution is prepared and spin-coated onto the substrate. This process does not require high temperature heating steps or a high vacuum, and is therefore cheap to manufacture in a large scale. In contrast, conventional methods for manufacturing LEDs make the cost prohibitive for many large-area display applications.
"The big surprise to the semiconductor community is to find that such simple process methods still produce very clean semiconductor properties, without the need for the complex purification procedures required for traditional semiconductors such as silicon," said Professor Sir Richard Friend of the Cavendish Laboratory, who has led this programme in Cambridge.
"It's remarkable that this material can be easily tuned to emit light in a variety of colours, which makes it extremely useful for colour displays, lighting and optical communication applications," said Tan. "This technology could provide a lot of value to the ever growing flat-panel display industry."
The team is now looking to increase the efficiency of the LEDs and to use them for diode lasers, which are used in a range of scientific, medical and industrial applications, such as materials processing and medical equipment. The first commercially-available LED based on perovskite could be available within five years. |
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | I've decided to stop working on the "vanilla" AI scripts. It was fun to work on them but it started to become too time consuming. I've merged parts of the "vanilla" and "expansion" AI scripts together in one type of AI each for both Protoss and Zerg.
Thank you for the advice. I've removed one hatchery from the main. I'm a bit wondering if I should do something about the third one as well.
===
@ Taranok
Thanks a lot for the replays!
You played very well, I especially liked the second game where both you and the AI build up a large army. I think if you had a few High Templars you could have turned the tide of battle in your favor.
The weakness of Rocky Zerg is that it really likes Hydralisks. In large groups these units are dangerous, but if you can break up these groups they become a lot less effective.
I think the best way to handle the cheating AI is to (like you did) expand early (The AI won't rush), build up your army and creating a choke point. The trick is to survive the first two attack waves (During the first attack a second attack wave is already being formed) After this the AI won't have much left and then you could press on.
I almost won against my Protoss Gold AI this way yesterday, but I lost because I attacked too late and ran out of resources.
===
Thanks again for the replays. I really appreciate it.
Is it alright if I could ask you a question? At the moment the cheating Ai builds three hatcheries at its main in the first minutes. Do you think it would be better if I delayed the third hatchery to for example 5-6 minutes? Do you think that could help in taking off some pressure? I'm worried the AI still builds too much early on.
[quote name='Taranok' date='28 January 2012 - 06:54 PM' timestamp='1327805680' post='10706']I think the hatcheries are ok unless you want it to be more vulnerable at at the beginning. I don't see it as a change to be added to future versions.
The early hatcheries just are annoying when I 2 gate and dont kill anything. [/quote]
Thank you for your reply. I'll keep the third hatchery.
====
The current versions posted of the AI will very likely be the last for awhile. (If there are mistakes I'll post newer ones)
There's one last AI I would like to upload. It's a "light" version of the non-cheating/cheating Zerg AI. (They're also added on the first page)
[attachment=2984:Rocky II Zerg v2.6 non-cheating low-tech.txt]
[attachment=2983:Rocky II Zerg v2.6 cheating low-tech.txt]
These low tech AI's are based on the normal Rocky Zerg AI's but with the difference that it will not go past Lair tech. It will get the basic upgrades, but afterwards it will pour all resources it gets into unit production.
One other difference is that both low tech AI's will build a lot more Zerglings in comparison with the normal versions.
Several blocks, lines and repeating loops in the script have been removed as they aren't needed anymore.
Oh no, I'm not leaving. I'm sorry for the confusion. It's just that at the moment I don't have new idea's for my AI anymore. But I'm always willing to upload a new version if there are requests or if people encounter bugs/mistakes during gameplay. |
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} | Phosphoglucomutase (PGM1) subtypes in a Finnish population determined by isoelectric focusing in agarose gel.
The red cell enzyme phosphoglucomutase first locus (PGM1) phenotypes of 639 adult Finns were determined by isoelectric focusing in agarose gel. All the ten commonly occurring phenotypes were detected and the frequencies of the four alleles at the PGM1 locus were as follows: PGMa11 = 0.5313, PGMa21 = 0.1800, PGMa31 = 0.2199 and PGMa41 = 0.0689. The PGM1 phenotypes of 221 mothers with 228 offspring were in accordance with autosomal codominant inheritance. |
{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} | Mutual interlocks are known in particular as accessories for circuit-breaker configurations with, for example, two switches arranged alongside one another. The interface between a circuit breaker and an interlock is in this case frequently formed by a control-disk/plunger mechanism. The control disk may be integrated in a switch-internal drive shaft; the interlock is driven, and the switch is prevented from being switched on, via this drive shaft. In this case, the plunger enters the circuit breaker and forms the connecting element between the switch-internal control disk and the switch-external interlock. A blocking device with two plungers is used for mutual interlocking of the two switches. When a circuit breaker is switched on, its plunger is moved by the control disk from its nil-point position to its opening position. At the same time, the other plunger is moved, for example by positive coupling, from its nil-point position to its interlocking position. When the plunger has reached the interlocking position, the associated circuit breaker is blocked, that is to say it is no longer possible to switch the circuit breaker on. For correct operation of the interlock, it is necessary for the contact surfaces of the control disk and the plunger to each be located at precisely predetermined positions. Any discrepancy is possible only within tight tolerances, which leads to considerable sensitivity to manufacturing tolerances and wear. The positions of the control disk and plunger must in each case be readjusted for correction.
The “floating” nil-point position is responsible for the tight tolerances. Although this is defined by the control-disk/plunger mechanism, there is, however, no physically usable reference for this. When the mechanism is in the rest state, then the plunger is in each case held in the nil-point position by the interlock. If parts and components of the interlock do not correspond to their nominal value (shape and position tolerances, wear), then this influences the position of the plunger, that is to say it deviates from its nil-point position. |
{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
} | Earl of Swinton
Earl of Swinton is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1955 for the prominent Conservative politician Philip Cunliffe-Lister, 1st Viscount Swinton. He had already been created Viscount Swinton, of Masham in the County of York, in 1935, and was made Baron Masham, of Ellington in the County of York, at the same time he was given the earldom. Born Philip Lloyd-Greame, he was the husband of Mary Constance "Molly" Boynton, granddaughter Samuel Cunliffe-Lister, 1st Baron Masham. When his wife inherited the large Masham estates in 1924, they assumed the surname of Cunliffe-Lister in lieu of Lloyd-Greame.
The Earl was succeeded by his grandson, the second Earl. He was the eldest son of Major the Hon. John Yarburgh Cunliffe-Lister, who was killed in the Second World War. Lord Swinton notably served as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard (deputy chief government whip in the House of Lords) from 1982 to 1986 in the Conservative administration of Margaret Thatcher. His wife was Susan Cunliffe-Lister, Baroness Masham of Ilton. the titles are held by Lord Swinton's younger brother, the third Earl, who succeeded in 2006.
The title is named after Swinton Park near Masham, North Yorkshire. The family seat is now Dykes Hill House, also near Masham.
Earls of Swinton (1955)
Philip Cunliffe-Lister, 1st Earl of Swinton (1884–1972)
Hon. John Yarburgh Cunliffe-Lister (1913–1943)
David Yarburgh Cunliffe-Lister, 2nd Earl of Swinton (1937–2006)
Nicholas John Cunliffe-Lister, 3rd Earl of Swinton (b. 1939)
The heir apparent is the present holder's eldest son Mark William Philip Cunliffe-Lister, Lord Masham (b. 1970)
The heir apparent's heir is his son, the Hon. William Edward Cunliffe-Lister (b. 2004)
See also
Baron Masham
Notes
References
Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990,
Peerage News
Category:1955 establishments in England
Category:Noble titles created in 1955
Category:Earldoms in the Peerage of the United Kingdom |
{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} | These teachings relate generally to luminous systems that provide observed visible color, and more particularly to a luminous system that provides a first observed visible color that is primarily produced by the emission of the system when such system is powered, and also provides a second observed visible color that is primarily produced by the reflection of the system when such system is non-powered.
The primary purpose of luminous systems is to generate light of certain desired visible color(s), white, blue, green, etc., with the use of illumination source(s), e.g. LEDs, for a broad range of applications, e.g. general lighting, illuminated graphics, etc. Thus, when the illumination source(s) are powered, the observed visible color of such systems is predominantly a result of the emission produced by the system. However, when the illumination sources are non-powered, the observed visible color of such systems is mainly produced by way of ambient light reflected from the surface of the system, e.g. a luminous system having a white surface will reflect ambient light that is observed as a white visible color, whereas a luminous system having a red surface will reflect ambient light that is observed as a red visible color.
In general, white illumination sources, including white light LEDs, have been used in luminous systems to generate light of observed visible color, e.g. white light or colored light. In instances where colored light is desired, these systems generate color through the absorption of all the wavelengths of light produced from the white illumination source(s), except those wavelengths associated with the color desired. Unfortunately, this approach to color generation results in substantial loss of energy due firstly, to the amount of energy needed to create the white light, and secondly, to the additional energy lost in the subtraction of the wavelengths to create a colored emission. This can be a particular problem when the white illumination source does not contain sufficient energy of the desired color, such as for example in the case of white light LEDs that provide only modest amounts of energy at red wavelengths. An additional drawback to utilizing white illumination sources is the difficulty in manipulation of the reflected light of the system, therefore suffering from the limitation that the observed visible color produced when the white illumination sources are non-powered must be substantially the same as the observed color when the illumination sources are powered. This is due to the color generation mechanism of the system since wavelengths associated with that of the white illumination source are similar to those associated with the ambient light, therefore making it difficult to tailor the emission of the system without affecting the reflection of the system and vice versa.
In an effort to provide more efficient luminous systems, UV or blue illumination sources have been utilized, rather than white, to generate light of visible color, e.g. white light or colored light. This is generally accomplished by down-converting the emission energy of the UV or blue illumination source(s) into longer wavelengths with the use of energy converting material(s), e.g. phosphorescent and/or fluorescent materials. For example, when a blue LED is used as the illumination source to provide the primary electromagnetic radiation, the luminous system can generate white light by absorbing a portion of the primary electromagnetic radiation, i.e. blue light in this case, using a energy conversion layer and down-converting this radiation to a secondary electromagnetic radiation having green and yellow wavelengths, thereby resulting in an emission of the system comprising blue, green and yellow wavelengths which produce an observed visible color of white. Although these systems may be more efficient in generating light than those which utilize white light sources, when these systems are non-powered, the observed visible color of the system is also difficult to tailor to a desired observed visible color. However, with the use of UV or blue illumination source(s) along with energy converting material(s), the observed visible color of the system when the UV or blue illumination source(s) are non-powered is now not only the unabsorbed ambient light that is reflected from the surface of the system, but also the emission of the energy conversion material(s), although minimal, due to the system's exposure to ambient light. For example, the absorption of blue light by the energy conversion layer causes the reflectance of the surface of the system to appear yellowish when the primary electromagnetic radiation is not supplied, i.e. the illumination source(s) are non-powered, resulting in an undesirable observed visible color.
There is, therefore, a need for utilizing higher efficiency luminous systems which are capable of not only providing a desired observed visible color when powered, but also a desired observed visible color when non-powered. It is also desirable to provide higher efficiency luminous systems, wherein the system not only embodies elements for achieving desired observed visible color when powered and when non-powered, but also embodies elements that enable the system to provide a wider gamut of observed visible color without substantial loss of energy. Furthermore, it is also desirable to incorporate within these systems elements that enable the luminous system to not only generate light of observed visible color, but also for a broad surface area. |
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | University of East Anglia via EurekAlert: Research from the University of East Anglia (UEA) has found that people’s honesty varies significantly between countries. It also suggests that honesty is less important to…
“Bourgeois democracy, although a great historical advance in comparison with medievalism, always remains, and under capitalism is bound to remain, restricted, truncated, false and hypocritical, a paradise for the rich and a…
Therapy is more effective at managing schizophrenia than drugs. via Mad in America: Results of a large government-funded study call into question current drug-only approaches to treating people diagnosed with schizophrenia. The study,…
Paris Williams writes at CounterPunch: Over the years of my explorations into psychosis and human evolution, a very interesting irony became increasingly apparent. It is well known that people who fall into…
This article originally appeared on MindHacks.com. It has been published here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. The Lancet Psychiatry has a fantastic article giving a much needed cultural retrospective…
This article originally appeared on Common Dreams. The two psychologists credited with creating the brutal, post-9/11 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) torture regime are being sued by three victims of their program on…
In a recent study, benzodiazepines (Valium, Ativan, Klonopin and Xanax) have been linked to an increase in Alzheimer’s. via PsyBlog: These drugs are often prescribed for anxiety and other mental health issues… |
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
} | The bad news, of course, is that right now Obama’s approval/disapproval rating is better than McCain’s. Indeed, Obama’s is a bit higher than it was a month ago. That suggests the failure of the McCain campaign’s attacks on Obama.
So drop them.
Not because they’re illegitimate. I think many of them are reasonable. Obama’s relationship to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright is, I believe, a legitimate issue. But McCain ruled it out of bounds, and he’s sticking to that. And for whatever reason the public mood, campaign ineptness, McCain’s alternation between hesitancy and harshness, which reflects the fact that he’s uncomfortable in the attack role the other attacks on Obama just aren’t working. There’s no reason to think they’re suddenly going to.
There are still enough doubts about Obama to allow McCain to win. But McCain needs to make his case, and do so as a serious but cheerful candidate for times that need a serious but upbeat leader.
McCain should stop unveiling gimmicky proposals every couple of days that pretend to deal with the financial crisis. He should tell the truth we’re in uncharted waters, no one is certain what to do, and no one knows what the situation will be on Jan. 20, 2009. But what we do know is that we could use someone as president who’s shown in his career the kind of sound judgment and strong leadership we’ll need to make it through the crisis.
McCain can make the substantive case for his broadly centrist conservatism. He can explain that our enemies won’t take a vacation because the markets are down, and that it’s not unimportant that he’s ready to be commander in chief. He can remind voters that even in a recession, the president appoints federal judges and that his judges won’t legislate from the bench.
And he can point out that there’s going to be a Democratic Congress. He can suggest that surely we’d prefer a president who would check that Congress where necessary and work with it where possible, instead of having an inexperienced Democratic president joined at the hip with an all-too-experienced Democratic Congress, leading us, unfettered and unchecked, back to 1970s-style liberalism.
At Wednesday night’s debate at Hofstra, McCain might want to volunteer a mild mea culpa about the extent to which the presidential race has degenerated into a shouting match. And then he can pledge to the voters that the last three weeks will feature a contest worthy of this moment in our history.
He’d enjoy it. And he might even win it. |
{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} | This invention relates to a display-mailer assembly and, more particularly, to such an assembly in which an object can be displayed and mailed in an efficient and convenient manner.
Collectible objects, such as coins, medals, medallions etc. are becoming more and more popular. However one problem exists in the display of these type collectibles. This problem stems from the fact that the shoppers, or potential purchasers, have to buy the object from a display counter, or the like, and if it is desired to ship or mail the object to a friend, a separate envelope or package must be used. Since the object and/or the card in which it is displayed is usually initially marketed in an envelope and the object, when mailed, is inserted in another envelope, this is an inconvenience to the purchaser, and a waste of resources. |
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | Hotels and B&Bs
in and aroundStanwell Moor, Surrey
AA rated
WINDSOR
Guest Accommodation
In well-kept grounds near Windsor, this smart property has six individually-styled bedrooms. The richly decorated rooms are well equipped and are ideal for both business and leisure guests. Public are...
AA rated
This hotel benefits from an ideal location in Eton, being only a short stroll across the pedestrian bridge from historic Windsor Castle and the many other attractions the town has to offer. The hotel ...
AA rated
This hotel occupies a convenient location overlooking the River Thames just outside Kingston-upon-Thames and close to Surbiton. Many front-facing bedrooms have beautiful river views; all are comfortab...
AA rated
Once a palace for Henry VIII, this impressive building sits in extensive grounds encompassing tennis courts, a gym and a 9-hole golf course. The spacious lounge and bar create a wonderful first impre...
AA rated
This hotel, dating back in parts to 1655, enjoys an enviable setting on the banks of the River Thames opposite Hampton Court Palace. The riverside restaurant and Edge bar/brasserie command wonderful ...
AA rated
Conveniently situated within walking distance of both the Arena and conference centres this modern hotel offers smart, comfortable, spacious bedrooms; many are air conditioned. All rooms offer an exce...
AA rated
KENTON
Budget Hotel
High quality, budget accommodation ideal for both families and business travellers. Spacious, en suite bedrooms feature tea and coffee making facilities, and Freeview TV in most hotels. Internet acces...
AA rated
TWICKENHAM
Budget Hotel
High quality, budget accommodation ideal for both families and business travellers. Spacious, en suite bedrooms feature tea and coffee making facilities, and Freeview TV in most hotels. Internet acces...
AA rated
Originally built in 1690 and set in 26 acres of 'Capability' Brown designed gardens, this is a delightful William and Mary style manor house. It offers a range of stylish modern bedrooms that are equi...
AA rated
Set in 240 acres of stunning parkland, Coworth Park is part of the luxury Dorchester Collection, sister to The Dorchester in London. The hotel offers luxurious guest rooms and suites, polo grounds, st... |
{
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Energy-efficient water purification made possible by Yale engineers - ph0rque
http://esciencenews.com/articles/2009/01/14/energy.efficient.water.purification.made.possible.yale.engineers
======
dgabriel
I wonder how this compares to the Dean Kamen invention:
[http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/03/colbert-and-
kam.h...](http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/03/colbert-and-kam.html)
------
mhb
Oasys - good name!
------
jhancock
Yale has an engineering school? ;)
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | A police officer in North Carolina has been charged with voluntary manslaughter after fatally shooting an unarmed man who had apparently been in a wreck and was seeking help, authorities said. The victim, Jonathan Ferrell, 24, played football for Florida A&M University in 2009-10, school officials said Sunday.
An attorney for the victim's family said on Sunday he believed race played a role in the death of Ferrell, who was black.
"If Mr Farrell was not black or brown, wouldn't they have asked him a few questions before showering him with bullets?" said attorney Chris Chestnut, who said he would request all police evidence from the shooting.
Ferrell was seeking help at a house early on Saturday, after driving a vehicle that crashed into trees in northeast Charlotte, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police. A woman answered the door and, when she didn't recognise the man, called the police emergency dispatcher.
Officers responding to the breaking-and-entering call found Ferrell a short distance from the home, police said. As they approached him, Ferrell ran toward the officers and was hit with a Taser. Police said he continued to run toward them when officer Randall Kerrick fired his gun, hitting Ferrell several times. Ferrell died at the scene.
Police called Ferrell and Kerrick's initial encounter "appropriate and lawful". But in a statement late Saturday, they said "the investigation showed that the subsequent shooting of Mr Ferrell was excessive" and "Kerrick did not have a lawful right to discharge his weapon during this encounter".
Police said Kerrick had been charged with voluntary manslaughter, which under North Carolina law involves killing without malice using "excessive force" in exercising "imperfect self-defense".
Police are not expected to further describe the incident on Sunday, CMPD spokesman Officer Keith Trietley said.
Kerrick, 27, turned himself in for booking on Saturday evening and was released on a $50,000 bond, according to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office website. Kerrick joined the police force in April 2011.
FAMU interim athletic director Michael Smith confirmed on Sunday that Ferrell played the safety position for the school's football team during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. "Our hearts and prayers go out to his family during their time of bereavement," Smith said in an emailed statement.
A public records search indicated that Ferrell began living in Charlotte early this year after moving from Tallahassee, Florida, home to FAMU.
Before Kerrick was charged, police chief Rodney Monroe describe the accident in a news conference. He said the wreck was so severe Ferrell would have had to climb out of the back window to escape. Monroe said he didn't know what caused the crash and didn't say whether Ferrell suffered injuries, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Ferrell apparently walked about a half-mile to the nearest house and was "banging on the door viciously" to attract attention, Monroe said. Thinking it was her husband coming home late from work, the woman who lives there opened the door. When she saw Ferrell, she shut it and called police about 2.30am, Monroe said. Monroe said he didn't think the unarmed Ferrell made threats or tried to rob the woman. |
{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
} | Q:
System of linear equations over $\mathbb{Z}_p$
Something like this:
$$
\begin{cases}
x_1+4x_4=1\\
x_1+2x_2+4x_3=3\\
2x_1+2x_2+x_4=1\\
x_1+3x_3=2
\end{cases}
$$
over $\mathbb{Z}_5$
I'm fine with solving it in regular $\mathbb{Z}$ but have no idea how to go about this -- perhaps using Guass-Jordan method.
A:
Gauss-Jordan is definitely a fine way to go.
We can add any scalar multiple of an equation to another.
We can multiply any equation by a non-$0$ constant (that is, by $1,2,3,$ or $4$ modulo $5$).
We can interchange any two equations.
This differs from what you're probably used to, in that "modulo $5$" means that we effectively treat $5$ as $0.$ For one thing, this means (for example) that $1+4=0\pmod5,$ so adding $1$ is effectively the same as subtracting $4,$ and vice versa. Note that this also means that $$2\cdot 3=6=5+1=1\pmod{5}$$ and $$4\cdot 4=16=3\cdot 5+1=1\pmod{5}.$$ Hence,
multiplication by $3$ is effectively division by $2,$
multiplication by $2$ is effectively division by $3,$ and
multiplication by $4$ is effectively division by $4.$
For an example to see how this works, let's multiply the second equation by $3$: $$3x_1+6x_2+12x_3=9\\3x_1+(5+1)x_2+(2\cdot 5+2)x_3=5+4\\3x_1+x_2+2x_3=4$$ So, those that already had a factor of $2$ lost a factor of $2,$ while those that didn't gained a factor of $3$ (at least temporarily).
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Github"
} | version https://git-lfs.github.com/spec/v1
oid sha256:1e04fd16a07f5b3d1c550e3c990da0f653a6be5e026786d4a9a47c1ad7841fe8
size 2529
|
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
} | Lauren Holiday, the US football star famous for helping her team win the 2015 Women's World Cup, has had a brain tumour removed.
The 28-year-old was diagnosed while eight months pregnant, just six weeks before giving birth.
The two-time Olympic gold medallist decided to have her baby first before surgery to take out the benign growth.
Her husband, NBA basketball star Jrue Holiday, has taken indefinite leave from the game to help care for her.
Fans and fellow players have been supporting Lauren by wearing wrist bands and tape labelled "LH12," Holiday's initials and shirt number.
Lauren is well known for a goal she scored during the Women's World Cup against Japan, which helped the US to a famous 5-2 victory.
She retired from her midfield career last year having played in 133 games for the US team, scoring 24 goals.
She's thanked her supporters saying she appreciates their love and prayers.
Lauren was diagnosed with the brain tumour when she started getting numbness on her face because it was pressing on a nerve.
She gave birth to a healthy baby girl in September and decided it was time to have the surgery.
Her husband, Jrue Holiday, is said to be being paid $11m a year while he takes time off to look after Lauren.
Unbelievably as a three-year-old, she had open-heart surgery to repair a defect and went on to become one of the world's most respected football players.
Find us on Instagram at BBCNewsbeat and follow us on Snapchat, search for bbc_newsbeat |
{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
} | Q:
how to use defer and deferred.resolve in the same function where I used Q.all?
The requirement is that I used Q.js feature called Q.all inside a javascript function that needs to return a result provided the Q.all finishes successfully.
My objective is to return an object with two properties called wrongsize and okaysize.
both properties are javascript Array.
The problem is I am not sure how to include the Q.defer function with Q.all in the same function.
function filterNonConformingPageSize(files) {
var addToWhichGlobalVariable = "pageSizesOfNewFiles";
promises = [];
for (var i=0; i<files.length; i++) {
promises.push(
getSizeSettingsFromPage(files[i], addToWhichGlobalVariable, calculateRatio)
);
}
// *** sort out the files after all promises have been resolved
var resultObj = Q.all(promises).then(function() {
var test = new Object();
var filesWithOkaySize = new Array();
var filesWithWrongSize = new Array();
for (var i=0; i<files.length; i++) {
if (pageSizesOfNewFiles[i].size == majorityPageSize) {
filesWithOkaySize.push(files[i]);
} else {
filesWithWrongSize.push(files[i].name);
}
}
test['wrongsize'] = filesWithWrongSize;
test['okaysize'] = filesWithOkaySize;
return test;
});
return resultObj;
}
A:
Pay attention to the @TODO portion.
/** iteratively calculate pagesize of the new incoming files **/
function filterNonConformingPageSize(files) {
// @TODO Create a Deferred
var deferred = Q.defer();
var addToWhichGlobalVariable = "pageSizesOfNewFiles";
promises = [];
for (var i=0; i<files.length; i++) {
promises.push(
getSizeSettingsFromPage(files[i], addToWhichGlobalVariable, calculateRatio)
);
}
// *** sort out the files after all promises have been resolved
Q.all(promises).then(function() {
var test = new Object();
var filesWithOkaySize = new Array();
var filesWithWrongSize = new Array();
for (var i=0; i<files.length; i++) {
var filename = files[i].name;
var newFileSize = pageSizesOfNewFiles.getByKey(filename);
if (newFileSize.size == majorityPageSize) {
console.log(filename + "is right size");
console.log(newFileSize.size);
filesWithOkaySize.push(files[i]);
} else {
console.log(filename + "is wrong size");
filesWithWrongSize.push(files[i]);
}
}
test['wrongsize'] = filesWithWrongSize;
test['okaysize'] = filesWithOkaySize;
// @TODO add the resolve
deferred.resolve(test);
});
// @TODO return the promise part.
return deferred.promise;
}
when you call the function, do it like this
filterNonConformingPageSize(filterDupeNameResult['okaynames']).then(function(result){
// result will be the expected result
// at the end of running filterNonConformingPageSize
});
|
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} | Cerebral proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in infantile Alexander disease.
Alexander disease (AD) is a rare genetic disorder of the central nervous system due to a dysfunction of astrocytes. The most common infantile form presents as a progressive leukodystrophy with macrocephalus. Recently, heterozygous de novo mutations in the gene encoding glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) have been demonstrated to be associated with AD. We used localized proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to assess metabolic abnormalities in grey and white matter, basal ganglia, and cerebellum of 4 patients with infantile AD and GFAP mutations. Strongly elevated concentrations of myo-inositol in conjunction with normal or increased choline-containing compounds in all regions investigated point to astrocytosis and demyelination. Neuroaxonal degeneration, as reflected by a reduction of N-acetylaspartate, was most pronounced in cerebral and cerebellar white matter. The accumulation of lactate in affected white matter is in line with infiltrating macrophages. Metabolic alterations demonstrated by in vivo proton MRS are in excellent agreement with known neuropathological features of AD. |
{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
} | William Charles Redfield
William Charles Redfield (March 26, 1789 – February 12, 1857) was an American meteorologist. He was the first president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1843).
William Charles Redfield is known in meteorology for his observation of the directionality of winds in hurricanes (being among the first to propose that hurricanes are large circular vortexes, though John Farrar had made similar observations six years earlier), though his interests were varied and influential.
Redfield organized and was a member of the first expedition to Mount Marcy in 1837; he was the first to guess that Marcy was the highest peak in the Adirondacks, and therefore in New York. Mount Redfield was named in his honor by Verplanck Colvin. He was elected an Associate Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1845.
At a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in 1854, Redfield mentioned a storm-path in which no less than seventy odd vessels had been wrecked, dismasted, or damaged.
See also
James Espy
Notes
References
Moore, Peter (2015), "The Weather Experiment, the pioneers who sought to see the future", New York, Farrar, Straus and Giroux,
External links
Category:1789 births
Category:1857 deaths
Category:American meteorologists
Category:Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Category:People from Middletown, Connecticut |
{
"pile_set_name": "Github"
} | /*
* Axelor Business Solutions
*
* Copyright (C) 2020 Axelor (<http://axelor.com>).
*
* This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
* it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License, version 3,
* as published by the Free Software Foundation.
*
* This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
* but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
* MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
* GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
*
* You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
* along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
*/
package com.axelor.apps.base.web;
import com.axelor.apps.base.db.PriceList;
import com.axelor.apps.base.db.repo.PriceListRepository;
import com.axelor.apps.base.service.PriceListService;
import com.axelor.inject.Beans;
import com.axelor.rpc.ActionRequest;
import com.axelor.rpc.ActionResponse;
import com.google.inject.Singleton;
@Singleton
public class PriceListController {
public void historizePriceList(ActionRequest request, ActionResponse response) {
PriceList priceList = request.getContext().asType(PriceList.class);
priceList = Beans.get(PriceListRepository.class).find(priceList.getId());
priceList = Beans.get(PriceListService.class).historizePriceList(priceList);
response.setReload(true);
}
public void checkDates(ActionRequest request, ActionResponse response) {
PriceList priceList = request.getContext().asType(PriceList.class);
try {
Beans.get(PriceListService.class).checkDates(priceList);
} catch (Exception e) {
response.setError(e.getMessage());
}
}
}
|
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
} | Dansk Folkeparti kræver markant stramning efter søndagens uroligheder på Nørrebro, hvor politiet blev angrebet og hvor der blev vist IS-sympatier. “Hvis flere i familien er kriminelle og forældrene er på overførselsindkomst, så bør hele familien kunne få inddraget opholdstilladelsen,” mener udlændingeordfører Martin Henriksen
Hvis flere børn fra samme familie begår kriminalitet, så bør hele familien kunne udvises af Danmark, hvis forældrene er på overførselsindkomst og de ikke har dansk statsborgerskab.
Det mener Dansk Folkeparti, som foreslår denne markante stramning efter søndagens uroligheder på Nørrebro, hvor unge med udenlandsk baggrund begik omfattende hærværk og angreb politiet med brosten og fyrværkeri.
”Lige nu skal politiet have arbejdsro, men når der så forhåbentlig er ro på igen, så vil vi spørge indtil hvor mange politiet har anholdt, hvor mange der er danske statsborgere og så må vi på den baggrund vurdere, hvilke nye konkrete stramninger, der er brug for. Jeg så helst, at vi gik ind og så på både de enkelte personer, men også på deres familier, for hvis der eksempelvis er flere børn i en familie, som er kriminelle og forældrene måske samtidig er på offentlig forsørgelse, så kan vi ligeså godt ændre reglerne, så hele familier kan sendes ud,” siger Dansk Folkepartis udlændingeordfører Martin Henriksen.
”Det kan jeg allerede sige, at det går vi til ministeren med. Jeg tror, at den slags markante tiltag vil skabe den nødvendige respekt,” fortsætter han.
Ildspåsættelser, fyrværkeri og IS-sympatier
Optøjerne på Nørrebro startede som reaktion på en lovligt anmeldt demonstration af Stram Kurs-lederen Rasmus Paludan, som ville kaste med og afbrænde koraner. Paludan nåede kun at demonstrere i få minutter. Så blev han af sikkerhedsmæssige årsager ført ind i en af politiets hollændervogne. Men kort efter begyndte videoer på arabisk at cirkulere, ifølge Berlingske. Her blev politiet beskyldt for at skyde på muslimer og ”beskytte en racist”, og derefter bragede urolighederne løs. I de følgende næsten 12 timer var der 70 ildspåsættelser, hvor biler og containere blev sat i brand, og politiet blev angrebet med brosten, fyrværkerim cykler., løbehjul og andet kasteskyts. Blandt de demonstrerende var der ifølge BT en person, der var iført symboler fra Islamisk Stat.
”Jeg kan sagtens forstå dem, der mener at Paludan er uopdragen, og jeg bryder mig heller ikke om hans stil. Men det er bare utrolig vigtigt at fastholde at det største problem er dem, der kaster med brosten imod politiet og hvor det tyder på at der iblandt voldsmændene er personer der sympatisere med Islamisk Stat. Det er meget alvorligt, og det understreger desværre endnu en gang at der indenfor islam er en ekstrem voldskultur,” siger Martin Henriksen.
Rimelig sanktion, hvis man ikke kan holde sine børn ude af kriminalitet
Han mener, at det er rimeligt at kunne udvise hele familier, der ikke har dansk statsborgerskab, hvis børnene begår kriminalitet og familien er på kontanthjælp.
”Hvis man i tre år eller længere tid har været på kontanthjælp og man i denne periode ikke har formået at opdrage sine børn til ikke at begå kriminalitet, så mener vi at det er rimeligt, at man får inddraget sin opholdstilladelse og bliver udvist,” siger Martin Henriksen. |
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | Mix the unused medication with an undesirable substance such as used coffee grounds or used kitty litter. Place in a sealed container and put it in your normal household trash. For more information see the US FDA consumer guide on medication disposal. |
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | Friday, January 23, 1998
The formal sentencing for Mir Aimal Kasi is to be handed down. In November, a jury recommended he receive the death penalty for fatally shooting two CIA employees in January 1993.
NASA is scheduled to conduct a gravity-assist maneuver designed to guide
the NEAR spacecraft -- launched in February 1996 -- toward its
primary target, asteroid 433 Eros.
On the horizon
On Saturday, January 24, the National Research Council conducts a workshop on
failed stars and super planets.
On Sunday, January 25, the Denver Broncos and defending champ Green Bay Packers battle it out in the Super Bowl in San Diego.
On Monday, January 26, European Union foreign ministers meet in Brussels.
On Tuesday, January 27, President Clinton is tentatively scheduled to deliver his State of the Union address to Congress.
On Wednesday, January 28, the American Bar Association holds its midyear meeting in Nashville.
On this day
In 1516, Ferdinand II of Aragon died and was succeeded as King
of Spain by his grandson Charles V.
In 1570, James Stewart, the Earl of Moray, who was appointed Regent of
Scotland on the abdication of Mary Queen of Scots, was
assassinated by the Hamiltons at Linlithgow.
In 1668, Holland, Britain and Sweden signed the Alliance of
the Hague, known as the Triple Alliance, under which they agreed
to aid one another if attacked.
In 1719, the Principality of Liechtenstein was formed by the
amalgamation of Vaduz and Schellenberg.
In 1793, Russia and Prussia agreed to a second partition of
Poland.
In 1883, Gustave Dore, French artist and one of the most
successful book illustrators of the 19th century, died.
In 1900, in the second British-Boer War, the British attempted
to break through the Boer lines to relieve Ladysmith but were
thwarted at the Battle of Spion Kop.
In 1907, the first American Indian senator, Charles Curtis of
Kansas, began his term in office.
In 1937, the trial of 17 leading Communists began in Moscow
after they were accused of involvement in a plot led by Leon
Trotsky to overthrow the regime and assassinate its leaders.
In 1943, British forces under Field Marshal Montgomery
captured Tripoli, Libya.
In 1943, after nine days of talks in Casablanca, U.S. President Franklin D.
Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill agreed to put an invasion of Italy ahead of opening a second front in northwestern Europe.
In 1960, the U.S. navy bathyscaphe Trieste dived to a record
depth of 35,810 feet (10,916 meters) in the Pacific Ocean..
In 1963, Harold "Kim" Philby, British journalist in Beirut,
disappeared. Later in the year it was revealed that he was the
third man in the Burgess-Maclean espionage affair and had been
granted asylum in Moscow.
In 1968, North Koreans seized the American ship USS
Pueblo, claiming it was spying. The crew were held until
December.
In 1978, Baron Edouard-Jean Empain, one of Europe's most
powerful industrialists, was kidnapped in Paris; he was freed on
March 26.
In 1983, Soviet satellite Cosmos 1402 entered Earth's
atmosphere and crashed into the Indian Ocean.
In 1989, Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali died.
In 1995, Jacques Delors formally stepped down as European
Commission president, handing over to Jacques Santer after 10
years of steering Europe towards closer union.
In 1996, South Korean prosecutors formally charged
ex-presidents Roh Tae-woo and Chun Doo Hwan with sedition over
events surrounding the 1980 army massacre of pro-democracy
activists in Kwangju.
Newslink
Got some extra time on your hands? Why not learn a new subject. Say, biology? The University of Arizona's unique Biology Project features a guided tour into the worlds of biochemistry and Mendelian genetics, among others. |
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} | Online monitoring of polymerization reactions in inverse emulsions.
Automatic continuous online monitoring of polymerization reactions (ACOMP) was adapted to the monitoring of acrylamide polymerization in inverse emulsions. This is the first application of ACOMP to heterogeneous phase polymerization. The conversion and reduced viscosity were monitored by continuously inverting and diluting the emulsion phase using a small reactor sample stream and a breaker surfactant solution, followed by UV absorption and viscometric detection. This inversion into a stable portion of the polymer/surfactant phase diagram is accomplished in tens of seconds, yielding dilute solutions containing acrylamide (Aam), polyacrylamide (PA), oil droplets, and small quantities of surfactant, initiator and other debris, and low molecular weight compounds. After establishing the means of making ACOMP measurements, a first application of the method is made to resolving some of the kinetic issues involved in emulsion polymerization, including the evolution of molecular mass, and the simultaneous action of an "intrinsic" initiator and an added chemical initiator. |
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | After the first weekend of the season featuring most of the league's teams (16 were in action), here are a few questions that come to mind:
1. Is Takamatsu management, which has "guided" the team to 23 wins in the past two seasons combined, interested in and/or capable of putting together a respectable team?
The evidence, thus far, suggests otherwise: Two blowout losses this weekend and a 19-for-82 shooting performance against the Evessa on Sunday.
2. Is Broncos veteran John "Helicopter" Humphrey already the leading candidate for the league's Sixth Man Award?
3. Who has a better nickname than Helicopter in the league? What is it?
4. Is Phoenix coach Ryuji Kawai, whose team is off to a 1-3 start, in jeopardy of losing his job?
Indeed, Kawai had huge shoes to fill after Kazuo Nakamura guided the team to consecutive championships the past two seasons and only 33 regular-season losses from 2008-11.
5. Is there a better description of an expansion team's goals than the one just below?
"Standing in the gym of Hamamatsu and looking at the banners is a reminder of where we want to go," Chiba coach Eric Gardow said on Sunday.
6. Will Ryukyu guard Narito Namizato, who scored 24 and 19 points in this weekend's games, keep up this super pace for the 52-game season?
7. Will Shimane guard Edward Yamamoto, who had 21 assists over the weekend, be one of the league's elite passers for the entire campaign?
8. Can former league MVP Wendell White maintain his 25.5 points and 14 rebounds per game averages for Oita?
9. A day after scoring his 5,000th bj-league point, Osaka's Lynn Washington dished out six assists. For a power forward, that's pretty impressive in any game, isn't it? (You don't need to answer that.)
10. Will Akita be this streaky all season -- win by 23 on Saturday and then lose by 32 on Sunday?
The thought here is that all teams will take time to adjust to new players, new coaches and new teams in the league and the "real" season will begin after the All-Star break. |
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Central"
} | 1. Introduction {#sec1-genes-10-00537}
===============
Pineapple (*Ananas comosus*), a member of the Bromeliaceae family, is cultivated widely in tropical and subtropical regions and is renowned for its nutritional and medicinal values \[[@B1-genes-10-00537]\]. Given its status as a herbaceous perennial monocotyledon with classical crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), the pineapple genome was sequenced in 2015 as a model plant \[[@B2-genes-10-00537]\]. The genome of the cultivar 'MD2', which is the predominant pineapple cultivar grown worldwide by virtue of its fruit flesh flavor and commercial value, and the cultivar 'F153' has been sequenced \[[@B3-genes-10-00537]\]. Pineapple genome sequencing has provided valuable information for further research for crop improvement \[[@B4-genes-10-00537],[@B5-genes-10-00537]\].
Xyloglucan endotransglycosylase/hydrolase (XTH) participates in diverse physiological processes, especially cell elongation and stress resistance \[[@B6-genes-10-00537]\]. XTH is a cell-wall-modifying enzyme encoded by a multigene, which belongs to a subfamily of the glycoside hydrolase family 16 (GH16) \[[@B7-genes-10-00537],[@B8-genes-10-00537]\]. Generally, XTH proteins perform two diverse catalytic activities: xyloglucan endohydrolase (XEH) and xyloglucan endotransglycosylase (XET) \[[@B9-genes-10-00537],[@B10-genes-10-00537]\]. XET activity is characterized by the no-hydrolytic cleavage and rejoining of xyloglucan (XyG) chains, whereas XTH activity irreversibly cleaves hydrolytic XyG chains to promote the expansion, degradation, remediation, and morphogenesis of the cell wall \[[@B6-genes-10-00537],[@B9-genes-10-00537]\]. To date, the majority of identified XTH proteins show XET activity \[[@B6-genes-10-00537]\]. XTH proteins share the conserved glycosyl hydrolase family 16 domain (GH16_XET) with a specific EXDXE motif likely to be the catalytic site for both XET and XEH activities. XTH proteins also contain the significant xyloglucan endotransglycosylase C-terminus domain (C-XET), which distinguishes XTH proteins from other GH16 subfamilies \[[@B6-genes-10-00537],[@B11-genes-10-00537],[@B12-genes-10-00537]\]. The XTH gene subfamily was originally divided into three major groups, of which Group III was subdivided into subgroups IIIA and IIIB \[[@B10-genes-10-00537],[@B13-genes-10-00537]\]. With the expansion of XTH observations, more detailed clade and subclade groupings (Group I/II, IIIA, IIIB, and an Ancestral Group) were applied to different species on the basis of sequence similarity \[[@B10-genes-10-00537],[@B11-genes-10-00537]\]. Interestingly, XTH genes predominantly display XET activity in Group I/ II and IIIB, whereas XEH activity is characteristic of Group IIIA \[[@B13-genes-10-00537]\]. In *Arabidopsis thaliana*, Group IIIA genes are ubiquitous and dispensable in plant growth \[[@B14-genes-10-00537]\].
An increasing number of XTHs have been identified using publicly available datasets \[[@B15-genes-10-00537]\]. For instance, 33, 29, 25, 56, 61, and 24 potential XTH members have been defined in *A. thaliana*, *Oryza sativa*, *Solanum lycopersicum*, *Nicotiana tabacum*, *Glycine max*, and *Hordeum vulgare*, respectively \[[@B5-genes-10-00537],[@B16-genes-10-00537],[@B17-genes-10-00537],[@B18-genes-10-00537],[@B19-genes-10-00537],[@B20-genes-10-00537]\]. In *A. thaliana*, XTHs show distinct and diverse organ-specific expression patterns. Five genes (*AtXTH-1*, *-21*, *-22*, *-30*, and *-33*) were expressed preferentially in green siliques, whereas two genes (*AtXTH-24* and *-32*) were expressed primarily in stems \[[@B16-genes-10-00537]\]. In *O. sativa*, seven root-specific XTH genes (*OsXTH1*, *-2*, *-4, -13*, *-15*, *-16*, and *-25*) were predominantly expressed in roots of 14-d-old seedling, whereas no expression was detected in other tissues \[[@B17-genes-10-00537]\]. XTH proteins modify the complex structure of lignin and cellulose in a variety of developmental processes, such as root formation, flower generation, and fruit softening \[[@B5-genes-10-00537],[@B21-genes-10-00537],[@B22-genes-10-00537]\]. Numerous XTHs have been detected in root elongation zones and trichoblasts of diverse vascular plants \[[@B23-genes-10-00537]\]. Compared with other tissues in *Dianthus caryophyllus*, *DcXTH2* and *DcXTH3* transcripts were markedly accumulated in petals and showed XET activity during flower opening stages \[[@B22-genes-10-00537]\]. *SlXTH5* detected at multiple stages during tomato fruit's expansion and displayed XET activity in concordance with results for apple, kiwifruit, and strawberry \[[@B24-genes-10-00537],[@B25-genes-10-00537]\]. Thus, XTH proteins play a critical role during fruit growth and ripening. In addition, XTHs show abnormal expression under abiotic stress. The XTH gene *CaXTH3* of *Capsicum annuum* showed a high expression level in transgenic *A. thaliana* lines and conferred enhanced salt and drought tolerance \[[@B26-genes-10-00537]\]. *AtXTH14*, *-15*, and *-31* showed remarkably low expression under aluminum treatment in *A. thaliana* roots, especially *AtXTH31* \[[@B27-genes-10-00537]\]. In contrast, *MtXTH3* was strongly up-regulated by a higher NaCl concentration in *Medicago truncatula* \[[@B28-genes-10-00537]\]. Thus, XTHs possess considerable spatial and temporal specificity, and respond to a variety of environmental stimuli for adaptation cell wall enzyme activities.
Additional potential members of the XTH gene family can be identified by genome-wide analysis using the published genome resources in *silico*. Systematic identification and characterization of XTHs in pineapple have received only limited attention to date \[[@B15-genes-10-00537]\]. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis, including the classification, evolutionary relationships, and expression patterns of XTHs to determine whether pineapple XTHs participate in the CAM pathway and perform important functions in the leaf and root. This research provides novel insights into the functional characteristics of XTHs in pineapple and will facilitate further study of the regulatory mechanism at different developmental stages.
2. Materials and Methods {#sec2-genes-10-00537}
========================
2.1. Dataset Compilation and Identification of the XTH Gene Family {#sec2dot1-genes-10-00537}
------------------------------------------------------------------
The protein sequences of *A. comosus* (L.) Merry two cultivars: 'F153' and 'MD2' were downloaded from the National Center for Biotechnology Information database (accession numbers are GCA-001540865.1 and GCA-001661175.1, respectively) \[[@B29-genes-10-00537]\]. The protein sequences for *A. thaliana* were obtained from The Arabidopsis Information Resource \[[@B30-genes-10-00537]\]. The protein ID of XTHs in *A. thaliana* as reference sequences collected from a former publication \[[@B9-genes-10-00537]\].
Two Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) were downloaded from Pfam and used to scan XTH sequences using the default E-value in HMMER 3.0 \[[@B31-genes-10-00537],[@B32-genes-10-00537]\]. The HMM profile established for *AtXTH* genes was used to search for candidate XTH family members in pineapple. Potential XTH protein sequences were further detected using BLASp. Candidate genes were filtered and identified using the Conserved Domain Search Service (CD-Search) \[[@B33-genes-10-00537]\]. The length, molecular weight (MW), and theoretical isoelectric point (PI) of XTHs were characterized with ExPASy \[[@B34-genes-10-00537]\]. Their single peptide and subcellular localization were predicted by SignalP 4.1 and Plant-mPLoc \[[@B35-genes-10-00537],[@B36-genes-10-00537]\].
2.2. Multiple Sequence Alignment and Identification of Motifs {#sec2dot2-genes-10-00537}
-------------------------------------------------------------
A multiple sequence alignment of the candidate pineapple XTH proteins was generated and obvious features of the sequences were displayed using ClustalX2 with the default options \[[@B37-genes-10-00537]\]. In addition, motifs were detected using Multiple Expectation Maximization for Motif Elicitation with a motif width of 6--50 residues and a maximum of 10 motifs \[[@B38-genes-10-00537]\].
2.3. Phylogenetic Tree Analysis and Nomenclature of XTHs {#sec2dot3-genes-10-00537}
--------------------------------------------------------
Multiple sequence alignments of the XTH proteins from pineapple and *A. thaliana* were generated using the ClustalW with default parameters (pairwise alignment with gap opening penalty of 10 and gap extension penalty of 0.1, multiple alignment parameters with gap opening penalty of 10, a gap extension penalty of 0.2, and delay divergent sequences set at 30%) \[[@B37-genes-10-00537]\]. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using the neighbor-joining algorithm with 1000 bootstrap replications using MEGA7 \[[@B39-genes-10-00537]\]. All members were numbered sequentially and designated as *Ac(F153)XTH* or *Ac(MD2)XTH* based on the genotypic origin of the gene \[[@B40-genes-10-00537]\].
2.4. Gene Structure Analysis {#sec2dot4-genes-10-00537}
----------------------------
The gene structures of the candidate XTHs were predicted using the online software Gene Structure Display Server \[[@B41-genes-10-00537]\]. The complex figure including the phylogenetic tree, gene structure, and motif distribution was arranged correctly using TBtools \[[@B42-genes-10-00537]\].
2.5. Chromosomal Distribution and Gene Duplication {#sec2dot5-genes-10-00537}
--------------------------------------------------
All *Ac(F153)XTH* genes were localized on chromosomes based on their physical coordinates using MapChart and Perl script \[[@B43-genes-10-00537]\]. The Multiple Collinearity Scan toolkit was employed to identify syntenic blocks in the two pineapple genome assemblies and Circos software was used to depict the collinearity relationships \[[@B44-genes-10-00537],[@B45-genes-10-00537]\].
2.6. Calculation of Ka/Ks {#sec2dot6-genes-10-00537}
-------------------------
The synonymous substitution (*Ka*) and non-synonymous substitution (*Ks*) of XTH pairs were calculated using Ka/Ks Calculator 2.0 by the Nei and Gojobori (NG) method \[[@B46-genes-10-00537]\]. Fisher's exact test was applied to confirm the validity of the ratio. To estimate the selection pressure, a ratio of *Ka/Ks* greater than one, equal to one, and less than one displayed positive selection, neutral selection, and purity selection respectively. The divergence time (*T*) was calculated as *T* = *Ks*/(2 × 6.1 × 10^−9^) × 10^−6^ million years ago (Mya).
2.7. Transcriptome Analysis and Gene Expansion Patterns {#sec2dot7-genes-10-00537}
-------------------------------------------------------
Pineapple transcriptome data were downloaded from the Pineapple Genomics Database consisting of data from fruit at five developmental stages, the green leaf tip, and white leaf base tissues. The stages Fruit1 to Fruit 5 were ordered chronologically and represented the entire period of fruit ripening. Leaves were harvested from plants of the cultivar 'MD2' at 13 time points over a 24-h period \[[@B47-genes-10-00537]\]. Daytime is from 6.a.m to 4.p.m. and nighttime is from 4.p.m. to 6.a.m. in this study. The white leaf base comprised non-photosynthetic tissues sensitive to sunlight and the green leaf tip represented photosynthetic tissues. The transcript levels were visualized using R software.
2.8. Experimental Validation of XTH Transcript Levels by RT-qPCR Analysis {#sec2dot8-genes-10-00537}
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The green leaf tip, white leaf base, and root of 'MD2' plants were sampled at the Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University. All samples were rapidly frozen in liquid nitrogen then stored at −80 °C. Total RNA was extracted from each sample using a RNA extraction kit (Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Mannheim, Germany), then stored at −80 °C until further analysis. Quantitative real time PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis was performed using the BIO-RAD CFX Connect^™^ Real-time PCR Detection System with three biological replicates per sample. The transcript levels were analyzed using the 2^−ΔΔCt^ method and means ± standard errors (SE). The primer sequences used are presented in [Table S1](#app1-genes-10-00537){ref-type="app"}.
3. Results {#sec3-genes-10-00537}
==========
3.1. Identification and Characteristics of XTHs {#sec3dot1-genes-10-00537}
-----------------------------------------------
Twenty-eight potential XTH family members were detected with the two HMM models of the GH16_XET domain with a β-jelly-roll topology and XET_C domain, and 24 proteins were detected by BLASTp in the 'F153' reference genome. Candidates were confirmed to contain two highly conserved domains using CD-Search. Redundant proteins were manually removed on account of the absence of characteristic amino acid residues in the C-terminal region or a lack of the conserved motif ExDxE \[[@B12-genes-10-00537]\]. Finally, 24 candidates were identified in 'F153' and were designated *Ac(F153)XTH1* to *-24* based on homology with the classification of *A. thaliana* ([Figure 1](#genes-10-00537-f001){ref-type="fig"}). In the same manner, 24 proteins were identified in 'MD2' and designated *Ac(MD2)XTH1* to *-24* in 'MD2'. In addition, EG16 homologs, which are related to XTH members of the GH16 family but lack the XET_C extension, were identified in cultivars 'F153' and 'MD2' \[[@B48-genes-10-00537]\].
The candidate XTHs exhibited similar properties, including length, molecular weight (MW), isoelectric point (PI), and signal peptide (SP) ([Table 1](#genes-10-00537-t001){ref-type="table"}). Comparison of the length of the 48 XTH proteins revealed that *Ac(MD2)XTH5* was the largest protein with 575 amino acids, and the smallest one was *Ac(MD2)XTH1* with 230 amino acids. The MW ranged from 25.99 kDa to 64.58 kDa and corresponded with the protein length. Owing to the complex amino acid polarity, the PI ranged from 4.68 to 9.53. Subcellular localization prediction revealed that each XTH was localized to the cell wall, and 14 (7/7, 'F153'/'MD2') proteins were targeted in both the cell wall and cytoplasm. The majority of the proteins contained signal peptide sequences ([Figure S1](#app1-genes-10-00537){ref-type="app"}).
3.2. Phylogenetic Analysis and Classification of XTH Proteins {#sec3dot2-genes-10-00537}
-------------------------------------------------------------
A phylogenetic tree representing the relationships among 81 (24/24/33) XTHs of 'F153', 'MD2' and *A. thaliana* was constructed. The XTHs were clustered into three main groups (Group I/II, III, and Ancestral Group) ([Figure 1](#genes-10-00537-f001){ref-type="fig"}). The majority of groups comprised the same number of XTHs in 'F153' and 'MD2'. Group III consisted of nine *Ac(MD2)XTH*, eight *Ac(F153)XTH*, and seven *AtXTH* genes, and was further subdivided into Group IIIA and Group IIIB, as described previously by Baumann et al. \[[@B10-genes-10-00537]\]. Group IIIA contained only *Ac(F153)XTH24*. The Ancestral Group contained the fewest members group, namely *Ac(F153)XTH1* and *Ac(MD2)XTH1*, whereas Group I/II contained the most members in each cultivar.
3.3. Sequence Alignment of XTHs {#sec3dot3-genes-10-00537}
-------------------------------
Multiple sequence alignment showed that *Ac(MD2)XTHs* and *Ac(F153)XTHs* genes shared a highly conserved domain containing the motif ExDxE ([Figure S1](#app1-genes-10-00537){ref-type="app"}) \[[@B12-genes-10-00537]\]. One potential N-linked glycosylation site sharing N(T)-L(K/R/V/T/I)-S(T)-G(N) was located close to catalytic residues in 30 XTHs \[[@B49-genes-10-00537]\]. In addition, a conserved DWATRGG motif and Cys residues were located in the C-terminal region.
3.4. Gene Structure Analysis and the Pattern of the Motif in XTHs {#sec3dot4-genes-10-00537}
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Highly structural similarity was evident in each phylogenetic group of XTHs. The exon number varied from three to seven in 'F153' and 'MD2' ([Figure S2](#app1-genes-10-00537){ref-type="app"}). Three or four exons were observed in majority of XTHs. Group I/II comprised three or four exons, except that *Ac(MD2)XTH5* contained seven 7 exons. Fourteen of the 17 genes in Group III possessed four exons, whereas *Ac(MD2)XTH19*, *Ac(MD2)XTH20* and *Ac(F153)XTH23* comprised three, three and five exons, respectively. *Ac(MD2)XTH1* with three exons and *Ac(F153)XTH1* with four exons were placed in Group IV. *Ac(MD2)XTH5* with seven exons was longer than all other members ([Figure S2](#app1-genes-10-00537){ref-type="app"}), because it possessed four highly conserved domains: two GH16_XET and two C-XET domains ([Figure 2](#genes-10-00537-f002){ref-type="fig"}).
Almost all XTHs within the same group shared common motifs ([Figure 2](#genes-10-00537-f002){ref-type="fig"}). Motif1-2 and motif5 were highly conserved in all XTHs. Motif1-7 and motif 10 were present in Group I/II except that *Ac(MD2)XTH12* lacked motif3 and five genes contained the additional motif8. *Ac(MD2)XTH5* contained 16 motifs in accordance with its structure. *Ac(F153)XTH24* shared motif1-7 in Group IIIA and motifs without rules (6--9 motifs) were presented in Group IIIB. In Group IV, *Ac(MD2)XTH1* possessed the fewest motifs and the motif composition of *Ac(F153)XTH1* was identical to that of Group I/II.
3.5. Chromosomal Distribution and Syntenic Analysis of XTH Genes {#sec3dot5-genes-10-00537}
----------------------------------------------------------------
Twenty-four *Ac(F153)XTHs* genes were unevenly distributed in 14 of 25 linkage groups (LG) in 'F153'. LG06 contained the most *Ac(F153)XTHs* genes ([Figure 3](#genes-10-00537-f003){ref-type="fig"}A). Three linkage groups, consisting of LG03, LG14, and LG15, shared more than two XTH members, whereas only one gene was discovered on each of the remaining chromosomes. All *Ac(MD2)XTH* genes were mapped on different scaffolds in 'MD2' ([Figure S4](#app1-genes-10-00537){ref-type="app"}).
To analyze duplication events, we detected syntenic blocks using MCScanX in 'F153' and 'MD2'. Thirteen collinear pairs, including 14 *Ac(F153)XTHs* and 12 *Ac(MD2)XTHs* genes, were discovered through synteny analysis ([Figure 3](#genes-10-00537-f003){ref-type="fig"}B, [Table S2](#app1-genes-10-00537){ref-type="app"}). Almost all pairs represented segmental duplication without tandem duplication and were placed in the same phylogenetic group. The gene pair of *Ac(F153)XTH6-Ac(MD2)XTH8* was placed in Group I/II and *Ac(F153)XTH20-Ac(MD2)XTH23* was placed in Group IIIB, which indicated that XTHs generated multiple segmental duplications have occurred during XTH diversification in pineapple.
3.6. Ka/Ks Analysis of XTH Genes {#sec3dot6-genes-10-00537}
--------------------------------
To assess whether XTH genes had been subject to Darwinian selection, all paralogous XTH pairs were used to calculate Ka/Ks values ([Table S3](#app1-genes-10-00537){ref-type="app"}). Thirteen XTH paralogous with high similarity were detected with the Ka/Ks \< 1, which suggested that XTHs had undergone strong purifying selection in 'F153' and 'MD2'. Most paralogous showed a relatively recent duplication time with an average value of about 1.7 Mya, except that *Ac(F153)XTH18-Ac(MD2)XTH18* and *Ac(F153)XTH7-Ac(F153)XTH18* diverged about 388 and 340 Mya, respectively ([Table 2](#genes-10-00537-t002){ref-type="table"}).
3.7. Differential Expression Profiles of XTHs during Development {#sec3dot7-genes-10-00537}
----------------------------------------------------------------
Fifteen XTH genes were simultaneously induced in the green leaf tip and white leaf base, which were used to investigate diurnal expression patterns ([Figure 4](#genes-10-00537-f004){ref-type="fig"}A). The majority of XTHs expressed in the green leaf tip showed transcript levels lower than those detected in the white leaf base or no transcripts were detected. Four genes (27%), comprising *Ac(MD2)XTH6*, *11*, *15*, and *20* exhibited higher transcript levels. Interestingly, several XTHs may show a diurnal expression pattern owing to the contrasting transcript levels detected during day and night in each tissues.
Fifteen *Ac(MD2)XTHs* genes, which were divided into three diverse categories, were detected during fruit ripening ([Figure 4](#genes-10-00537-f004){ref-type="fig"}B). Five genes showed higher transcript levels at the Fruit1 and/or Fruit2 stages than that at advanced stages of ripening. *Ac(MD2)XTH6*, *15*, *20*, and *22* showed normal transcript levels or no significant difference among immature stages, but showed a high transcript level in Fruit3 and subsequently a low transcript level during fruit maturation stages. Six XTHs were showed a low transcript levels at the onset of maturity and subsequently were highly expressed. Notably *Ac(MD2)XTH8* and *Ac(MD2)XTH23*, for which expression increased more than 6-fold and 11-fold, respectively, were indicated to have important roles in fruit ripening.
3.8. RT-qPCR Analysis of XTH Genes in Root and Leaf {#sec3dot8-genes-10-00537}
---------------------------------------------------
Quantitative real-time PCR analysis was used to analyze the expression patterns of 11 selected *Ac(MD2)XTH* genes in the root and leaf of 'MD2'. Eight of the 11 *Ac(MD2)XTH* genes showed differential expression patterns in different tissues, and expression of the remaining three *Ac(MD2)XTH* genes was not detected ([Figure 5](#genes-10-00537-f005){ref-type="fig"}, [Figure S3](#app1-genes-10-00537){ref-type="app"}). *Ac(MD2)XTH15* and *Ac(MD2)XTH18* were detected simultaneously in three tissues. *Ac(MD2)XTH15* showed the highest relative expression level in the green leaf tip, sequentially in the root, and finally in the white leaf base. *Ac(MD2)XTH18* was significantly more highly expressed in the root compared with the other tissues ([Figure 5](#genes-10-00537-f005){ref-type="fig"}A). Four genes (*Ac(MD2)XTH11, 15, 18,* and *20*) showed higher relative expression levels in the green leaf than those in the white leaf base consistent with the corresponding transcriptome except for *Ac(MD2)XTH18* ([Figure 5](#genes-10-00537-f005){ref-type="fig"}B, [Figure S3](#app1-genes-10-00537){ref-type="app"}). Six genes were observed to show a low relative expression level in the white leaf base, of which the highest was *Ac(MD2)2XTH13* about 0.12 ([Figure S3](#app1-genes-10-00537){ref-type="app"}). The relative expression level of four genes ranged from 0.13 to 49.5 in the green leaf tip. In the root, *Ac(MD2)XTH18* showed the highest relative expression level of about 532.5.
4. Discussion {#sec4-genes-10-00537}
=============
As a vital cell-wall-modifying enzyme, XTH is implicated in the incorporation or hydrolysis of XyG to regulate cell wall remodeling and degradation. In this study, 48 (24/24) non-redundant XTHs were identified in pineapple 'F153' and 'MD2', respectively. The number of XTHs identified is fewer than that in a previous study because of the redundancy of annotation \[[@B15-genes-10-00537]\]. The number of XTHs detected in each cultivar is less than that reported in most vascular plant species except *Actinidia deliciosa* (14 *AdXTHs*) and *Malus sieversii* (11 *MsXTHs*) \[[@B24-genes-10-00537]\]. The difference may be attributed to fewer duplication events of pineapple compared with most other plant species. Gene duplication provides a source for gene functional diversification and contributes to amplification of the number of members of a gene family. For example, an ancient whole-genome duplication (WGD) with massive gene duplication were occurred in *O. sativa* and the genome of *A. thaliana* primarily experienced at least four large-scale duplication events \[[@B50-genes-10-00537],[@B51-genes-10-00537]\]. Therefore, the limited number of XTHs in pineapple might reflect that the genome diverged prior to the Poales-specific ρWGD event \[[@B2-genes-10-00537]\].
The groups retrieved in the phylogenetic tree contained a similar number of XTH genes from each cultivar, which indicated that XTH genes were relatively conserved before the differentiation of cultivars in pineapple. Although differing considerably in MW, PI, and length, the XTHs contained relatively conserved motifs and gene structure in each group, indicating that XTHs of the same group may perform similar functions. In addition, unique traits of XTHs were confirmed in pineapple. For instance, the catalytic sites, D(N)E(L/I/V)DF(Y)EFLG as motif B, were highly conserved in all XTH proteins, especially three absolutely conserved catalytic residues (ExDxE) \[[@B12-genes-10-00537]\], suggesting that the highly conserved motif could have a similar and conserved function in plant XTHs \[[@B13-genes-10-00537],[@B52-genes-10-00537]\]. All proteins were localized to the cell wall, and several proteins were also localized to the cytoplasm. These results indicated that XTH proteins could easily access the substrate and promote catalytic reactions. A signal peptide of about 20--25 nucleotides adjacent to the start codon was present in the majority of XTHs, which suggested that this short sequence of hydrophobic amino acids may be responsible for transmembrane transport of XTH proteins through interaction with subcellular organelle membranes \[[@B53-genes-10-00537]\]. Motif 9 distinguished Group IIIB from the other groups, and thus might play an important role in the distinctive function of Group IIIB XTHs. Several Cys residues present in the C-XET domain may contribute to the structural stabilization through disulfide bonds \[[@B12-genes-10-00537],[@B54-genes-10-00537]\]. Therefore, the conservation of features of the domains, motifs, and gene structure strongly supported the reliability of phylogenetic classification and especially the close evolutionary relationship of two cultivars.
Group I/II was the biggest group of XTHs, whereas Group IIIA was the smallest group in each cultivar, which was consistent with other species \[[@B10-genes-10-00537]\]. The XEH activity of Group IIIA evolved as a-gain-of function in ancestral XET \[[@B6-genes-10-00537],[@B10-genes-10-00537]\]. However, no XTH from 'MD2' was placed in Group IIIA. Archetypal XTH from *Tropaeolum majus*, *Vigna angularis*, and *A. thaliana* in Group IIIA only showed demonstrable XEH activity \[[@B14-genes-10-00537],[@B55-genes-10-00537],[@B56-genes-10-00537]\]. Hence, we speculated that *Ac(F153)XTH24* in Group IIIA might possess XEH activity.
Twenty-six of the 48 XTHs identified were involved in the segmental duplication events without tandem duplication, which implied that segmental replication events played an important role in XTH gene family expansion and greatly drove the evolution of XTHs in pineapple. Tandem duplication events are undoubtedly crucial for genome expansion \[[@B57-genes-10-00537]\]. Each gene of the *Ac(F153)XTH7-Ac(F153)XTH8* pair was linked and connected with *Ac(MD2)XTH18*. This result indicated that the three XTHs were highly conserved and experienced translocation or segmental replication in 'F153' first, and subsequently evolved in parallel in the two cultivars \[[@B58-genes-10-00537]\]. The paralogous pairs *Ac(F153)XTH7-Ac(F153)XTH18* and *Ac(F153)XTH18-Ac(MD2)XTH18*, which were indicated to have diverged more than 300 Mya, arose before divergence of the Poales \[[@B59-genes-10-00537],[@B60-genes-10-00537],[@B61-genes-10-00537]\]. All XTHs were indicated to have undergone strong purifying selection suggesting that XTHs have evolved slowly between cultivars \[[@B62-genes-10-00537]\].
Expression of XTHs varies under exposure to stress and shows tissue, organ, and temporal specificity \[[@B4-genes-10-00537],[@B22-genes-10-00537],[@B25-genes-10-00537]\]. The contrasting expression patterns in the green leaf tip and white leaf base was suggestive of tissue specificity of XTHs in pineapple. Pineapple fixes carbon dioxide nocturnally by activity of CAM-related enzymes and is stored rapidly as malic acid in the vacuole \[[@B2-genes-10-00537],[@B63-genes-10-00537]\]. *Ac(MD2)XTH15, Ac(MD2)XTH11, Ac(MD2)XTH6,* and *Ac(MD2)XTH20* showed higher expression levels in photosynthetic tissues and may be putative CAM-related genes that enhance the efficiency of water use by the CAM pathway. Several XTHs participated in fruit ripening, such as in apple and kiwifruit \[[@B24-genes-10-00537]\]. Together with fruit ripening, continuously fluctuating expression patterns with gradual decline or accumulated increment indicated that XTHs showed polygenic interaction and temporal expression during fruit development stages. In addition, the RT-qPCR results were highly consistent with the transcriptomic data. The results revealed that the expression pattern of *Ac(MD2)XTH15* differed from that of *Ac(MD2)XTH18* in three tissues consistent with placement of the two genes in different phylogenetic groups. An extremely high expression level of *Ac(MD2)XTH18* in the root at noon suggested this gene may be involved in root growth during photosynthesis. These results indicated that several XTHs are involved in photosynthesis with tissue specificity as putative CAM-related enzymes.
The following are available online at <https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/10/7/537/s1>, Supplement File 1: Figure S1: Multiple amino acid sequences alignment of XTH proteins in 'F153' and 'MD2'. The XTHs protein sequences were multi-aligned using the ClustalW2 program. Two typical motifs and signal peptides are indicated in black line and letters. The arrow indicates the N-linked glycosylation site. Supplement File 2: Figure S2: Gene structure of XTHs in 'F153' and 'MD2'. Supplement File 3: Figure S3: The relative expression level in the green leaf tip and white leaf base of 'MD2' by RT-qPCR. WB and GT represented white leaf base and the green leaf tip. (A) The expression levels of *Ac(MD2)XTH18* and *Ac(MD2)XTH15* in two tissues; (B) Different expression profiles of genes in the white leaf base. Supplement File 4: Figure S4: The position of *Ac(MD2)XTHs* on scaffold. Supplement File 5: Table S1: Primer sequence used in RT-qPCR. Supplement File 6: Table S2. The position information of XTHs in 'F153' and 'MD2' Supplement File 7: Table S3. The ratio of Ka/Ks in XTH gene pairs based on *p*-value \< 0.05. Supplement File 8: 48 protein sequences in 'F153' and 'MD2'. Supplement File 9: The FASTA format file of XTHs' multiple sequence alignment. Supplement File 10: The FASTA format file of EG16's multiple sequence alignment. Supplement File 11: The result file of EG16's domain analysis by CD-search.
######
Click here for additional data file.
Conceptualization, Q.L. and L.Y.; data curation, L.Y.; formal analysis, Q.L., R.Z., F.G., and Y.C.; funding acquisition, L.Y.; investigation, C.Y. and Q.J.; methodology, Q.L.; resources, H.L.; software, Q.L.; supervision, L.Y.; writing---original draft, Q.L.; Writing---review & editing, Q.L., L.Y., H.L, and X.W.
This work was supported by the Foundation of Shandong Province Modern Agricultural Technology System Innovation Team (SDAIT-25-02 to L.Y.).
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
{#genes-10-00537-f001}
{#genes-10-00537-f002}
{#genes-10-00537-f003}
{#genes-10-00537-f004}
{#genes-10-00537-f005}
genes-10-00537-t001_Table 1
######
The physicochemical properties of XTHs from 'F153' and 'MD2'.
Name Transcript ID Length MW (kDa) PI SP Catalytic Site Subcellular Localization
----------------- ---------------- -------- ---------- ------ ---- ---------------- --------------------------
*Ac(F153)XTH1* XP_020091206.1 292 32.78 5.35 20 DELDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(F153)XTH2* XP_020111283.1 296 34.17 5.98 20 DEIDFEFLG Cell wall Cytoplasm
*Ac(F153)XTH3* XP_020087864.1 318 37.29 7.59 − DEIDFEFLG Cell wall Cytoplasm
*Ac(F153)XTH4* XP_020102739.1 268 30.71 5.96 − DELDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(F153)XTH5* XP_020102738.1 291 33.33 6.06 24 DELDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(F153)XTH6* XP_020109096.1 327 35.98 5.07 24 NEFDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(F153)XTH7* XP_020084286.1 285 31.65 5.53 27 DEVDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(F153)XTH8* XP_020104828.1 303 35.62 8.81 − DEIDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(F153)XTH9* XP_020089756.1 270 30.56 6.1 20 DEIDFEFLG Cell wall Cytoplasm
*Ac(F153)XTH10* XP_020090359.1 270 30.63 6.43 20 DEIDFEFLG Cell wall Cytoplasm
*Ac(F153)XTH11* XP_020110218.1 281 31.54 4.69 21 DEIDFEFLG Cell wall Cytoplasm
*Ac(F153)XTH12* XP_020102740.1 285 31.58 4.75 24 DEIDFEFLG Cell wall Cytoplasm
*Ac(F153)XTH13* XP_020091231.1 281 31.46 5.71 23 DEIDFEFLG Cell wall Cytoplasm
*Ac(F153)XTH14* XP_020090869.1 282 32.15 5.41 25 DEVDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(F153)XTH15* XP_020097886.1 291 33.33 4.8 26 DEIDYEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(F153)XTH16* XP_020100605.1 293 32.89 9.04 20 NEVDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(F153)XTH17* XP_020106929.1 340 38.92 5.95 28 DELDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(F153)XTH18* XP_020104936.1 339 38.68 6.56 26 DELDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(F153)XTH19* XP_020092864.1 349 39.41 8.69 23 DELDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(F153)XTH20* XP_020094226.1 331 37.68 5.79 20 DELDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(F153)XTH21* XP_020085280.1 334 37.63 5.93 19 DELDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(F153)XTH22* XP_020085278.1 334 37.65 5.93 19 DELDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(F153)XTH23* XP_020085279.1 334 37.65 5.93 19 DELDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(F153)XTH24* XP_020112380.1 290 33.23 9.53 18 DEVDIEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(MD2)XTH1* OAY79161.1 230 25.99 5.36 − DELDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(MD2)XTH2* OAY64709.1 274 32.15 7.63 − DEIDFEFLG Cell wall Cytoplasm
*Ac(MD2)XTH3* OAY72845.1 274 31.83 5.98 − DEIDFEFLG Cell wall Cytoplasm
*Ac(MD2)XTH4* OAY65283.1 296 34.17 5.98 20 DEIDFEFLG Cell wall Cytoplasm
*Ac(MD2)XTH5* OAY76125.1 575 64.58 5.26 24 DELDFEFLG Cell wall Cytoplasm
*Ac(MD2)XTH6* OAY78767.1 296 32.87 5.7 38 DEVDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(MD2)XTH7* OAY70160.1 328 36.16 5 24 NEFDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(MD2)XTH8* OAY63484.1 327 35.98 5.07 24 NEFDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(MD2)XTH9* OAY62696.1 256 29.06 6.1 − DEIDFEFLG Cell wall Cytoplasm
*Ac(MD2)XTH10* OAY67076.1 256 29.06 6.1 − DEIDFEFLG Cell wall Cytoplasm
*Ac(MD2)XTH11* OAY62698.1 284 32.34 5.41 27 DEVDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(MD2)XTH12* OAY79036.1 286 32.28 5.97 25 DEIDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(MD2)XTH13* OAY76653.1 281 31.57 4.69 21 DEIDFEFLG Cell wall Cytoplasm
*Ac(MD2)XTH14* OAY71418.1 272 30.48 4.68 21 DEIDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(MD2)XTH15* OAY73488.1 293 32.89 9.04 20 NEVDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(MD2)XTH16* OAY70295.1 330 37.64 6.6 26 DELDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(MD2)XTH17* OAY81259.1 345 38.76 5.63 − DELDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(MD2)XTH18* OAY66122.1 285 32.60 6.22 − DELDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(MD2)XTH19* OAY83621.1 289 32.55 8.57 − DELDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(MD2)XTH20* OAY70631.1 287 32.53 8.26 − DELDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(MD2)XTH21* OAY84325.1 335 37.79 6.17 19 DELDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(MD2)XTH22* OAY70279.1 335 37.80 6.17 19 DELDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(MD2)XTH23* OAY81925.1 331 37.68 5.95 20 DELDFEFLG Cell wall
*Ac(MD2)XTH24* OAY65080.1 367 41.61 8.54 − DELDFEFLG Cell wall
MW: molecular weight; PI: isoelectric point; SP: Signal Peptide.
genes-10-00537-t002_Table 2
######
Ka/Ks analysis and estimated divergence time of XTHs.
Collinear XTH Pairs Ka Ks Ka/Ks *p*-Value (Fisher) Duplication Time (Mya)
------------------------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- -------------------- ------------------------
*Ac(F153)XTH7-Ac(MD2)XTH6* 0.003077 0.03004 0.102442 0.003098 2.46
*Ac(F153)XTH21-Ac(MD2)XTH22* 0.003969 0.024998 0.158756 0.008438 2.05
*Ac(F153)XTH21-Ac(MD2)XTH21* 0.006628 0.029215 0.226877 0.011896 2.39
*Ac(F153)XTH3-Ac(MD2)XTH2* 0.00155 0.011451 0.135322 0.107858 0.94
*Ac(F153)XTH1-Ac(MD2)XTH1* 0.008336 0.010261 0.812454 0.377377 0.84
*Ac(F153)XTH19-Ac(MD2)XTH19* 0.007705 0.019414 0.396873 0.150722 1.59
*Ac(F153)XTH7-Ac(MD2)XTH12* 0.062047 0.071925 0.862666 0.630505 5.90
*Ac(F153)XTH20-Ac(MD2)XTH24* 0.001324 0.008482 0.15611 0.130065 0.70
*Ac(F153)XTH16-Ac(MD2)XTH15* NA 0.005103 0 NA 0.41
*Ac(F153)XTH18-Ac(MD2)XTH18* 0.265729 4.64275 0.057235 1.19E^−40^ 380.55
*Ac(F153)XTH17-Ac(MD2)XTH18* NA NA NA NA NA
*Ac(F153)XTH7-Ac(F153)XTH18* 0.311919 4.15239 0.075118 1.28E^−41^ 340.36
*Ac(F153)XTH6-Ac(MD2)XTH18* NA NA NA NA NA
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Central"
} | Introduction {#S0001}
============
Advances in perinatal medicine have required an exhaustive knowledge of the normal growth of fetal airway development to determine normal and pathological criteria adapted to anatomical particularities of the fetal tracheobronchial tree \[[@CIT0001]--[@CIT0006]\]. Tracheal wall thickness is a substantial indicator in various pathological changes \[[@CIT0007]--[@CIT0009]\]. Both increased airway wall thickness and smaller airway lumen have been relatively well examined in patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease \[[@CIT0010]--[@CIT0012]\]. A thickened tracheo-bronchial wall, the morphological substratum of most airway diseases, can be assessed *in vivo* by multi-detector computed tomography \[[@CIT0013]\].
To date, a few theoretical patterns of fetal tracheal morphometry have focused on its length \[[@CIT0005], [@CIT0014]--[@CIT0016]\], external \[[@CIT0015], [@CIT0017]\] or internal \[[@CIT0005], [@CIT0014], [@CIT0018]--[@CIT0022]\] transverse diameters, and external \[[@CIT0017]\] or internal \[[@CIT0018], [@CIT0023]\] volumes. However, neither wall thickness nor wall volume of the trachea have been reported in human fetuses.
In order to supplement the missing information on the tracheal wall in human fetuses, our objectives were to examine: age-specific reference intervals for wall thickness, and wall volume at varying gestational ages, relative growth of the tracheal lumen, the growth curves for wall thickness and wall volume.
Material and methods {#S0002}
====================
Material {#S20003}
--------
The study was performed on 73 human fetuses of both sexes (39 male, 34 female) of Caucasian origin, which had been derived from spontaneous abortions or stillbirths in the years 1989-2001. The sample included fetuses which were the outcome of causes of intra-uterine growth restriction. Legal and ethical considerations were consistent with the rules of the University Research Ethics Committee (KB 189/2011). On macroscopic examination the fetuses were free of malformation affecting laryngo-tracheal structures and never intubated. The gestational age varied from 14 to 25 weeks ([Table I](#T0001){ref-type="table"}). The fetal ages were accurately established on the basis of the following criteria: 1) gestational age based on measurements of the crown-rump length \[[@CIT0024]\], 2) known date of the beginning of the last maternal menstrual period, and 3) a combination of abdominal circumference, femur length and biparietal diameter determined by early second-trimester ultrasound scan. All specimens had been immersed in 10% neutral buffered formalin solution for 12-24 months for preservation, and then dissected under 10-fold magnification using a stereoscope with Huygens ocular.
######
Distribution of fetuses studied
Fetal age Crown-rump length \[mm\] Number Sex
----------- -------------------------- ----------- ------- ------- ------- ---- ---- ----
4 14 79.5 4.3 76.0 81.0 2 1 1
15 89.3 6.4 84.0 93.0 1 1 0
16 103.1 6.3 96.0 108.0 2 1 1
5 17 114.0 7.3 110.0 123.0 9 5 4
18 129.5 6.8 124.0 136.0 10 5 5
19 141.9 5.9 138.0 149.0 7 4 3
20 155.0 5.2 152.0 162.0 13 7 6
6 21 166.4 4.9 165.0 174.0 11 6 5
22 178.9 7.2 175.0 185.0 5 2 3
23 192.9 7.2 187.0 195.0 6 3 3
24 201.4 4.2 199.0 204.0 5 3 2
7 25 214.8 4.7 212.0 217.0 2 1 1
**Total** 73 39 34
Measurements {#S20004}
------------
In each fetus, the trachea *in situ* with a millimetre scale was placed vertically to the optical lens axis, then recorded using a Nikon D200 camera, and digitalized to TIFF images ([Figure 1](#F0001){ref-type="fig"}). Next, digital pictures of the trachea were assessed using digital image analysis (NIS-Elements BR 3.0, Nikon), which semi-automatically estimated the four examined variables: tracheal length, wall thickness, proximal external cross-sectional area and proximal internal cross-sectional area. Digital image analysis turned out to be an excellent method of determining the parameters mentioned above, because tracheal length, tracheal wall thickness, and internal and external cross-sectional areas of the trachea could be accurately traced using a cursor.
{#F0001}
At first, tracheal length was measured, being expressed as the distance between the superior border of the first tracheal cartilage and the tracheal bifurcation. After that the cross section was taken between the cricoid cartilage and the first tracheal ring to examine the geometry of the proximal cross-sectional area of the trachea, i.e. wall thickness, proximal external cross-sectional area, and proximal internal cross-sectional area ([Figure 2](#F0002){ref-type="fig"}). Tracheal wall thickness constituted the distance between its internal and external borders at the level of the first tracheal ring. Both internal and external cross-sectional areas of the trachea were semi-automatically measured, after tracing around internal and external borders of the first tracheal cartilage, respectively.
{#F0002}
Because the size of specimens varied, we calculated the proximal internal-to-external cross-sectional area ratio, so as to express the relative growth of the tracheal lumen. In order to calculate the tracheal wall volume, tracheal wall thickness was assumed to be uniform in size along its length. Thus, the tracheal wall volume could be described by the following formula:
*V* = *Ve* -- *Vi* = *eCSA* × *l* -- *iCSA* × *l* = (*eCSA -- iCSA*) × *l*,
*V* -- tracheal wall volume, *Ve* -- external volume of the trachea, *Vi* -- internal volume of the trachea, *eCSA* -- proximal external cross-sectional area, *iCSA* -- proximal internal cross-sectional area, *l* -- tracheal length.
For each fetus the six following measurements and calculations of the trachea were done:length in mm, corresponding to the distance from the superior border of the first tracheal cartilage to the inferior border of the tracheal bifurcation,wall thickness in mm, measured at the level of the first tracheal cartilage,proximal external cross-sectional area in mm^2^, traced around the external border of the first tracheal cartilage,proximal internal cross-sectional area in mm^2^, traced around the internal border of the first tracheal cartilage,proximal internal-to-external cross-sectional area ratio (tracheal lumen rate),tracheal wall volume in mm^3^, calculated as the product of the difference between proximal external and internal cross-sectional areas multiplied by the length.
In order to minimize measurement and observer bias, all the measurements were performed by one researcher. The mean of three repeated measurements was taken for each variable to minimize intra-observer variation.
Statistical analysis {#S20005}
--------------------
The differences between the repeated measurements, as the intra-observer variation, were evaluated by the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Both the tracheal wall thickness and the tracheal wall volume were plotted against fetal age so as to establish their growth. As the first step in the statistical analysis, Student\'s *t*-test was used to examine the influence of sex on the values of the parameters studied. Of note, the growing fetuses were separated into 12 intervals not equally distributed with respect to gestational age. Because 2 tracheas were included in the gestational ages of 14, 16 and 25 weeks, and only 1 trachea in the gestational age of 15 weeks, which clearly did not represent adequate samples, the first three intervals (14-16 weeks), and the last two intervals (24-25 weeks) were separately grouped. So, in order to examine sexual differences we tested possible differences between the nine following age groups: 14-16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24-25 weeks. Furthermore, we tested possible sex differences for the whole group, without taking into account the fetal age. In order to test whether the different variables significantly changed with age the one-way ANOVA test and *post-hoc* Bonferroni test were used for the nine groups ([Table II](#T0002){ref-type="table"}). Linear and nonlinear regression analysis was used to derive the curve of best fit for each parameter against gestational age. Coefficients of determination (*R* ^2^) between each parameter and fetal age were estimated. Differences were considered significant at *p* \< 0.05.
######
Morphometric parameters of the trachea
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fetal age \[weeks\] Number of fetuses Wall thickness \[mm\] Proximal internal-to-external cross sectional area ratio \[%\] Wall volume\[mm^3^\]
--------------------- ------------------- ----------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------- ------ ------------------ -------
14 2 0.36 0.01 42.61 1.11 16.28 4.18
15 1 0.43 0.00 41.30 0.00 26.85 0.0
16 2 0.48 0.08 40.10 6.90 32.22 14.14
17 9 ↓ (*p* \< 0.01)\ 0.06 ↓ (*p* \< 0.01)\ 4.27 ↓ (*p* \< 0.01)\ 10.87
0.55\ 36.57\ 52.73\
↓ (*p* \< 0.01) ↓ (*p* \< 0.05) ↓ (*p* \< 0.01)
18 10 0.65\ 0.08 36.07\ 3.96 79.72\ 15.63
↓ (*p* \< 0.01) ↓ (*p* \< 0.01 ↓ (*p* \< 0.01)
19 7 0.78\ 0.08 32.02\ 2.48 119.14\ 28.50
↓ (*p* \> 0.05) ↓ (*p* \< 0.05) ↓ (*p* \< 0.01
20 13 0.80\ 0.07 31.46\ 2.45 126.32\ 26.74
↓ (*p* \< 0.01) ↓ (*p* \< 0.01) ↓ (*p* \< 0.01)
21 11 0.86\ 0.11 30.67\ 2.69 152.24\ 37.46
↓ (*p* \< 0.01) ↓ (*p* \< 0.01) ↓ (*p* \< 0.01)
22 5 0.97\ 0.07 29.08\ 3.91 202.85\ 23.48
↓ (*p* \< 0.05) ↓ (*p* \< 0.05) ↓ (*p* \< 0.01)
23 6 1.02\ 0.16 28.77\ 2.54 220.34\ 60.94
↓ (*p* \< 0.01) ↓ (*p* \< 0.01) ↓ (*p* \< 0.05)
24 5 1.17 0.11 27.13 6.48 247.22 99.38
25 2 1.23 0.17 26.78 4.95 269.22 29.26
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The means in columns differ significantly (p \< 0.05 or p \< 0.01), as indicated above
Results {#S0006}
=======
No statistically significant differences were found in the evaluation of intra-observer reproducibility of the tracheal wall measurements (*p* \> 0.05). In turn, inter-observer variability was not assessed since all the measurements were done by one observer. The statistical analysis showed no sexual differences (*p* \> 0.05), so the numerical results without regard to sex have been presented in [Table II](#T0002){ref-type="table"}. In contrast, the growth curves of best fit for each parameter plotted against gestational age were statistically significant (*p* \< 0.05).
The values of tracheal wall thickness ranged from 0.36 ±0.01 mm for the 14-week group to 1.23 ±0.17 mm for the 25-week group of gestation. The tracheal wall thickness in relation to gestational age in weeks ([Figure 3](#F0003){ref-type="fig"}) was consistent with the first-degree polynomial (linear) function *y* = --0.823 + 0.083 × age ±0.087 (*R* ^2^ = 0.83).
{#F0003}
During the study period, the tracheal lumen rate ([Figure 4](#F0004){ref-type="fig"}), expressed as the proximal internal-to-external cross-sectional area ratio, decreased from 42.61 ±1.11% to 26.78 ±4.95%, according to the first-degree polynomial (linear) function *y* = 62.239 -- 1.487 × age ±3.119 (*R* ^2^ = 0.56). An increase in the tracheal wall thickness was accompanied by a decrease in the tracheal lumen ([Figure 5](#F0005){ref-type="fig"}).
{#F0004}
{#F0005}
At the same time, the tracheal wall volume rose from 16.28 ±4.18 mm^3^ in fetuses aged 14 weeks to 269.22 ±29.26 mm^3^ in fetuses aged 25 weeks. The numerical data of tracheal wall volume followed in accordance with the logarithmic function ln (*y*) = --9.873 + 4.894 × ln (age) ±0.212 (*R* ^2^ = 0.91). After a mathematical transformation this logarithmic function was equivalent to the fifth-degree polynomial (quintic) function *y* = 0.000052 × age^4.894^ ([Figure 6](#F0006){ref-type="fig"}). [Figure 7](#F0007){ref-type="fig"} summarizes the volumetric proportions between the wall and lumen of the growing trachea in human fetuses.
{#F0006}
{#F0007}
Discussion {#S0007}
==========
The present paper caps the morphometric study of the fetal trachea, some results of which concerning both external (length, proximal external cross-sectional area, external volume) and internal (proximal cross-sectional area, internal volume) parameters have recently been published \[[@CIT0017], [@CIT0018]\]. Because of this, three tracheal parameters -- length, proximal external cross-sectional area, and proximal internal cross-sectional area -- were excluded from [Table II](#T0002){ref-type="table"}. Inasmuch as wall thickness was independently measured in a direct way using digital image analysis, both the tracheal lumen rate and tracheal wall volume were not directly assessed, but calculated taking into account the results previously reported \[[@CIT0017], [@CIT0018]\]. Obviously, the tracheal wall volume may have been considered as the difference between the external and internal volumes of the trachea, resulting in the formula *V* = (*eCSA* -- *iCSA*) × *l*.
Of note, the present data are the first to highlight the quantitative analysis of the growing tracheal wall in human fetuses. The fetal material was relatively numerous (*n* = 73), comparable, and representative of the studied population. Furthermore, a valid objective software package (NIS Elements BR 3.0, Nikon) was used for measuring wall thickness, the lumen rate and wall volume of the trachea. Our results have been real, because tissue shrinkage related to formalin fixation had little (0.5-1.0%) influence on the tracheal measurements taken in situ \[[@CIT0025], [@CIT0026]\]. On the other hand, isolated segments of the trachea which had been immersed in 10% formalin solution were prone to artefacts and 10% shrinkage \[[@CIT0021]\].
There were no differences between males and females for tracheal wall measurements, in keeping with the results concerning other morphometric parameters such as length \[[@CIT0005], [@CIT0014], [@CIT0015]\], external \[[@CIT0015], [@CIT0017]\] or internal \[[@CIT0005], [@CIT0014], [@CIT0018]--[@CIT0021]\] transverse diameters, and external \[[@CIT0017]\] or internal \[[@CIT0018], [@CIT0020]\] volumes of the fetal trachea. Some authors \[[@CIT0005], [@CIT0020]\] reported that male and female infants and prepubertal boys and girls had similar tracheal dimensions, in spite of the fact that boys were taller. Tracheal diameters continued to grow after tracheal length had plateaued in teenage boys, and significant sexual differences in tracheal dimensions emerged as late as at puberty \[[@CIT0020]\].
Anatomical measurements of tracheal wall thickness were characterized by a quasi-linear evolution from 0.36 ±0.01 mm to 1.23 ±0.17 mm for fetuses at the age of 14 and 25 weeks, respectively. The linear model chosen for age-specific reference intervals for wall thickness was *y* = --0.823 + 0.083*x* age ±0.087, because the highest determination coefficients for possible square root (*R* ^2^ = 0.26) and quadratic (*R* ^2^ = 0.24) functions were much smaller than that (*R* ^2^ = 0.83) of the linear one. It is noteworthy that in fetuses at ages of 14 and 25 weeks of gestation a 3-fold increase in tracheal wall thickness was accompanied by a simultaneous decrease in the tracheal lumen rate from 42.61 ±1.11% to 26.78 ±4.95%. Thus, during normal development the tracheal wall thickness increased at the expense of the decreasing tracheal lumen ([Figure 5](#F0005){ref-type="fig"}). The same trend to smaller airway lumen and increased wall thickness of the trachea has been proved in different pathological changes.
We would like to correlate the influence of tracheal thickness with particular examples of pathological changes, so as to stress the importance of our tracheal measurements. Both increased airway wall thickness and smaller airway lumen have been relatively well examined in patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cumulative smoking history \[[@CIT0011], [@CIT0012]\]. The thickening and remodelling of large airways was reported to closely correspond with the severity of asthma \[[@CIT0010], [@CIT0011]\]. The degree of airflow obstruction is caused by an enlargement of the mucous glands with increased secretion responsible for mucous plugging, atrophy or inflammation of tracheal cartilages \[[@CIT0027]\].
Diesel exposure may have a key role in an increase in tracheal thickness at the expense of its luminal diameter \[[@CIT0027], [@CIT0028]\]. According to Nakano *et al*. \[[@CIT0027]\] and Safak *et al*. \[[@CIT0028]\], the tracheal walls of toll collectors were dependent on the working duration, being significantly thicker in those working for 11-15 years than 0-10 years. Of note, tracheo-bronchial wall thickening was reported in elderly smokers with no respiratory symptoms \[[@CIT0029]\]. Some authors \[[@CIT0030], [@CIT0031]\] have proved in animal models that exposure to the most important air pollutant, i.e. SO~2~, brought about increased tracheal wall thickness due to hypertrophy of tracheal submucosal glands, epithelial mucous cell hyperplasia or metaplasia.
Tracheal involvement in many diseases is characterized by increased tracheal wall thickness due to:diffuse calcified nodular thickening of the tracheal wall and nodularity of its mucosa in rhinoscleroma \[[@CIT0032]\],multiple submucosal osteocartilaginous nodules and thickening of tracheal cartilaginous rings in tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica \[[@CIT0032]\],deposition of amyloid fibrils in the submucosa in tracheobronchial amyloidosis \[[@CIT0032]\],recurrent inflammation of tracheal rings in relapsing polychondritis \[[@CIT0032]\],granulomatous infection in tuberculosis \[[@CIT0032]\],osseocalcineus metaplasia of the tracheal rings \[[@CIT0032]--[@CIT0035]\],adenoid cystic carcinomas \[[@CIT0036]\].
The volumetric growth of the tracheal wall, from 16.28 ±4.18 mm^3^ in fetuses aged 14 weeks to 269.22 ±29.26 mm^3^ in fetuses aged 25 weeks, was fitted satisfactorily in accordance with the fifth-degree polynomial (quintic) function *y* = 0.000052 × age^4.894^. According to this model, the tracheal wall volume, as the most dynamic parameter, was strongly increasing with fetal age, by 10.57 mm^3^ during the 14-week period, and by 22 mm^3^ during the 24-week period. The lack of data on the studied parameters in the professional literature obviously limit discussion on this subject.
The main limitation of this study was the relatively narrow age range of fetuses. The equations that we propose need to be checked in fetuses with a wide age range. Another limitation of the present study was that all measurements were conducted by a single observer in a blind fashion.
This study provides completely novel, accurate data on tracheal wall thickness and tracheal wall volume at varying gestational ages. We believe that the present data, when appropriately interpreted, might be potentially useful in the diagnosis and monitoring of fetal and perinatal tracheobronchial disorders.
In conclusions, the tracheal wall parameters show no sexual dimorphism. The tracheal wall grows linearly in its length, and according to a fifth-degree polynomial function in its volume. A relative decrease in the tracheal lumen at the expense of an increase in both the wall thickness and wall volume of the trachea is found during gestation.
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{
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307 B.R. 324 (2004)
In re Warren W. & Regina A. LEIGH, Debtors.
No. 02-46983-HJB.
United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Massachusetts.
March 31, 2004.
*325 Christopher C. Noble, Hartford, CT, for debtor.
Joseph B. Collins, Hendel & Collins, Springfield, MA, for Robert D. Milkie.
MEMORANDUM OF DECISION
HENRY J. BOROFF, Bankruptcy Judge.
Before the Court is a "Motion for Relief Regarding Valuation of Property and Determination of Status of Secured Claims Under 11 U.S.C. § 506(a)" (the "Motion"), filed by Warren W. and Regina A. Leigh ("Warren Leigh;" jointly the "Debtors"). The Debtors seek a determination that a secured claim held by Robert D. Milkie ("Milkie;" the "Milkie Mortgage") can be modified in their proposed Chapter 13 Plan (the "Plan"), pursuant to § 506(a) and § 1322(b)(2). Milkie opposes.
I. FACTS AND TRAVEL OF THE CASE
The facts set forth below are not in material dispute.
On November 18, 2002, the Debtors filed a petition in this Court under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. On February 4, 2003, the Court allowed the Debtors' motion to convert the case to one under Chapter 13.
On their bankruptcy schedules, the Debtors listed their principal residence (the "Property") as their sole real property asset, with a value of $164,500.00. The Debtors also scheduled two secured liens on the Property: 1) a first mortgage in the amount of $107,000.00 assigned to National City Mortgage; and 2) a second mortgage in the amount of $158,713.39 held by Milkie, but subject to a homestead exemption.[1]
Warren Leigh and Milkie had formerly been business partners in a restaurant known as Madeline's Restaurant, LTD, Inc. (the "Corporation"). In 1994, Warren Leigh bought out Milkie's share of the restaurant by having the Corporation grant Milkie promissory notes in the *326 amount of approximately $317,000.00 (the "Obligations"). Payment of the notes was secured by valid security interests in the corporate assets (the "Corporate Assets"). Subsequently, those interests were properly perfected. The Debtors also personally guaranteed payment of the Obligations and granted the Milkie Mortgage on the Property to secure that guarantee. But first, Warren Leigh recorded a homestead exemption on the Property under Massachusetts General Laws ("M.G.L.") Chapter 188, § 1 (the "1994 Homestead"). M.G.L. ch. 188, § 1 (2003). Milkie knew of the 1994 Homestead at the time of the sale. The Milkie Mortgage included the following language: "SUBJECT TO (a) two mortgages to National City Mortgage Co., each dated October 31, 1991 . . . and (b) a Homestead Exemption dated September 16, 1994, recorded on November 15, 1994, which shall remain in full force and effect."
Three subsequent events become relevant. First, Milkie permitted the perfection of his security interest in the Corporate Assets to lapse by failing to continue his financing statement before it expired in 1999. Second, the restaurant failed, and the Corporation filed a Chapter 7 case in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Connecticut. In re Madeleine's Restaurant LTD, Inc., Case No. 01-21412-RLK (Bankr.D.Conn.2001). The trustee in bankruptcy liquidated the Corporate Assets and disbursed the proceeds to creditors, not including Milkie. And third, on June 5, 2001, Warren Leigh appeared at the Hampden County Registry of Deeds and completed and recorded another Declaration of Homestead on the Property (the "2001 Homestead"). His stated intention was to increase the amount of the exemption on the Property to a recently extended $300,000.00 limit.[2]
On March 7, 2003, the Debtors filed their Plan with the Court. The Plan lists the Obligations as a general, unsecured claim in the amount of $158,713.39[3] after modifying the Milkie Mortgage, pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 1322(b)(2).[4] The Plan proposes to pay Milkie a dividend of 1.16%.
Milkie filed an objection to confirmation of the Plan, asserting, inter alia, that the filing of the 2001 Homestead terminated the 1994 Homestead, thereby reversing the priority of the homestead exemption and the Milkie Mortgage.[5] After an evidentiary *327 hearing, the matter was taken under advisement.
II. POSITIONS OF THE PARTIES
The Debtors contend that the Plan's proposed treatment of Milkie's claim as unsecured is proper because the Milkie Mortgage was granted subject to a valid homestead exemption of $100,000.00 that is still in effect, and, owing to that exemption and a senior mortgage on the Property, the Milkie Mortgage is wholly unsecured and subject to cramdown.[6] Moreover, the Debtors argue that, because the Milkie Mortgage was taken in a transaction that also granted Milkie a security interest in other collateral of the Debtors, the anti-modification provisions of § 1322(b)(2) do not apply.
Concluding that the 1994 Homestead is still valid and in effect, the Debtors argue that the Plan's treatment of the Milkie Mortgage as a general unsecured claim is proper under 11 U.S.C. § 506(a).[7] In their Motion, the Debtors assert that the Milkie Mortgage is wholly unsecured if the 1994 Homestead is given the priority set forth in the mortgage instrument.[8] Following the First Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel's decision in In re Mann, the Debtors conclude that their treatment of the Milkie Mortgage as an unsecured claim is appropriate. 249 B.R. 831 (1st Cir. BAP 2000). The Debtors plan to "strip off" the mortgage and void the security interest.[9]
The parties agree that Milkie took his mortgage subject to the 1994 Homestead. The Debtors maintain that, although Warren Leigh later recorded the 2001 Homestead, the 1994 Homestead was not defeated or discharged. They remind the Court that the legislative history of M.G.L. ch. 188 and the case law suggest that homestead exemptions are to be liberally construed in favor of the holder of the estate. While acknowledging that the last sentence of M.G.L. ch. 188, § 2 prohibits the *328 concurrent existence of two homestead exemptions for the benefit of an owner or owners, the Debtors assert that no case law supports the view that the sequential recordation of a Declaration of Homestead by the same individual for the same residence results in discharge of a previous exemption. On the contrary, the Debtors argue that only by an affirmative act that strictly conforms with M.G.L. ch. 188, § 7 may a homestead be terminated.[10] M.G.L. ch. 188, § 7 (2003).
In the alternative, the Debtors contend that the anti-modification clause of 11 U.S.C. § 1322(b)(2) does not apply to the Milkie Mortgage because the claim was not exclusively secured by the Debtors' residence. The Debtors argue that, since the Obligations were also secured by the security interest that Milkie took in the Corporate Assets, the Milkie Mortgage is removed from the protections of § 1322(b)(2).
While acknowledging that the Milkie Mortgage was taken "subject to a Homestead Exemption dated September 16, 1994," Milkie argues that the 1994 Homestead is no longer in force; it was discharged upon Warren Leigh's June 5, 2001 recordation of the 2001 Homestead. Relying upon the plain language of M.G.L. ch. 188, § 2 and the First Circuit's decision in In re Garran, 338 F.3d 1 (1st Cir.2003), Milkie argues that the 2001 Homestead discharged the 1994 Homestead. Milkie argues further that the Debtors cannot posit an equitable defense such as mistake, because it was Warren Leigh's stated purpose in filing the 2001 Homestead to increase the protection offered by the exemption against "Mr. Milkie or anybody." Transcript of Evidentiary Hearing, p. 27, October 22, 2003. As such, Milkie asserts that the Milkie Mortgage: 1) is no longer second to the 1994 Homestead; 2) is not subordinated to the subsequently filed 2001 Homestead under M.G.L. ch. 188, § 1(2); and 3) is thereby secured by the value of the Property subject only to the First Mortgage.[11] Under such an analysis, the proposed Plan cannot be confirmed because it improperly treats the Milkie Mortgage as an unsecured claim.
In addition, Milkie argues that 11 U.S.C. § 1322(b)(2) prohibits modifying the Milkie Mortgage because, as of the petition date, the only collateral securing his claim was the Property. Milkie's security interests on the Corporate Assets had lapsed in 1999, and the commencement date of this case was in November of 2002. Milkie argues that, under relevant case law, the time for determining which collateral secures a claim for the purposes of § 1322(b)(2) is the petition date. As of the petition date, the only collateral securing his claim was the Milkie Mortgage on the Property. Consequently, the anti-modification provisions of § 1322(b)(2) prohibit the Plan's proposed treatment of the Milkie Mortgage.
*329 In response to an inquiry from the Court, Milkie maintains that his failure to continue the perfection of his security interest in the Corporate Assets should not invoke the so-called "infield fly rule."[12] Milkie argues that there is no evidence to support a contention that, by allowing the financing statements securing the non-Property collateral of the Obligations to lapse, he acted intentionally or in bad faith to place himself in a more advantageous position under § 1322(b)(2). Milkie notes that the financing statements lapsed in 1999, and the Debtors did not file the instant bankruptcy petition for almost another three years.
Finally, Milkie argues that, even if this Court was to decide that the 1994 Homestead maintains priority over the Milkie Mortgage, section 1322(b)(2) and supporting case law prohibits the stripping off of a mortgage secured solely by the debtor's residential property, regardless of the existence of a collateral foundation. Essentially, Milkie maintains that In re Mann was wrongly decided. 249 B.R. 831 (1st Cir. BAP 2000).
III. DISCUSSION
A. The Effect of Subsequently Filed Homestead Exemptions.
Massachusetts General Laws ch. 188 governs homestead exemptions. Under M.G.L. ch. 188, § 1, a homestead exemption may be "acquired pursuant to this chapter by an owner or owners of a home." M.G.L. ch. 188, § 1 (2003) (emphasis supplied). Under M.G.L. ch. 188, § 2, "the acquisition of a new estate or claim of homestead shall defeat and discharge any such previous estate." And, under M.G.L. ch. 188, § 7, an estate of homestead:
created under section two may be terminated during the lifetime of the owner by either of the following methods: 1) a deed conveying the property in which an estate of homestead exists, signed by the owner and the owner's spouse, if any, which does not specifically reserve said estate of homestead; or by 2) a release of the estate of homestead, duly signed, sealed and acknowledged by the owner and the owner's spouse, if any, and recorded in the registry of deeds for the county or district in which the property was located.
M.G.L. ch. 188, § 7 (2003).
In recent years, bankruptcy courts in the District of Massachusetts have been asked on several occasions to pass on the interplay between these sections of M.G.L. chapter 188. The decisions have uniformly interpreted the statute to mean that, in addition to the two methods of affirmative termination listed in M.G.L. ch. 188, § 7, an estate or claim of homestead exemption is also terminated by the acquisition of a subsequent estate or claim of homestead *330 under M.G.L. ch. 188, § 2. See In re Taylor, 280 B.R. 294, 297-98 (Bankr.D.Mass.2002) (holding that M.G.L. ch. 188 "provides three methods for terminating an estate of homestead. Section 7 provides for terminating a homestead by a deed conveying the subject property . . . [and] . . . Section 2 provides that a new estate of homestead defeats a prior estate"); In re Webber, 278 B.R. 294, 298 n. 4 (Bankr.D.Mass.2002) (ruling that, in addition "to the two methods of termination specified in § 7, an estate of homestead can also be terminated by `the acquisition of a new estate or claim of homestead'" under § 2); see also In re Garran, 274 B.R. 570, 574 (Bankr.D.Mass.2002) (ruling that "Section 2 provides that: `[t]he acquisition of a new estate or claim of homestead shall defeat and discharge any such previous estate.'"). Moreover, in In re Garran, the First Circuit held that:
[M.G.L. ch. 188] § 2 ensures that no individual can claim more than one homestead exemption by stating that the acquisition of a new claim of homestead defeats and discharges a previously-filed claim of homestead. . . . We agree that this is the proper reading of the statutory language.
338 F.3d 1, 7 (1st Cir.2003). According to these decisions, the statute provides three methods for terminating a homestead exemption: two affirmative acts under § 7; and the defeat of a prior exemption by filing a subsequent exemption under § 2.
Counsel for the Debtors argues that the issues involved In re Garran are readily distinguishable from the those here because they did not involve the "sequential filing of Homestead Declarations by the same individual for the same residence." "Debtors' Memorandum of Law in Response to Creditor Robert D. Milkie's: Objection to Chapter 13 Plan Docket No. 54 and in Support of the Debtors' Motion for Relief Regarding Valuation of Property Docket No. 61," p. 7, December 8, 2003. In dicta, however, the First Circuit dealt with that issue head on:
[appellant] suggests that § 2 does not apply when a new declaration of homestead is filed on the same property-that an "acquisition of a new estate or claim of homestead" means a "new estate or claim of homestead on a new home or piece of property." Certainly § 2 would have the effect of discharging a prior declaration of homestead on an old home when a Massachusetts resident purchases a new home and files a new declaration of homestead. But there is nothing in the statute that limits § 2 to a new home purchase situation.
In re Garran, 338 F.3d at 8 (emphasis supplied). This Court is satisfied that, given the language of the statute and the case law interpreting that statute, the filing of a sequential declaration of homestead under M.G.L. ch. 188, § 2 acts to discharge any previous declaration.
Moreover, this Court finds no merit in the Debtors' argument that, because Warren Leigh's wife and Property co-owner-Regina Leigh did not sign the 2001 Homestead it was invalid. The authority for the acquisition of a homestead exemption is clearly stated in Chapter 188, § 1: "an owner or owners of a home." M.G.L. ch. 188, § 1 (2003). While the affirmative termination of a homestead exemption under M.G.L. ch. 188, § 7 may require the manifest assent of all property owners, the acquisition of an exemption under §§ 1 and 2, and the consequential termination of a previous estate under § 2, do not.
Warren Leigh, in compliance with the requisite statutory provisions, voluntarily acquired the 2001 Homestead to improve his position relative to Milkie and other creditors. Under M.G.L. ch. 188, only one owner is required to acquire a valid homestead *331 exemption. The statute clearly indicates that the acquisition of a subsequent homestead exemption acts to "defeat and discharge any such previous estate." M.G.L. ch. 188, § 2 (2003). Consequently, this Court rules that the 1994 Homestead is no longer valid or in force, and the Debtors may no longer claim it as an exemption on the Property. The Milkie Mortgage is now second only to the First Mortgage.
B. Application of the anti-modification provision of § 1322(b)(2).
The Court next considers the Debtors' argument that the Milkie Mortgage is not protected by the anti-modification provision of 11 U.S.C. § 1322(b)(2), which states in pertinent part:
(b) Subject to subsections (a) and (c) of this section, the plan may
. . .
(2) modify the rights of holders of secured claims, other than a claim secured only by a security interest in real property that is the debtor's principal residence, or of holders of unsecured claims, or leave unaffected the rights of holders of any class of claims.
11 U.S.C. § 1322(b)(2) (2003) (emphasis supplied). In 1994, the Obligations were collateralized by the Milkie Mortgage and security interests in the Corporate Assets. Given those additional security interests that Milkie simultaneously took in the Corporate Assets, section 1322(b)(2) would not have prohibited the Debtors' proposed modification of the Milkie Mortgage in 1994. See Nobelman v. American Sav. Bank, 508 U.S. 324, 332, 113 S.Ct. 2106, 124 L.Ed.2d 228 (1993) (holding that § 1322(b)(2) prohibits modification of a secured claim where the claim is "secured only by a lien on the debtor's principal residence") (emphasis supplied); In re Boisvert, 156 B.R. 357, 359 (Bankr.D.Mass.1993) (holding that "a claim secured only by a security interest in the Debtor's principal residence . . . is afforded the protections of 11 U.S.C. § 1322(b)(2)").[13] However, the relevant time for determining the extent of a secured creditor's collateral for § 1322(b)(2) purposes is at the commencement of the case. See In re French, 174 B.R. 1, 7 (Bankr.D.Mass.1994); In re Wetherbee, 164 B.R. 212, 215 (Bankr.D.N.H.1994); In re Boisvert, 156 B.R. 357, 359 (Bankr.D.Mass.1993); In re Amerson, 143 B.R. 413, 416 (Bankr.S.D.Miss.1992).
This Court has examined the docket and case files in the corporate Chapter 7 case in Connecticut, styled In re Madeleine's Restaurant LTD, Inc., Case No. 01-21412-RLK (Bankr.D.Conn.2001). There, the Chapter 7 trustee sold the Corporate Assets to an unsecured third party on July 5, 2002, pursuant to an order of the bankruptcy court. The proceeds from that sale were disbursed to unrelated, unsecured third-party claimants; none of the proceeds were claimed by or paid to Milkie.[14] Thereafter, there was no corporate collateral available to Milkie, and where there is no collateral, there is no secured claim. *332 See 11 U.S.C. § 506(a) (2003). Therefore, the Obligations owed to Milkie were secured only by the Property on the date of case commencement. See In re French, 174 B.R. 1, 7 (Bankr.D.Mass.1994); In re Wetherbee, 164 B.R. 212, 215 (Bankr.D.N.H.1994); In re Boisvert, 156 B.R. 357, 359 (Bankr.D.Mass.1993); In re Amerson, 143 B.R. 413, 416 (Bankr.S.D.Miss.1992). On that basis, the Milkie Mortgage is excepted from modification under § 1322(b)(2).
CONCLUSION
Given the foregoing findings of fact and conclusions of law, this Court finds and rules that:
1. The 2001 Homestead had the statutory effect of discharging the 1994 Homestead pursuant to M.G.L. ch. 188 § 2; and, as a result, the Milkie Mortgage is no longer subordinated to a homestead exemption; and
2. the Milkie Mortgage cannot be modified in the Debtor's Chapter 13 plan pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 1322(b)(2).
An Order shall issue in conformance with this Memorandum of Decision.
ORDER
For the reasons set forth in a Memorandum of Decision of even date, this Court:
1. DENIES the Debtors'"Motion for Relief Regarding Valuation of Property and Determination of Status of Secured Claims Under 11 U.S.C. § 506(a);" and
2. ORDERS the Debtors to file an amended Chapter 13 plan, consistent with the findings of fact and conclusions of law set forth in the aforesaid Memorandum of Decision, within thirty (30) days.
NOTES
[1] A debtor is permitted to exempt a limited amount of property from the bankruptcy estate pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 522(b). In Massachusetts, a debtor may choose between the exemptions listed under § 522(d) or those available under state law. Pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 522(b)(2)(A), the Debtors selected the exemptions available under Massachusetts law.
[2] By amendment approved August 4, 2000, the Massachusetts Legislature increased the exemption available under M.G.L. ch. 188, § 1 from $100,000 to $300,000. St. 2000, c. 297, § 1. Ironically, even had Warren Leigh's actions not had the disastrous effect described below, the increase would have been inapplicable to the Milkie Mortgage. See n. 6, infra.
[3] A trial in Connecticut state court resulted in a judgment for Milkie in the amount of $158,713.39 on the Obligations. Milkie has filed a proof of claim in the amount of $197,236.93 against the estate.
[4] Regarding the contents of a plan filed under Chapter 13, 11 U.S.C. § 1322(b) states in pertinent part:
(b) Subject to subsections (a) and (c) of this section, the plan may
. . .
(2) modify the rights of holders of secured claims, other than a claim secured only by a security interest in real property that is the debtor's principal residence, or of holders of unsecured claims, or leave unaffected the rights of holders of any class of claims;
11 U.S.C. § 1322(b)(2) (2003) (emphasis supplied).
[5] M.G.L. ch. 188, § 2 states in pertinent part:
§ 2. Designation in conveyance; manufactured homes
To acquire an estate of homestead in real property, the fact that it is designed to be held as such shall be set forth in the deed of conveyance by which the property is acquired; or, after the title has been acquired, such design may be declared by a writing duly signed, sealed and acknowledged and recorded in the registry of deeds for the county or district in which the property is situated. . . . The acquisition of a new estate or claim of homestead shall defeat and discharge any such previous estate.
M.G.L. ch. 188, § 2. (2003) (emphasis supplied).
[6] The Debtors have not argued, and can not argue, that any retroactive increase would be applicable to the Milkie Mortgage. See M.G.L. c. 188, § 3; In re Heretakis, 293 B.R. 82, 88 (Bankr.D.Mass.2003) (automatic increase is inapplicable to previously recorded liens).
[7] 11 U.S.C. § 506(a) states in pertinent part:
An allowed claim of a creditor secured by a lien on property in which the estate has an interest, or that is subject to setoff under section 553 of this title, is a secured claim to the extent of the value of such creditor's interest in the estate's interest in such property, or to the extent of the amount subject to setoff, as the case may be, and is an unsecured claim to the extent that the value of such creditor's interest or the amount so subject to set off is less than the amount of such allowed claim. Such value shall be determined in light of the purpose of the valuation and of the proposed disposition or use of such property, and in conjunction with any hearing on such disposition or use or on a plan affecting such creditor's interest.
11 U.S.C. § 506(a) (2003).
[8] The Motion notes that the total of outstanding balance on the First Mortgage ($108,617.72) plus the $100,000 homestead exemption exceed the value of the Property ($180,000).
[9] While not found in the Bankruptcy Code, the terms "strip off" and "strip down" have colloquial application in bankruptcy cases. "Strip off" is a term used, when, "there being no collateral value for a mortgage, the entire lien is proposed to be avoided," while "strip down" applies when, "there being insufficient collateral value for a mortgage, the lien is proposed to be reduced to the value of the collateral." In re Mann, 249 B.R. 831, 832 n. 1 (1st Cir. BAP 2000).
[10] M.G.L. ch. 188, § 7 states:
§ 7. Termination of estate of homestead
An estate of homestead created under section two may be terminated during the lifetime of the owner by either of the following methods: 1) a deed conveying the property in which an estate of homestead exists, signed by the owner and the owner's spouse, if any, which does not specifically reserve said estate of homestead; or by 2) a release of the estate of homestead, duly signed, sealed and acknowledged by the owner and the owner's spouse, if any, and recorded in the registry of deeds for the county or district in which the property is located.
M.G.L. ch. 188, § 7 (2003).
[11] According to the formula proposed by the Debtors and summarized herein, eliminating the priority of the 1994 Homestead over the Milkie Mortgage would leave $71,382.28 of equity in the Property. See supra, n. 8.
[12] The infield fly rule is neither a rule of law or equity but of baseball. The Common Law Origins of the Infield Fly Rule, 123 U. Pa. L.Rev. 1474 n. 3 (1975). To summarize the rule, it prohibits an infielder from making an intentional"error" on a fly ball in the infield, thereby sacrificing one out on the batter in order to trap base-runners into multiple force outs. Id. at n. 2 (emphasis supplied). The Rule is an effort to promote fair play by prohibiting a player from profiting from his own improper conduct. Id. at n. 37. In spirit and application, the Rule's most likely common law analogue is the equitable concept of "unclean hands." Id. According to the United States Supreme Court, the doctrine of "unclean hands" is "a self-imposed ordinance that closes the doors of a court of equity to one tainted with inequitableness or bad faith relative to the matter in which he seeks relief, however improper may have been the behavior of the defendant." Precision Instrument Mfg. Co. et al. v. Automotive Maintenance Machinery Co., 324 U.S. 806, 815, 65 S.Ct. 993, 89 L.Ed. 1381 (1945).
[13] It is irrelevant that the Corporate Assets secured payment of the promissory notes, while the Milkie Mortgage secured payment only of the guaranty. Section 1322(b)(2) should be read to mean that payment of the Obligations had two sources of collateral, the Corporate Assets and the Property. Therefore, in 1994, the Milkie Mortgage would have been modifiable. See In re Bouvier, 160 B.R. 24, 25 (Bankr.D.R.I.1993).
[14] Even had Milkie been awarded an allowed secured claim in the Corporate case and the proceeds been paid to him, Milkie would still have had a remaining claim in the instant case secured only by the Property, and the result would be the same under § 1322(b)(2). For the same reason, this Court need not here consider the import (intentionality) of Milkie's failure to continue the perfected status of his secured claim.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
} | Alfred Tweedy
Alfred Tweedy (born February 24, 1880) was a member of the Connecticut Senate from the 26th District.
Biography
Tweedy was born on February 24, 1880, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He would become a lawyer.
Political career
Tweedy was a member of the Senate in 1945. Previously, he was a probate court judge. He was a Republican.
References
Category:1880 births
Category:Connecticut lawyers
Category:Connecticut state senators
Category:Connecticut Republicans
Category:Connecticut state court judges
Category:People from Darien, Connecticut
Category:Politicians from Milwaukee
Category:Probate court judges in the United States
Category:Year of death missing
Category:Lawyers from Milwaukee |
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Central"
} | Background {#Sec1}
==========
Health behavior patterns established during one's young adult years have the potential to become life-long habits that can dictate one's health status and risk for chronic disease \[[@CR1], [@CR2]\]. During this transitional period, individuals are more sensitive to environmental influences which, in addition to having the potential to motivate the adoption of positive health behaviors, can influence the adoption of poor health behaviors \[[@CR3], [@CR4]\]. Therefore, young adulthood can be viewed as a critical period for intervening on poor health behaviors, including smoking, insufficient sleep, and inactivity, before such behaviors become entrenched.
Sleep quantity and quality and physical activity are some of the many health behaviors that have been found to decline during young adulthood \[[@CR5]\]. International sleep data collected in 2006 revealed that 21 % of young adults attending university were habitual short sleepers, defined as getting less than 7 hours of sleep on most nights \[[@CR6]\]. Other population-based research suggests that a large proportion of young adults experience sleep-related problems, where it was found that only 11.5 % of undergraduate students in the sample were classified as having *good* sleep quality, assessed via self-report using the Sleep Quality Index \[[@CR7], [@CR8]\]. Examining trends in physical activity during young adulthood, several studies have reported dramatic declines in physical activity during this period \[[@CR9]--[@CR11]\]. One longitudinal study using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health found that of those participants who reported engaging in at least five weekly bouts of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity as adolescents, only 4.4 % maintained this level of physical activity as young adults \[[@CR9]\]. These findings therefore support intervening among young adults to promote the development of healthful sleep and physical activity habits.
Cigarette smoking has been shown to negatively impact both sleep and physical activity \[[@CR12]--[@CR14]\]. It has been well-documented that smokers have lower subjectively measured sleep quality and experience more insomnia-like symptoms, compared with non-smokers \[[@CR15]--[@CR17]\]. One recent study examining both subjectively and objectively measured sleep among adult smokers found that, in addition to having lower subjectively measured sleep quality, adults who smoked had shorter sleep period time, longer sleep latency (i.e., took longer to fall asleep), higher rapid eye movement sleep density (indicating less restful sleep), and more sleep apneas and leg movements in sleep than non-smokers, all of which were objectively measured using polysomnography \[[@CR13]\]. In addition, it has been established in the physical activity literature that cigarette smoking compromises cardiopulmonary function in the short-term, which could lead to reduced levels of physical activity \[[@CR12], [@CR14]\].
Improving sleep and physical activity habits are two of many recommended strategies to assist with smoking cessation \[[@CR18]\]. Physical activity has been associated with improved weight control among those trying to quit smoking, and can also alleviate stress and assist with managing food and nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms experienced during the quitting process \[[@CR18], [@CR19]\]. Furthermore, physical activity can lead to improved sleep \[[@CR20]\]. This, in turn, can provide individuals trying to quit smoking with the energy to cope with nicotine cravings and avoid the negative feelings that typically emerge as a result of being tired \[[@CR21]\].
Using a text message-based intervention platform offers several other advantages compared with interventions involving face-to-face contact with participants, including great reach \[[@CR22]\], cost-effectiveness \[[@CR22]\], unobtrusiveness \[[@CR22]\], the ability to collect data in real-time \[[@CR22]\], and the ability to intervene anywhere, anytime \[[@CR23]\]. Capitalizing on these advantages, text message-based behavior change interventions have recently been applied to a range of health behaviors, including smoking \[[@CR24]--[@CR28]\] and physical activity \[[@CR29]--[@CR35]\], with varying success. Text message-based smoking cessation interventions, in particular, have yielded promising results, with participation in the majority of such interventions being associated with increases in abstinence from cigarette smoking \[[@CR24], [@CR26]--[@CR28]\].
To date, a text message-based intervention platform has not yet been used to improve sleep habits. In addition, all of the in-person interventions that have aimed to change sleep habits among young adults have been conducted exclusively among higher education students, so it remains unknown whether results from these interventions can be generalized to young adults outside of a tertiary education setting, particularly those who are engaging in, but interested in ceasing, health risk behaviors. Given the remarkable amount of time that young adults spend on mobile devices \[[@CR36]\], implementing a text message-based sleep intervention may be a promising approach for improving young adults' sleep habits.
Examining results from text message-based interventions targeting physical activity behavior, one intervention was associated with significant increases in physical activity \[[@CR35]\], while another demonstrated no significant effect \[[@CR34]\]. Prestwich and colleagues found that university students randomized to receive a 4-week intervention comprised of both creating a personalized exercise plan and receiving tailored text messages reminding them of that plan significantly increased their physical activity as compared to either approach alone and the control conditions \[[@CR35]\]. Newton and colleagues found that adolescents with type 1 diabetes who were randomized to receive motivational text messages for 12 weeks while wearing a pedometer actually decreased their physical activity over the study period \[[@CR34]\]. Studies examining the impact of physical activity interventions among groups engaging in other types of health risk behaviors, such as smoking, are lacking. Furthermore, no text message-based physical activity interventions designed exclusively for young adults who are trying to quit smoking exist in the literature.
This study addresses existing gaps in the literature by examining the effectiveness of a text message-based intervention on improving sleep and physical activity habits among a U.S. national sample of young adult smokers who were considering quitting smoking in the next 30 days. The current secondary analysis used data from the Stop My Smoking (SMS) USA randomized controlled trial, which is a 6-week text message-based smoking cessation program developed for 18--25 year old smokers in the United States \[[@CR28]\]. Messages for an attention- matched control group were developed with a focus on improving one's sleep and increasing one's physical activity within the context of helping one quit smoking. The main results of the randomized controlled trial are reported elsewhere \[[@CR28]\]. Reported here are the sleep and activity outcomes for the attention-matched control group (i.e., sleep/activity group) versus the smoking cessation group. This attention-matched control design is an efficient way to test the effect of interventions on multiple outcomes and allows the researcher to ascertain that any observed intervention effects are not a result of more attention being given to intervention group participants \[[@CR37], [@CR38]\].
It was hypothesized that participants randomized to the sleep/activity group would report higher levels of sleep quantity, sleep quality, and physical activity at follow-up as compared to participants randomized to the smoking cessation group. Additionally, it was hypothesized that the sleep/activity text message program would be more effective among those participants identified as short sleepers (i.e., those getting \<6 hours of sleep per night) and/or inactive (i.e., those getting \<150 minutes of physical activity per week) at baseline, based upon findings from an online sleep intervention study suggesting that only participants classified as *poor* sleepers at baseline experienced improvements in sleep quality at post-intervention \[[@CR39]\].
Methods {#Sec2}
=======
Study design and recruitment {#Sec3}
----------------------------
This study is a secondary analysis of the SMS USA randomized controlled trial \[[@CR28]\]. Ethical approval for the SMS USA study, including the informed consent protocol, was obtained through Chesapeake Research Review Incorporated, and ethical approval for the current analysis of de-identified secondary data was obtained through the University of Guelph Institutional Review Board.
Young adults aged 18 to 25 years were recruited nationally through online advertisements on websites (primarily Craigslist) between May 2011 and August 2011. In addition to meeting the specified age criteria, eligible participants had to: be able to read and write in English, own a cell phone, be enrolled (or intend to enroll) in an unlimited text messaging plan, be familiar with how to send and receive text messages, smoke 24 cigarettes or more per week (i.e., at least 4 per day on at least 6 days per week), be seriously thinking about quitting smoking in the next 30 days, and agree to smoking cessation status verification by a significant other (i.e., family member or friend).
Of the 1916 smokers assessed for eligibility, 211 met the study's eligibility criteria and consented to participate, and 164 participants successfully enrolled in the study and completed baseline measures. Participants were either randomized to receive text messages that were tailored to their quit status and focused on smoking cessation (i.e., the "smoking cessation" group; *n* = 101), or aimed at improving sleep and physical activity habits within the context of how these behaviors may help them quit smoking (i.e., the "sleep/activity" group, *n* = 63). Participants who completed 3-month follow-up measurements (*n* = 129; 78.7 %) were included in the longitudinal analysis. The follow-up rate differs from previous reports due to missing data on the sleep and physical activity indicators at follow-up. Figure [1](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"} describes the SMS USA study design and participant flow.Fig. 1SMS USA study design and participant flow. Note: -Reasons for eligibility were not mutually exclusive, therefore, a participants could be ineligible for more than one reason. -Of the 80 participants who completed 12-week follow up measures, 4 were excluded from analysis because they were considered to be sleep outliers (reporting either 0 or 1 hour sleep/night on both work/school night & non-work/non-school nights)
Interventions {#Sec4}
-------------
All participants (irrespective of study arm) were asked to identify a quit date that was at least 15 days, but no more than 30 days, from their registration date. Both smoking cessation and sleep/activity text messages began 14 days prior to one's established quit date. Details regarding the development of the smoking cessation text message database are published elsewhere \[[@CR40]\]. For the sleep/activity arm, text messages were initially developed by Ybarra and colleagues and then underwent expert review. Messages matched the number and flow of the smoking cessation group messages. There were a total of 144 text messages in the database for each study arm.
Smoking cessation group participants were exposed to a 6-week smoking cessation program with content that was tailored to where participants were in the quitting process (i.e., Day 1 to 14 or the Pre-Quit phase, Day 15 to 21 or the Early Quit phase, or Day 22 to 42 or the Late Quit phase). These participants received two weeks of Pre-Quit messages aimed at encouraging them to clarify reasons for quitting and to understand their smoking patterns, in addition to their tempting situations, triggers and urges. Both smoking cessation and sleep/activity group participants were allowed to define their "window" for receiving daily text messages (e.g., the number of hours over which text messages would be delivered to their mobile phone). Those participants who had the same window received text messages around the same time each day. Frequency of text message delivery ranged from as little as 1 message per day during the final week of the intervention, to 9 messages per day on Quit Day and Post-Quit Day 2.
Participants in the sleep/activity group received text messages at the same rate as the smoking cessation group in order to match the level of attention that the smoking cessation group was receiving; however, content of the text messages was aimed at improving participants' sleep and physical activity habits within the context of how it would help the participant quit smoking (e.g., "*Sleeping and exercising go hand-in-hand when you're trying to quit smoking. You have more energy, you sleep better, and it gives you the strength to quit*", "*Regular exercise has a lot of benefits: Better sleep and relief from stress are just a couple. Remind yourself of YOUR reasons to make these life changes*"). All participants in the sleep/activity group received the same text messages, and both sleep- and activity-related messages were delivered on the same day.
Measures {#Sec5}
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At baseline and follow-up, sleep quantity was assessed using two self-report items adapted from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) \[[@CR41]\]. Participants were asked to think about their sleep habits over the past 30 days and indicate how many hours they typically slept on work/school nights, and also on non-work/non-school nights (rounded to the nearest hour). Sleep quality was measured using 8 self-report items adapted from the PSQI, which all began with the stem "During the past month, how often have you...", and included the following: (a) not been able to get to sleep within 30 minutes, (b) woken up in the middle of the night or early morning, (c) had to get up from sleeping to use the bathroom, (d) had trouble sleeping because you could not breathe comfortably, (e) had trouble sleeping because you were coughing or snoring loudly, (f) had trouble sleeping because you felt too cold or hot, (g) had bad dreams, and (h) had trouble sleeping because you were in pain. Response options for each item included: "not at all during the past month", "less than once a week", "once or twice a week", "three or more times a week", and "do not want to answer". For the purposes of the current study, sleep quality scores were calculated for each participant by summing participants' quantified responses to the 8 sleep quality items adapted from the PSQI. Cronbach's alpha for the sleep quality scale used in the current study was 0.77 at baseline and 0.73 at 3-month follow-up, indicating acceptable internal consistency reliability \[[@CR42]\]. Possible scores ranged from 8 to 32, with higher scores being indicative of poorer sleep quality, similar to the approach used by Urponen and colleagues \[[@CR7]\]. None of the participants chose the response option "do not want to answer".
Physical activity was measured using two self-report items adapted from the National Health Interview Survey \[[@CR43]\]. Participants were asked to think about their physical activity habits over the past 30 days and indicate in separate questions how many days per week they engaged in vigorous leisure-time physical activity (i.e., activities causing heavy sweating or large increases in breathing or heart rate) and light-to-moderate leisure-time physical activity (i.e., activities causing only light sweating or a slight to moderate increase in breathing or heart rate) for at least ten minutes. Participants were also asked to indicate the approximate length of time they performed each type of physical activity. The number of hours of physical activity per week was calculated for both types of physical activity at baseline and follow-up by multiplying the self-reported frequency of physical activity by the duration, and then adding these figures together to compile a total physical activity score \[[@CR44]\].
Statistical analysis {#Sec6}
--------------------
All statistical analyses were conducted using version 21 of SPSS Statistics for Windows (PASW, IBM, New York, USA). Separate linear regression analyses were used to examine the impact of the sleep/activity messages on 3-month follow-up levels of: 1) sleep quantity (i.e., the average number of hours slept on work/school nights, and non-work/non-school nights); 2) sleep quality (e.g., sleeping through the night); and 3) physical activity (i.e., the number of days per week one engaged in leisure-time physical activity). To determine whether the sleep/activity content had differential effects for short sleepers versus adequate sleepers and inactive participants versus active participants, intervention effects were examined by baseline sleep category, i.e., short sleepers (\<6 hours/night; *n* = 34) versus those who slept ≥6 hours/night (*n* = 82), and baseline physical activity level, i.e., inactive participants (\<150 minutes/week activity recommendation from the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans \[[@CR45]\] (*n* = 43)) versus active participants getting ≥150 minutes/week (*n* = 73). In the first model, only baseline habits were controlled for. In the fully adjusted models, corresponding baseline habits were controlled for, in addition to quit status at follow-up, daily text messaging usage (i.e., number of text messages sent on a typical day), sex, educational attainment (i.e., currently enrolled in post-secondary education/post-secondary completer or high school or less/post-secondary non-completer), race (i.e., Caucasian or other), change in physical activity (in the sleep models), and change in average sleep quantity (in the physical activity models).
Results {#Sec7}
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Sample {#Sec8}
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Participants whose responses to the items assessing sleep quantity or physical activity were greater than three standard deviations from the mean were considered to be outliers. There were no substantive differences in demographics among the outliers excluded from the analyses (*n* = 13) and participants retained in the final analytical sample (*n* = 116; data not shown).
Table [1](#Tab1){ref-type="table"} presents a summary of participants' demographic/baseline characteristics by study arm. There were no differences between participants in the sleep/activity group and smoking cessation group with respect to the demographic/baseline variables examined, with the exception of baseline sleep quantity on work/school nights ($\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$ \overline{X} = 5.82 $$\end{document}$ hours in the sleep/activity group versus 6.42 hours in the smoking cessation group; *p* = 0.03) and non-work/non-school nights ($\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$ \overline{X} = 7.50 $$\end{document}$ hours in the sleep/activity group versus 8.32 hours in the smoking cessation group; *p* = 0.04).Table 1Demographic/baseline characteristics of participants in the SMS USA study (overall and by intervention assignment)Overall (n = 116)Smoking cessation group (n = 72)Sleep/activity group (n = 44)*P*-valueDemographic/baseline characteristicsN (%)Sex Male61 (52.6)40 (55.6)21 (47.7)0.45 Female55 (47.4)32 (44.4)23 (52.3)Race White or Caucasian78 (67.2)47 (65.3)31 (70.5)0.68 Other38 (32.8)25 (34.7)13 (29.5)Educational attainment High school or less/post-sec non-completer24 (20.7)13 (18.1)11 (25.0)0.48 Currently enrolled in post-sec/post-sec completer92 (79.3)59 (81.9)33 (75.0)Median (25 %, 75 % quartile)Daily text messaging usage50 (20, 100)50 (20, 100)43.5 (18.5, 100)0.46Mean (SD)Sleep quantity on work/school nights (hours)6.19 (1.45)6.42 (1.44)5.82 (1.40)**0.03\***Sleep quantity on non-work/non-school nights (hours)8.01 (2.11)8.32 (2.05)7.50 (2.14)**0.04\***Sleep quality score17.20 (5.21)17.00 (5.50)17.52 (4.74)0.60Physical activity (hours/week)5.70 (6.58)6.38 (7.41)4.59 (4.82)0.16\*Significant at *p* \< 0.05
Linear regression results: sleep quantity and quality {#Sec9}
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None of the follow-up sleep measures differed significantly between the sleep/activity and smoking cessation groups when all participants were examined together (Table [2](#Tab2){ref-type="table"}), both in the partly adjusted and fully adjusted models.Table 2Relative difference in sleep indicators between groups at 3-month follow-upSleep measureBaseline mean (SD)12-week follow-up mean (SD)Unadjusted difference β (95 % CI)^a^P-valueAdjusted difference β (95 % CI)^b^*P*-valueSleep quantity on work/school nights (hours/night) Sleep/activity group5.82 (1.40)6.34 (1.41)0.306 (−0.155, 0.766)0.190.335 (−0.134, 0.805)0.16 Smoking cessation group6.42 (1.44)6.39 (1.48)Sleep quantity on non-work/non-school nights (hours/night) Sleep/activity group7.50 (2.14)7.93 (2.05)0.060 (−0.649, 0.769)0.87−0.023 (−0.724, 0.678)0.95 Smoking cessation group8.32 (2.05)8.18 (1.95)Sleep quality score^c^ Sleep/activity group17.52 (4.74)15.82 (4.61)0.074 (−1.529, 1.676)0.930.078 (−1.548, 1.705)0.92 Smoking cessation group17.00 (5.50)15.53 (4.80)*SD* Standard deviation, *CI* Confidence interval*n* = 116^a^Adjusted for baseline sleep^b^Adjusted for baseline sleep, change in physical activity, smoking status at follow-up, daily text messaging usage, sex, educational attainment, and race^c^Sleep quality was assessed using 8 self-report items adapted from the PSQI; scores were the sum of participants\' quantified responses for each item, with higher scores being indicative of poorer sleep quality (possible scores ranged from 8 to 32)
Among short sleepers at 3-month follow-up, sleep quantity on work/school nights increased by a mean of 31 minutes/night among participants in the sleep/activity arm and decreased by 2 minutes/night among participants in the smoking cessation arm, with a non-significant unadjusted difference of 1.04 hours (62 minutes; 95 % CI (−0.095, 2.172; Table [3](#Tab3){ref-type="table"})). After adjusting for covariates (i.e., change in physical activity, smoking status at follow-up, daily text messaging usage, sex, educational attainment, and race), the difference increased to 1.37 hours (82 minutes; 95 % CI (0.262, 2.484)) and was statistically significant. Sleep quantity on non-work/non-school nights and sleep quality were not statistically different among short sleepers in the sleep/activity and smoking cessation groups, however. No intervention effects were found for any of the sleep outcomes among adequate sleepers (*n* = 82; Table [4](#Tab4){ref-type="table"}).Table 3Relative difference in sleep indicators between groups at 3-month follow-up for short sleepers (\<6 hours/night)Sleep measureBaseline mean (SD)12-week follow-up mean (SD)Unadjusted difference β (95 % CI)^a^*P*-valueAdjusted difference β (95 % CI)^b^*P*-valueSleep quantity on work/school nights (hours/night) Sleep/activity group4.27 (0.70)5.87 (2.00)1.039 (−0.095, 2.172)0.07**1.373 (0.262, 2.484)\*0.02\*\*** Smoking cessation group4.53 (0.84)5.05 (1.43)Sleep quantity on non-work/non-school nights (hours/night) Sleep/activity group5.87 (2.23)6.93 (2.02)0.175 (−1.464, 1.815)0.83−0.332 (−2.135, 1.470)0.71 Smoking cessation group7.74 (2.54)7.16 (2.32)Sleep quality score^c^ Sleep/activity group19.33 (4.72)17.33 (5.25)−1.468 (−4.570, 1.633)0.34−1.620 (−4.821, 1.581)0.31 Smoking cessation group18.89 (5.13)18.58 (4.81)*SD* Standard deviation, *CI* Confidence interval*n* = 34^a^Adjusted for baseline sleep^b^Adjusted for baseline sleep, change in physical activity, smoking status at follow-up, daily text messaging usage, sex, educational attainment, and race^c^Sleep quality was assessed using 8 self-report items adapted from the PSQI; scores were the sum of participants\' quantified responses for each item, with higher scores being indicative of poorer sleep quality (possible scores ranged from 8 to 32)\*95 % CI does not contain 0\*\*Significant at *p* \< 0.05Table 4Relative difference in sleep indicators between groups at 3-month follow-up for participants sleeping ≥6 hours/nightSleep measureBaseline mean (SD)12-week follow-up mean (SD)Unadjusted difference β (95 % CI)^a^*P*-valueAdjusted difference β (95 % CI)^b^*P*-valueSleep quantity on work/school nights (hours/night) Sleep/activity group6.62 (0.90)6.59 (0.95)−0.006 (−0.467, 0.456)0.980.001 (−0.481, 0.483)1.00 Smoking cessation group7.09 (0.90)6.87 (1.18)Sleep quantity on non-work/non-school nights (hours/night) Sleep/activity group8.34 (1.54)8.45 (1.90)−0.027 (−0.780, 0.726)0.940.027 (−0.719, 0.774)0.94 Smoking cessation group8.53 (1.83)8.55 (1.68)Sleep quality score^c^ Sleep/activity group16.59 (4.55)15.03 (4.12)0.517 (−1.305, 2.339)0.570.468 (−1.395, 2.332)0.62 Smoking cessation group16.32 (5.52)14.43 (4.34)*SD* Standard deviation, *CI* Confidence interval*n* = 82^a^Adjusted for baseline sleep^b^Adjusted for baseline sleep, change in physical activity, smoking status at follow-up, daily text messaging usage, sex, educational attainment, and race^c^Sleep quality was assessed using 8 self-report items adapted from the PSQI; scores were the sum of participants\' quantified responses for each item, with higher scores being indicative of poorer sleep quality (possible scores ranged from 8 to 32)
Linear regression results: physical activity {#Sec10}
--------------------------------------------
When examining differences among the total sample, results indicated that there was no significant difference in physical activity between the sleep/activity group and smoking cessation group at follow-up (Table [5](#Tab5){ref-type="table"}). This was observed in both the partly adjusted and fully adjusted models. When the sample was stratified by level of baseline physical activity, no evidence of effect modification was found (results not shown).Table 5Relative difference in physical activity between groups at 3-month follow-upBaseline mean (SD)12-week follow-up mean (SD)Unadjusted difference β (95 % CI)^a^*P*-valueAdjusted difference β (95 % CI)^b^*P*-valuePhysical activity (hours/week) Sleep/activity group4.59 (4.82)6.32 (7.88)−2.405 (−6.107, 1.296)0.20−1.929 (−5.683, 1.825)0.31 Smoking cessation group6.38 (7.41)9.26 (10.85)*SD* Standard deviation, *CI* Confidence interval*n* = 116^a^Adjusted for baseline physical activity^b^Adjusted for baseline physical activity, change in average sleep quantity, smoking status at follow-up, daily text messaging usage, sex, educational attainment, and race
Discussion {#Sec11}
==========
Among young adult smokers 18 to 25 years of age who were thinking seriously about quitting and were recruited online across the United States, text messages that promoted improved sleep and increased physical activity to help one quit smoking were not associated with increases in either outcome over time. Among short sleepers (i.e., individuals getting \<6 hours of sleep on work/school nights at baseline), young adult smokers in the sleep/activity intervention arm increased their sleep quantity on work/school nights at follow-up, as compared to those receiving the smoking cessation intervention. Baseline physical activity level was *not* found to influence the effect of the sleep/activity intervention on physical activity.
In the current study, among short sleepers who received the sleep/activity intervention, the mean increase in sleep quantity on work/school nights was 82 minutes. This magnitude of effect is higher than what has been reported in previous studies that have successfully improved sleep quantity among young adults. Prestwich and colleagues found that receiving a combination of sleep health education and keeping sleep logs resulted in a mean improvement of approximately 54 minutes of sleep per night among participants in their sample of college students \[[@CR46]\]. In addition, Ball and Bax found that receiving a self-care intervention focused on improving sleep hygiene habits was associated with a significantly lower reduction in sleep quantity among first year medical school students (mean reduction was 10 minutes per night, compared to a 46-minute reduction observed among participants receiving a self-awareness intervention in which they received feedback on their Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores) \[[@CR47]\]. It is possible that the frequency of the current intervention (i.e., multiple daily text messages versus a single educational session) may have contributed to the higher magnitude of change in sleep quantity observed in this study.
Results from studies designed to improve sleep in the general population have yielded mixed results, with the slight majority of studies finding statistically significant effects \[[@CR39], [@CR46]--[@CR49]\], and other studies finding no effects \[[@CR50]\], or small, non-significant effects \[[@CR51]--[@CR53]\]. There are several reasons that may explain why this study did not improve sleep habits in the sample as a whole. Perhaps most importantly, this group did not express any interest in changing sleep or physical activity behavior. They were recruited based upon their interest in quitting smoking. It seems likely then that these participants were at least less if not completely unmotivated to change these two behaviors as compared to participants in other sleep and physical activity interventions. Second, the content delivered via text message in the present study was very brief in comparison to sleep interventions that have been delivered face-to-face or via printed materials, which limited the amount of information that could be delivered at once (i.e., text messages primarily consisted of simple tips). Furthermore, the content of the text messages sent to participants in the sleep/activity group was divided between two health behaviors. It is possible that if one behavior had been the focus, a stronger effect may have been observed. Moreover, the sole reliance on text messages may have dampened the potential impact. For example, other text messaging interventions, including the cessation arm in the current study, have integrated other elements, including websites or email \[[@CR26], [@CR28], [@CR29], [@CR33]\], in-person visits or individual/group training on health behaviors \[[@CR30], [@CR32], [@CR54], [@CR55]\], printed materials \[[@CR30], [@CR31]\], and phone calls \[[@CR31]\]. It is possible that multi-modal interventions are better able to affect behavior change, although a recent meta-analysis suggests that additional intervention components are not associated with increased likelihood of behavior change \[[@CR56]\]. Additionally, although this study incorporated both educational messages (i.e., in the form of tips and strategies for improving sleep habits) and motivational/supportive messages, text message content was not tailored to participants' baseline habits. It is therefore plausible that some participants, especially those with good sleep habits at baseline, may have found that the content was not relevant or did not apply to them if they were already performing the suggested behaviors. This is consistent with our finding that the sleep/activity intervention was more effective for participants who were classified as short sleepers at baseline. Finally, there was no way of knowing in the current study whether participants read the texts that were sent to their mobile phones. Process data reported in Ybarra and colleagues' study, however, indicated that 20 % of sleep/activity participants reported *somewhat agreeing* or *strongly agreeing* when asked if they stopped reading the text messages by the end of the program \[[@CR28]\]. This finding suggests that it is possible that significant behavior change did not occur because a sizeable proportion of the sample did not receive the full dose of the sleep/activity intervention.
Results showed that the sleep/activity intervention was not effective at improving physical activity among participants in the sleep/activity group. These results are similar to findings from a text message-based intervention to improve physical activity among adolescents with type 1 diabetes, where no improvements were observed for mean daily step count at post-intervention \[[@CR34]\]. Similar to the current study, Newton and colleagues' intervention was solely text message-based and relied on self-reported physical activity data, which could have led to an overestimation of physical activity. Conversely, results from another study using text messaging to improve physical activity among university students found a meaningful increase in physical activity among intervention group participants receiving a series of tailored text message reminders about their personal physical activity plans \[[@CR35]\]. In contrast to the current study, both the content and frequency of the text messages in Prestwich and colleagues' study was chosen by the participant prior to beginning the intervention and could be changed at any time throughout the 4-week program, thereby tailoring the intervention to the specific needs of each participant. In a recent meta-analysis on the efficacy of text message-based interventions for health promotion, use of message tailoring and personalization were found to be significantly associated with greater intervention efficacy \[[@CR56]\].
Comparing the present findings for physical activity to what has been found in the literature, there are several potential explanations for why this study was not able to replicate the significant results found in Prestwich and colleagues' intervention study. In addition to the possibilities noted above, it is plausible that physical activity may be harder to affect among individuals with pre-existing conditions or who are performing certain health behaviors. Unlike the healthy participants in Prestwich and colleagues' study, in both our study which included smokers, and Newton and colleagues' study which included individuals with diabetes, physical activity was not affected. It can be quite difficult for individuals who smoke to engage in more vigorous types of physical activity due to the shortness of breath associated with long-term cigarette smoking. It may be that sequencing smoking cessation first and physical activity subsequently is a more effective health promotion strategy.
Some key limitations should be kept in mind when interpreting results from the current study. First, data were from a text message-based smoking cessation intervention. As such, assessment of sleep and physical activity was not optimal, which could have introduced bias towards the null hypothesis. More comprehensive and observer-reported measures (e.g., actigraphy) would have been preferred. That said, self-report is a key indicator for the majority of behavior change studies, and often is found to produce a similar magnitude of effect when compared with biological indicators \[[@CR57], [@CR58]\]. Second, the focus on smokers and the recruitment method (i.e., online advertisements such as Craigslist) used in the current study may have limited the generalizability of study findings to the broader population of American young adults \[[@CR28]\]. Third, with a modest sample size of 116 participants, power would not be large. It is possible that with a larger sample size, the two study arms may have differed with respect to the observed effect sizes. Lastly, participants were asked to think about their behavior over the past month. Therefore, in addition to the potential for social desirability bias to affect participants' responses, the accuracy of participants' responses may also have been affected by recall error when having to estimate how they slept or exercised, on average, over the past 30 days.
Conclusions {#Sec12}
===========
This study provides preliminary evidence that a text message-based intervention may be a promising approach for improving sleep quantity among young adult smokers who are thinking about quitting smoking, especially short sleepers. Findings suggest that this mode of intervention delivery should be further explored as a novel approach to improving sleep habits among young adults. Future research should focus on targeting short sleepers and address the root causes of their short sleep using a tailored approach to maximize the relevance of information being delivered. Additional research incorporating more objective measures of sleep (i.e., actigraphy) and physical activity (i.e., accelerometry), and with participants who are interested in improving their sleep and physical activity, is needed before any definitive conclusions can be made regarding whether a text message-based intervention is an effective way to improve sleep and physical activity habits among young adults.
PSQI
: Pittsburgh sleep quality index
SMS USA
: Stop My Smoking USA
Gerarda Darlington, Jean-Philippe Chaput, Michele Ybarra and Jess Haines contributed equally to this work.
**Competing interests**
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
**Authors' contributions**
AJF, GD, JPC, MY, and JH developed the concept for the current study. AJF performed data analyses and drafted the manuscript. GD, JPC, MY, and JH provided guidance and critical feedback on all drafts of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
The SMS USA study was supported by funding from Award Number R21CA135669 from the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. We would like to acknowledge the study team from Center for Innovative Public Health (Internet Solutions for Kids), Michigan State University, and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), who contributed to the planning and implementation of SMS USA. We thank the study participants for their time and willingness to participate in this study.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} | The present invention concerns an identification device of a manual action on a surface performed by a finger and, more specifically, it concerns such device comprising a set of sensors which are each actuable by the finger of a user so as to create a variation of an electrical quantity. Such device may be used in horological applications, such as a wrist-watch comprising a recognition device for recognising characters drawn manually on the glass of the watch. It should however be understood that the invention is not limited to this application.
Watches comprising identification devices such as defined hereabove are already known. The document EP-A-0 165 548 describes an electronic watch comprising a recognition device of characters drawn manually on the glass of a watch. A matrix of photoelectrical sensors is arranged on the bottom surface of the glass. When the user draws a character on the top surface of the glass, the intensity of the light detected by the photoelectrical sensors is modified, which then thus allows the detection of the coordinates of the transcribed character. The written character is then recognised according to the detected coordinates. To do this, the respective coordinates of the lines forming the drawn character are memorised in a memory device. These coordinates are compared to reference coordinates which are also memorised in the memory device so as to find the reference coordinates which are the most similar to the coordinates corresponding to the character written on the glass. When the user draws this character, it often happens that several sensors are activated simultaneously. So as to be capable of determining the coordinates of the drawn character, it is thus necessary to calculate the center of gravity of the group of sensors which are activated at the same time by the user.
The calculation of the center of gravity often presents several inconveniences. On the one hand, the processing of data necessary for taking into account factors such as the diametrical disposition of the actuated sensors, is a complex task which imposes a high burden on the data processing circuit associated to these sensors and which leads to a slow response time of this circuit. On the other hand, the result of this calculation often lacks precision, which leads to recognitions errors of characters written by the user. |
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | Cubs, an all encompassing trip
Brett Jackson and Josh Vitters Close to Call Up?
It was only a matter of time before this topic was addressed by Dale Sveum and the Cubs front office given the roster turnover the last couple of days. Per Sveum it sounds like the organization will get together on Thursday to discuss the possibility of calling up both Brett Jackson and Josh Vitters this month. Sveum was clear in saying that if they did get called up they would play every day, which is awesome to hear. I for one am excited to see what these guys can do at this level, even if it’s only over the last month and a half. The logical time for a call up would be September when the rosters expand, so it’s news that the organization is discussing this now.
The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB, the silhouetted batter logo, World Series, National League, American League, Division Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the names, nicknames, logos, uniform designs, color combinations, and slogans designating the Major League Baseball clubs and entities, and their respective mascots, events and exhibitions. |
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} | Evidence-based practice strategies for cardiovascular care.
Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a problem-solving approach utilizing the best available information to support clinical decisions. The cardiovascular literature sufficiently supports the adoption of EBP to reduce practice variations and improve patient outcomes. However, the ability to appraise evidence and determine the best ways to implement evidence into practice remains a challenge for most clinicians and administrators. Our discussion assesses the quality of evidence and the benefits of evidence-based approaches to care, but also frames the distinctions among research-based, evidence-based, and best practice. Organizational infrastructure is key to developing EBP approaches and sustaining high quality of care. |
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
} | The Liberal Democrats last night ruled out a coalition deal with Labour or the Conservatives as Nick Clegg lost his Sheffield Hallam seat to Labour in a political shock to the pro-Remain party.
The former Deputy Prime Minister warned that Britain will face “unprecedented hardship and difficulty” in the years ahead if it does not “heal” it’s divides following the shock election results which saw Labour gains across the country.
It came as Tim Farron narrowly held onto his seat and the party lost the constituencies of Leeds North West and Southport. Elsewhere Vince Cable, the former business secretary, was returned to Parliament and Ed Davey, the former energy secretary looked likely to win his seat. |
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | Kiev became the leader in the production of Kraft beer
Craft beer holds a special place in the domestic beer market. This product is beer, which is made according to exclusive recipes and in small batches. Currently, such production in Ukraine issued 90 licenses. The largest share of craft Breweries Breweries located in Kiev is 52.5%. Other regions of the country lagging behind the capital in this indicator. This is reported by experts of Pro-Consulting, informs Rus.Media.
Successful enterprises in this sector carry out sales of beer mainly in pubs, restaurants and cafes. So, in Kiev on the specified distribution channel accounted for 38% of the total. Also for sale are used for specialized craft beer stores – 19%, online shopping is 17%.
Among consumers of beer is dominated by men. Moreover, if the segment of the traditional drink, the male audience is about two-thirds, Kraft beer, the proportion of male buyers reaches 78%.
The analysis shows that the Kraft beer market has great potential for development. Especially young people who actively adopt the global trends beer culture, seeks to add variety to your life by consuming beverages brewed on non-traditional recipes.
“Obstacle to wider dissemination kraftova beer products on the Ukrainian market is its high price, but it will be offset in the process of raising the level of incomes of the population”, – experts believe.
About The Author
magictr
Trayan Markevich has been a reporter on the news desk since 2013. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining The Quebec Times, Trayan Markevich worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. |
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | Kathleen 'Kick' Kennedy's Short 28 Years of Life Were Full of Heartbreak
Kathleen Kennedy simply wanted to break from the confines of her suffocatingly restrictive life. She almost made it.
Called "Kick" because of her exuberant nature — she was a real kick in the pants, if you will — she was the fourth child and second daughter of the Kennedy clan and lived the kind of life her less fortunate older sister Rosemary Kennedy should have. While both girls caused a huge sensation when they made their debut at royal court in London in 1938, Kick was the one who walked away with one of the most eligible bachelors in the U.K.
She wasn't a raving beauty. In her book Kick Kennedy, Barbara Leaming wrote, "Her hair was a shade of 'mousy brown,' and verged on being frizzy. Her shoulders were also unfortunate, set much too high, and her neck was far too short. In height, she was not quite five foot three and her figure was, at that point anyway, 'on the lumpy side.'"
But the British aristocracy were totally captivated by her enthusiasm for life and her absolute willingness to laugh at herself. When she met William Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington — known as Billy Hartington to his friends — the pair hit it off immediately. But their romance would have to wait. The entire Kennedy family, save for patriarch Joe, who was serving as the American Ambassador to Great Britain, was shipped back home to the states at the outbreak of World War II.
Both Kick and Rosemary were devastated. We've examined how this move led to a horrific life-changing decision on Rosemary's behalf, but Kick was able to channel her disappointment into action. She slyly volunteered to work in a center for servicemen in the U.K. with the Red Cross, and by 1943 had resumed her relationship with Hartington.
Their thoughts soon turned to marriage, and this presented a huge problem for the couple. Joe's philandering aside, the Kennedys considered themselves staunch Catholics — especially their mother, Rose. Hartington's family was Protestant, and their children would be raised in the Church of England. Rose rejected the couple's relationship and tried to delay their wedding. They ran off and married anyway in a civil ceremony at a registry office. Kick's oldest brother, Joe Jr., was the only family member to attend.
Their newlywed bliss was short-lived. Hartington returned to the French front after D-Day, and just four months after the marriage, he was killed by a sniper's bullet in Belgium. Kick's brother, Joe Jr., had been killed in action one month prior.
The marriage had driven a deep wedge between Kick and Rose to the point that Kick did not return home to the States after Hartington's death. Two years later, she met another Brit — Earl Peter Wentworth Fitzwilliam, an aristocrat with even more money than her late husband. But there was a problem. He was already married to someone else.
He claimed to already be separated from his wife and offered to push forward his divorce if Kick would agree to marry him. She did, but there was still that nagging problem: her strict Catholic family.
The huge wedge that her marriage to Hartington had driven between Kick and Rose only deepened when she told her devout mother she now intended to marry a soon-to-be-divorcée. Kick was told in no uncertain terms that if she ran off and married this man like she did her first husband, not only would she be cut off financially, but considered dead to the Kennedy family.
Kick didn't consider it a lost cause. In 1948, knowing she was her father's favorite, she arranged a meeting between Joe, herself and Fitzwilliam in Paris to plead their case. They planned a quick jaunt to Cannes first — but that desired getaway cost them their lives.
During a quick stop to refuel, the pilot insisted weather conditions made it impossible to continue — and just as forcefully, Fitzwilliam insisted they take off. So they did. Radio contact was lost one hour into the flight as they entered the center of a storm. An investigation found the four occupants endured 20 minutes of extreme turbulence and when they finally emerged from the clouds were in a deep dive just moments from impact. A last-ditch attempt by the pilot to pull up caused the plane to break apart, and Kick and Fitzwilliam were killed instantly, along with pilot Peter Townshend and navigator Arthur Freeman.
Kick was just 28 years old.
Even in the face of tragedy, Rose could not forgive her daughter for turning her back on the Catholic Church. Joe, who was already in Europe anyway, was the only family member to attend Kick's funeral, which was generously arranged by Hartington's family in the U.K. Rose also didn't attend the memorial service in Massachusetts. |
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | I spent much of Monday on twitter pointing out why it's impossible to look at Marchand's "low-bridge" hit on Salo in the context of other hip-checks (as Bruins fans, and Boston media were desperately trying to do). In my view Marchand's was a uniquely predatory hit, with it's own particular context, and we certainly didn't see anything like it in last years playoffs. I thought Harrison Mooney nailed it on Sunday, and I personally saw the two punches to the head of Sami Salo prior to Marchand's submarining as indicative of intent. I'm usually reluctant to ascribe injurious intent to players on hits if there isn't tangible evidence (like multiple cheap-shots five seconds prior to the hit) to support it. In this case, I thought it was pretty clear cut.
Julien and Marchand's defense was that Brad Marchand was "defending himself." The media and fans bought it in Boston, but the team couldn't sell it to most objective observers, or to Shanahan, whose disciplinary video on the hit is extensive and clear. Frankly, it's like a point form rebuke of the arguments made by those who didn't think the hit was a particularly big deal:
To recap:
It was clipping (it was a knee level hit, that Salo had turned away from - luckily).
This play was not "defensive or instinctive, rather... [it] was a predatory, low-hit."
I love when Shanahan re-states the "we do not consider this to be a defensive act" part of the video. It's like: "To be clear, because we can't believe you tried to sell us this shit, arguing that this was a defensive hit is an insult to our intelligence."
"Marchand showed frustration after the hit" in punching Salo a few times. But guess what? Being unreasonably upset about a clean play, and fearing retribution is not a justification for intentionally injuring a guy. Good to know.
How stern is that? Based on the comments from the Bruins since Saturday, Shanahan explicitly and publicly tore the Bruins a new one last night. This led Peter Chiarelli to release an angry press statement that was truly exceptional in content. Here's the best part:
It is equally disappointing that Brad sought the counsel of the department this past fall for an explanation and clarification regarding this type of scenario so as to adjust his game if necessary. He was advised that such an incident was not sanctionable if he was protecting his own safety
Derek Zona, who has no reason to love the Canucks, demolished the press release over at Copper and Blue, but there's a couple of particularly tone-deaf moments in the sentences above that I'll spend some time on. First of all, Chiarelli invoked the defense argument again, and criticized the league because Brad Marchand sought advisement on what constitutes a technically legal way to clip a guy. Seriously: Marchand asked the league what type of cheap, low-hit they might allow him to get away with. "A defensive one" he was told.
The second is that Chiarelli won't let go of the "defense" argument, an argument so thoroughly contradicted by the evidence that not even Jackie Chiles himself could've sold it to a jury. In this statement Chiarelli is functionally banging his head against a wall, which I have to say, is surprising for a guy who has proven himself to be as smart in the construction of his team as any of his 29 NHL colleagues.
Shanahan went to great lengths in the explanation video to point out why the Marchand hit doesn't even remotely meet the criteria of an "instinctive" or "defensive" reaction. Chiarelli's statement ignores or fails to understand this, rendering it totally feckless.
Then there was Marchand's diary. Once I stopped imagining how many derisive comments the Boston media would get in if Daniel Sedin kept a public blog called "Sedin Diary," I read the juvenile take from Marchand himself, and found it pretty interesting. Here's what stuck out to me among what Marchand wrote in his "Marchand diary" for ESPN Boston:
Their coach came out and said I play to hurt players. He obviously wanted to take a shot at me and stir the pot for the hearing [Monday]. It just shows the class he has or lack thereof. I really am not going to respond or bite into what he’s trying to feed me there. I hear Twitter was filled with comments about me today. For anyone that wants to call me someone who takes cheap shots, they can say what they want. It doesn’t affect me. I don’t care what people who don’t know me and I don’t know them and they have no meaning to me, I don’t care what they say. I don’t really care what my reputation is.
I suppose none of us are surprised by the simplicity and basic incoherence of Marchand's prose, though it's still worth pointing out. What really jumps out to me, however, is his basic apathy to the charge that Vigneault, and folks on twitter have made about Marchand playing "to hurt players." It's not really a denial, if you read it closely. It's just a Jerry Springer guest-like expression of defiance. It's kind of like what Cartman said when he went on Maury: "I don't go to school, and I kill people - whatever - I'll do what I want."
Because how could Marchand, whose most famous moment in the finals was when he punched Daniel Sedin in the face a number of times because he "felt like it," claim he doesn't play to hurt players? If you're punching a guy in the face repeatedly after the whistle, or punching a guy in the head a couple of times in-game before deliberately targeting their wonky knee, or seeking clarification from the league about what sort of garbage low-bridge hit you can get away with; then claiming you're not trying to hurt other players is too tough to sell. It's just easier to lie, claim you were defending yourself and that you don't give a damn about your bad reputation.
Thomas Drance lives in Toronto, eats spicy food and writes about hockey. He is the editor in chief of the Nation Network (a.k.a Overlord), and an opinionated blowhard to boot. You can follow him on twitter @thomasdrance. |
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | Michigan Blue beat Syracuse Orange
Despite a strong comeback in the second half, Syracuse came up short against Michigan.
http://archive.news-press.com/VideoNetwork/2282722981001/Michigan-Blue-beat-Syracuse-Orangehttp://bc_gvpc_od-f.akamaihd.net/media/963482463001/201304/982/963482463001_2282720109001_ded9e110-aa02-4f29-91c4-d51bdcb13e1d.mp4?pubId=37906159001&videoId=2282722981001http://archive.news-press.com/VideoNetwork/2282722981001/Michigan-Blue-beat-Syracuse-Orangehttp://bc_gvpc.edgesuite.net/img/963482463001/201304/2926/963482463001_2282174276001_thumbnail-for-video-2282715448001.jpgMichigan Blue beat Syracuse OrangeDespite a strong comeback in the second half, Syracuse came up short against Michigan.30orangeSyracusesportsmitch mcgaryvpcncaa2013UniversityWolverinesmichiganSports-CollegencaablueFinal Fourtrey burke01:35 |
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | Cookies are small text objects that are exchanged between browser and web server in encrypted form. They are unavoidable for the correct functioning of our shop. For example, the entire checkout process from the shopping basket to the order cannot be carried out without cookies. The use of cookies can be switched off in your browser. However, this is at the expense of the full usability of this shop. You can find information on deactivating the use of cookies in your browser´s help file.
Please note that only latin characters, numbers and common special characters can be entered. |
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} | Synaptic integration in motoneurons with hyper-excitable dendrites.
Motoneurons have extensive dendritic trees that receive the numerous inputs required to produce movement. These dendrites are highly active, containing voltage-sensitive channels that generate persistent inward currents (PICs) that can enhance synaptic input 5-fold or more. However, this enhancement is proportional to the level of activity of monoaminergic inputs from the brainstem that release serotonin and noradrenalin. The higher this activity, the larger the dendritic PIC and the higher the firing rate evoked by a given amount of excitatory synaptic input. This brainstem control of motoneuron input-output gain translates directly into control of system gain of a motor pool and its muscle. Because large dendritic PICs are probably necessary for motoneurons to have sufficient gain to generate large forces, it is possible that descending monoaminergic inputs scale in proportion to voluntary force. Inhibition from sensory inputs has a strong suppressive effect on dendritic PICs: the stronger the inhibition, the smaller the PIC. Thus, local inhibitory inputs within the cord may oppose the descending monoaminergic control of PICs. Most motor behaviors evoke a mixture of excitation and inhibition (e.g., the reciprocal inhibition between antagonists). Therefore, normal joint movements may involve constant adjustment of PIC amplitude. |
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
} | Rating: T+
Pairing: Soma/Erina
Genre: Pure, unadulterated, shonen-y, battle-y, manga-y story with some actual cooking for once!
Notes (Zancrow – Author):
Hello everyone! Zancrow here!
And here we have it, the Second-To-Last Chapter of "Nouvelle"! I mean, after a period of over five (5!) years writing this little sucker down, even I began to have my doubts if I could ever push myself to conclude it properly. It was insanely hard, I'll admit, but oh~so satisfying! So, again, thank you all for all the support throughout the years, and I hope I can stick the landing to this little ride I've been so fortunate to be able to share with all of you!
Lastly, while I iron out a few more details on "Nouvelle's" sequel "Classique", please feel free to check out my newest little work of fiction called "Necronomicon", a little crossover fanfiction merging the worlds of the worldwide sensation: Naruto, with the anime of the season: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba!
Trivia (5 / 5):
As promised, let me give you guys just a little more details regarding "Classique":
A sequel to "Nouvelle", even if the plot will be enough self-contained so that you won't have to read it in order to enjoy the sequel (but it will help), it will show our chefs a little bit older, but not anything pass what has been shown of them in the manga / anime (Epilogue chapters not counting). Several things mentioned throughout "Nouvelle" will play a part in there, from the WGO approved rival schools that hold almost as much esteem as Tootsuki itself, the presence of Azami and a certain someone else, and more, shall we say, adult scenarios regarding the relationships between the characters. As to say, if "Nouvelle" is the -falling in love story-; "Classique" will be the -put effort into your relationship for it to work- story.
What will not be featured? Easy! There will not be any "superpowers", at all, save of course for the God's Tongue, which I never considered it to be one to begin with. The Noire Chefs will appear, but they will not take center stage. No chainsaws, Freddy Krueger gloves, cross knives, detonators, or anything that would be better to kill someone with than to cook with. Lastly, no half-assed romantic "rivals" or the like. There can be tension in a relationship without it involving a third party, and my intent is to showcase that.
So, if you've enjoyed "Nouvelle" so far, please consider giving "Classique" a try. I hope you'll all be able to enjoy it as much as I will enjoy writing it! …Oh! And it won't be a slow-burn!
Polls: There's a New Poll on my Profile Page! Please share your thoughts with me!
Shout Out: To the lovely Laury Rose for completing her excellent Soma/Erina story "Misunderstanding". If you have not read it, and you are a fan of the couple or of SnS in general, give it a try. I very much doubt you'll leave disappointed!
Disclaimer: Don't own Shokugeki no Soma.
It took several minutes for the crowd to calm down and stop cheering hard enough to allow Urara and Yua to retake the attention away from the new surefire favorite. The audience was almost drooling at the sight and, mostly, the sheer intoxicating smell that came from the leftovers of what once had been the winning dish in the last match. For people who had come to this "showcase" as nothing more than a formality, an event without any outright major players directly involved, as most of the big guys were running things in the background. It was more to show support at the union between Tootsuki and Stuffed, a joining of two very big names in the culinary industry. Yet, despite all of this, the audience was now fully invested in the coming match, the thought of seeing a legendary corporate partnership now pushed aside, itself replaced by just the thought of being able to see that boy cook once again…
Sorry, to see that chef retake center stage.
And while it was a surprise to pretty much everyone, a single individual still sat back, trying his best to keep any and all attention away from himself at all costs. It was Soma's night, not his, and he wouldn't ruin it, or let anyone do so. Still, a part of him wanted to let his presence be known, not to eclipse his boy, but rather, to prove a theory he himself had that Soma had caused such a stir that not even an appearance from the "Asura" of cooking could overshadow the boy at this point.
Jouichirou smiled at the thought, but decided against it, as Soma had enough on his plate right now. No need to force the boy to deal with an overly embarrassing father right now.
"Would you like me to sit you on the toilet with a portable TV?" was asked to Jouichirou, a question so out of nowhere that had he not recognized the voice and the sarcastic tone behind it, he would have outright ran from the seat he was currently on. "I mean, if you want to be any further away from the action, it's the best I can do for you."
"Ah, you caught me," Jouichirou replied as he feigned defeat. "But, how do you manage this? With as big and heavy as you are, you are awfully stealthy when you want to be, Gin."
"When you have thousands of employees on your payroll, it pays to be stealthy," the once First Seat and current General Head Chef of the Tootsuki Resort Gin Doujima explained, as he moved past Jouichirou's legs and took a seat right next to his ex-classmate. "May I seat?"
"You should ask that before you squeeze your ass right across my unsuspecting face," Jouichirou complained. "Plus, you're already seating down, where are your manners?"
"…Guess you rubbed off on me after all," was all Gin said.
"Right…" Jouichirou said, but he was not as annoyed as he was trying to play it off. It would be very hard to anger him tonight, given what he had just witnessed and all. "Still, you sure you want to watch from all the way over here. I'm purposely trying to lay low, but you? Aren't you needed over there?"
"That can wait," Gin replied, as his eyes focused on the stage that was currently almost prepared for the final match of the showcase. "I just wanted to get something off my chest, and I think you're the best guy for the job."
"Huh?"
"That kid of yours," Gin explained, his eyes narrowing as the redhead flashed right across him mind, same goofy smile he remembered Jouichirou always sporting way back in the day. "Even back at the Resort he left quite the impression. I knew he'd be good, but this? Instead of being one of the greatest Tootsuki has to offer, there he is, about to fight against Tootsuki itself. Can't say I would have predicted that."
"Neither would I," Jouichirou admitted, feeling a bit tense as he realized that the match was about to start. "And he planned this all out himself, well, with little Erina's help, and all of his friends, both on and off Tootsuki. Kid's pretty damn magnetic, just like his old man wouldn't you say?"
"Did you even have friends back in the day?" Gin asked, and it was less the question itself that insulted Jouichirou, but rather just how sincere of a tone Gin had taken when he asked. Jouichirou knew the other man was just messing around, but still, the nerve of it all.
"I'm sure I wasn't the one known as the one to have a stick so far up my own ass that I could serve as the official flag for Tootsuki," Jouichirou countered.
"No, I guess that could be either me or Azami, depending on the day," Gin replied, which earned him a chuckle from Jouichirou, "You, on the other hand, were known as the guy who tortured the freshmen with those inhumane creations you called experiments. Do you have any idea how much Jun still complains to me regarding that?"
"Guess I was successful then," Jouichirou said, a proud smile on his face that had no right to be there at all. "If she remembers it even to this day, then it was truly an unforgettable dish."
"She had nightmares…"
"Still counts!"
"…Speaking of friends," Gin added, and his shift in tone caused Jouichirou to turn from the stage towards him, his eyebrow slightly raised in curiosity. "Just got a call from Riko. Seems she was watching the event on TV. She was none too surprised to learn that Soma was in fact your boy."
"Are we that alike?"
"Are you seriously asking me that?"
"I dunno, I mean, to me he's more like his mother," Jouichirou admitted, resting his back fully against his seat, his eyes narrowing. "…Still, Riko… Haven't heard from her in a while…"
"If she's watching," Gin continued, his attention returning to the stage, where everything had been now fully prepared for the upcoming match-up. "Then it means that pretty much everybody who's anybody is also seeing this. Do you think Soma knows just how big this will be if he manages what he intends to?"
"Soma? I think even I don't fully grasp what this'll mean," Jouichirou admitted, much to Gin's surprise, given how casually he had said so. "…But, I'm sure Soma has only one thought on the matter…"
There's no fun to be had if you can predict every outcome.
The announcement was made, the call for the four finalist to approach their stage and begin their last match. In the waiting rooms, Soma Yukihira patiently sat, tapping his foot against the floor in a familiar rhythm, a lost song he could no longer remember but that he often found himself humming, rather poorly he might add. Still, it helped calm his nerves.
Once he heard the call; calling all chefs to their respective kitchens, he got up. He took hold of his equipment, and began marching forwards. In no time, he began to hear the crowd, the cheers, and the background music which had been carefully handpicked for this event. Everything.
He could also feel the glares from almost everybody opposing him.
His opponents, the fellow second years of the guy he had just beaten moments prior.
The Eizan family, the people directly responsible for everything thus far.
And, even from behind all the cameras pointed straight at him, he was sure several viewers were less than pleased at his appearance there.
'Erina's dad is probably one of them,' Soma noted, as he stood behind his appointed grill, setting his utensils on the table right next to it in the process. 'Well, can't say I'm not used to be the odd one out. If anything, hearing so many cheers is more off-putting in a way.'
"Alright then folks, here we have it!" the ever cheerful Urara announced, signaling the start of what should be the final match of the night. The crowd, ever so anxious to see the young Yukihira once more in action, could be barely contained in their seats. And, admittedly, it wasn't just them. From the Elite Ten, the Tootsuki alumni and the staff, everyone wanted to see what the conclusion to this event would hold in store for everyone. "The final match-up begins now! So let's give our finalist the biggest round of applause we can!"
The cheers were deafening, a testament to the power behind Soma's cooking and, likewise, to Urara's magnetic personality.
The screens flared up once again, now showing the current match-up on their displays.
MEA YANAI VS RUI KOFURU VS SHIGEMICHI KUMAI VS SOMA YUKIHIRA.
"Alright! No sense in having second thoughts now, let's get fired up!" Soma declared, mostly to himself but the audience got a good idea of his intent, as he pounded his fist into his palm, followed by tying up his headband. "So get ready, my main course is coming right up!"
As the competitors got ready, the man behind the event and person mostly concerned at the moment, Etsuya Eizan, watched, his facial features almost completely contorted beyond what should be humanly possible. How, he wondered, had this all gone so downhill so quickly?
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say our little troublemaker here is the new fan favorite of the night," Julius commented, completely unbothered by the turn of events. Rather, he seemed to be enjoying it greatly.
"I'd appreciate a little less praise directed at the boy now," Fukuzawa Eizan warned, as discreetly as his anger would allow him, given how his "boss" Mickey Roberts was seated right next to him, another person amongst the crowd currently rooting for the young Yukihira.
"My apologies," an unfazed Julius responded.
"It's not like there's much we can do at this point anyways," Yukichiko added, staring down at Soma, half annoyed and half impressed at all the boy had managed to accomplish. "He played his cards well."
"…Not if I have anything to say about it," her brother Etsuya muttered, as he turned his attention from the stage towards an approaching Rentaro Kusunoki. Etsuya quickly stood up, reaching Rentaro before the loser of the last match could be within earshot of Roberts. "Did you relay my message?"
"Yeah, I told them everything you texted me," Rentaro replied, the irritation of his broadcasted lost still fresh in his tone. "They'll change their dishes for something better suited for them. Something they can hopefully compliment with one another, but, do you think that'll be en-"
"I didn't ask for your opinion," Eizan warned, and Rentaro could do little but swallow his words. The venom oozing from Eizan's lips was something he'd prefer remain directed at Soma, and not at him. "I will not allow this failed upstart to take my greatest accomplishment from me."
"Now then!" Urara beamed, drawing the attention of every individual there right back at her, just like she wanted. "Let's begin our final match! Yua, if you please, what is the theme this time?"
"Uh… Oh!" the other hostess stumbled a bit, having fully expected Urara to simply hog all the spotlight and leave her with no airtime at all, but, it seems, even she had had some growth recently. Just how magnetic a personality did this Soma had anyways? "The theme is Ramen! Our friends at Stuffed International have saved the best for last; and our cooks here will show you all the many distinct ways such a simple dish can be made into the definition of gourmet!"
"Well said!" Urara praised, another new for her according to Yua. "Here to cook up Hiei's best, and most signature dishes, let's see what our participants have to offer!"
'Since when was ramen the main dish of that cruise…' Soma pondered.
'…Ramen? I don't even recall seeing that on the menu…' Erina mused.
'They are so pulling this out of their asses…' Urara thought, sensing even more foul play at hand. 'Since when did they even serve ramen on that thing?'
Soma decided it would be best to ignore his thoughts and in turn focus on what it was he was going to cook up. 'If I want to cheat, I could totally just try to remake that dish dad used to kick my ass back at the dorm… but where's the fun in that? I need something that I can call my own… Knowing these guys, they'll probably go all in with the expensive stuff, maybe some white truffle ramen spiced by saffron or something like that…'
"You seem pretty calm there kiddo," a voice took him out of his thoughts. Soma looked to the side, seeing his would-be opponent and fellow Eizan lackey Mea Yanai sitting on top of her own counter, smiling devilishly at him. "I'd be sweating bullets if I had this entire auditorium watching my every, single move."
"Then maybe cooking is not the right career for you," Soma innocently advised, which caused the elder girl to have to bite down on her tongue to avoid cursing at him on live TV.
"…He may have a point," fellow contestant Shigemichi Kumai stated, which earned him a glare from his partner in crime.
"Don't agree with him!" she barked.
"…You are certainly something," the usually quiet Rui Kofuru added, her eyes fixed on Soma even if her bangs covered them from view. "However, whether it's admirable or foolish what you are doing, I cannot decide."
"Honestly? Neither can I," Soma replied, his tone still sounding earnest even if he knew they were trying to get under his skin. He'd had gotten way too much practice whenever he had been forced to deal with Eizan to be bothered by their weak attempts. '…Heck, I probably got more training at dealing with exasperating people when I was working with Erina as my boss. I mean, Eizan is an ass, but boy can that girl test your resolve in ways I never imagined.'
"Chefs!" Urara roared, as the timer began to count down. "The final round begins now!"
And without sparing a single second, all four chefs began to cook. Sauces where being mixed, water was being boiled, noodles were being rolled, vegetable cut, fruits sliced and meats were being seasoned.
Erina Nakiri looked down from her VIP seat, her eyes shifting from Soma to each other competitor, analyzing their methods to try and deduce what they were going to bring forth. She wasn't worried, she told herself, she only wanted to be extra sure Soma had everything under control. She was most certainly not fidgeting in her seat, fighting back the urge to bite her nails like a child and definitely had no desire to cheer Soma on like some brain-dead romantic interest would do in the romantic manga she often read. The Erina Nakiri, cheering on her boyfriend on a live event, never!
"You seem more worried than he is," her cousin voiced, as Erina felt irked that she was still somehow so easy to read, despite her best intentions.
"I'm not worried!" Erina argued, even if she could barely hide it.
"Right…" Alice replied. "Just try to stop shaking then. Once Soma wins this, you are going to give him a victory smooch, are you not?"
"As if!" Erina shot back, but despite herself her face was already starting to redden.
"Erina has no need to do something so improper," Hisako came to her defense, much to Erina's relief. "A lady of her stature must always be mindful of her surroundings and act accordingly."
"Oh please," Alice replied. "That just further illustrates my point. Tonight is not an occasion for the rich and mighty to just show-off their stuff, oh no, it's a night showcasing a struggling underdog going against the establishment itself all to be able to be with the one he loves! If that doesn't just scream romantic, I don't know what does, ain't that right Ryou?"
"Yes."
"…And I just have to love how invested you are," Alice said with a pout. But then, she noticed just how intently he was staring down at the arena. Or rather, down at Soma. "…Ryou?"
"He's doing something crazy again."
"Uh…" Urara began, "Is that…?"
"He's…?" Yua tried.
"That can't be a…" Mea also tried.
"…It's a…" as did Rui.
"…?" Shigemichi said nothing.
"-and we just add a little bit more spice to it, and-huh?" Soma stopped his muttering as he realized that all of his opponents and the hosts and the judges and the audience had grown silent as they all stared at him. It was, somewhat unsettling honestly. "…Is there something on my face?"
"Oh, nothing at all," Anne was the first to voice, her tone ever so polite even if there could be felt a little hint of confusion in there, somewhere. It seemed even the esteemed members of the WGO were dumbstruck by this move, and everyone else had trouble putting it into words. "But, just to clarify, you are aware of the theme, correct?"
"Yes, ramen, right?"
"That is correct," she replied, smiling. "…You have eaten ramen before, have you not?"
"Yeah!" Soma answered, then added, "Why does that sound like an insult, though?"
"It isn't," she clarified. "Just an observation."
"What my colleague here is trying to say is, that, well…" Charme began, but even he had trouble saying it.
"Why are you frying a taco?" Histoire just bluntly asked, as the other two judges just felt their sweat drop. "What?" he asked, sensing their judgment. "You two couldn't spit it out!"
"Ah, never heard of a Taco Ramen then?" Soma asked with a big smile on his face, proudly showcasing his work-in-progress. The entire arena grew silent, as the young chef showcased a dish that was somewhat known to some of the more casual food enthusiast, but seen as a massive slap in the face to those trained in the greatest of the culinary arts. Such a dish should not be served in such an esteemed competition, but even so, in the back of their heads, a little voice seemed to whisper to everyone.
He's totally going to make it work.
-0-
The two hours passed by quickly, with ample commentary on the match up provided by the hostess duo and several comments given by the three judges, everyone was properly entertained throughout. Everyone kept their attentions fixated upon Soma, of course, as they wanted to see just what was they boy planning to unveil. And even more importantly, would it be enough? What initially seemed so long ago was now within reach, as all four competitors brought in their dishes to be judged, and the crowd went silent once again.
Except for a sudden, huge roar.
"You show them Soma!" Yuuki screamed from the sidelines, stretching herself out of the audience seating that she was halfway into the arena had she not been held back by Ryoko. "Show them what Polar Star is made off!"
"Yuuki, you're going to fall!" Ryoko warned her, trying her best to keep the hyperactive girl from hurting herself.
"Oh, hey!" Soma quickly lit up as soon as he saw the familiar bunch. Everyone from Polar Star was there, the entire group that had come to his rescue. They were late, he knew, possibly because of all the traffic, but better late than never. "About time you guys got here," the boy told his friends with a smile, as he paused briefly from reaching the judging table, much to the dismay of everyone present. They were dying to see his finished dish. "I'm this close to winning this."
"You better!" Takumi could be heard shouting, "No use causing such a stir if you're going to lose now!"
"You kick their collective, hive-mind-like, asses!" Daigo screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Yeah, show them that Yukihira specialty!" Shoji added.
"Please, I'm going to ask you all to lower your voices," one of the guards approached the group, as Fumio could only be seen shrugging at the accusation, possibly justifying it as kids being kids. The guard did not seem all that convinced, and several of the Tootsuki students quickly went on to complain to him about it, causing the poor guy to have a hard time keep track of them all. From Ikumi telling him "how on Earth was being excited at a showcase be considered wrong?" to Takumi saying how "there was a clear bias involved if they got in trouble for cheering on Soma" to Marui beginning to explain to the guard how unlikely it was that their shouts, not assisted by any sort of microphone, could ever be expected to impede the recordings being made by the news stations, which would realistically be the only reason for as to why their group would be justified in being asked to silence themselves.
The guard decided to just try and ignore those protests.
As they group was "led" to their seats, now with even more guards coming in to "watch" over them, likely sent by Eizan Sr. himself, everything seemed to quiet back down. Soma could only watch with a heartfelt gaze as he saw his group continue their support for him, fully knowing he'd never make it this far without them. So, he appreciated their efforts. But, even more surprising, even for him, was to see Megumi squirm her way past the guards and reach the rails of the arena, taking a deep breath as she did so.
Then…
"YOU'VE GOT THIS SOMA!" she screamed so loud that it honestly didn't sound like the same petite girl he had grown to know, but boy did it ever reach him. With an even wider smile in his face, Soma gave her the best thumbs up he could manage.
With his resolve at its highest, Soma then reached the judging table, where three judges sat before him, alongside three glaring opponents with three very picture-perfect ramen dishes ready to clash against his own.
Three Gourmet Ramen dishes made from the finest ingredients…
All versus a Taco Ramen…
Winner: SOMA YUKIHIRA.
…And they never stood a chance.
"Wait, what?" Mea shouted in disbelief, as Anne, Charme and Histoire had simply taken a single bite out of all four dishes before unanimously declaring Soma's weird hybrid thing as the winner. No comments, now critiques, just an effortless victory. She felt her blood run absolutely cold, but not as cold, she figured, as that of Etsuya, who could be seen glaring from above, likely in the brink of a mental breakdown. "There's some clear favoritism here at play! How did that Frankenstein's Monster of a dish beat our-I mean, mine!"
Rui and Shigemichi looked on, likewise as confused, but in the back of their minds they felt that maybe, just maybe, there was more to Yukihira's dish than they could see. They'd never voice it though, as they also felt Eizan's glare piercing them from behind, both too scared to look him directly in those hate-filled eyes.
"Well?" Mea continued, her anger spiking. "Say something you three."
"Oh my, what would you have me say?" Anne asked, her tone still evidently sweet, but an underlining hint of something caused Mea to stiffen and realize just who it was she was screaming at. "My fellow judges and I are a bit tongue tied at the moment, I'll grant you that, but it has nothing to do with our decision. Soma Yukihira is the clear winner, that much is certain, but I seem to have a hard time putting the reason into words… It's just… It seems to be quite the indescribable dish, if I could call it that."
"Indescribable?" Mea asked, her eyes still wide.
"It is as Anne says," Histoire added, his brow tensed as the man was deep in thought. "I also cannot find the words. Never in a million years did I expect to find such a high caliber dish in such an event. Seems we came unprepared."
"Indeed," Charme chimed in, looking just as pensive as the other two. "But perhaps we can have this be a learning opportunity. Please, my dear, have a bite."
Mea's eyes went even wider. She had to eat… from a dish made by that boy? The very same guy that Eizan had long warned them about, that he had dedicated his last few weeks to bringing down. The very same one that now had an insanely irksome, knowing smirk on his face, as he watched her squirm under the gaze from everyone in the stadium.
Maybe cooking is not the right career for you.
She bit her lip at remembering those words, as her fists involuntary clenched. 'I will not be defeated by this! He cannot be better than us, no way! He's just some cocky drop-out, no way he could compete at our level! There has to be some mistake here, there's just gotta!'
So she took a bite out to the ramen that had been served inside a crisp, bowl-shaped tortilla…
Mea found herself in a parade.
It was at night, but the sky was filled with so many stars that there was no shortage of light. Surrounding her were dancers all around, twirling about in a way so gracefully that it brought tears to her eyes. The music was ravishing, so potent, even if she was unable to understand the language. But, she didn't need to. She could feel it. Slowly. Passionately. Take over her very being. Her soul was as naked as her body before them all, and even when she was able to see them clearly, she wasn't afraid.
They weren't people… They were skeletons.
Skeletons dancing like people.
Skeletons dressed as people.
Skeletons playing that haunting music just like people.
She felt them pull her into the dance, the music so enticing she lost control of her body. Softly, the skeletons whispered to her ear.
"May I have this dance?" one wearing a sombrero asked.
"May I show you around?" one with a guitar asked.
"May I see your panties?" one with an afro asked.
"May I sing for you?" one with the softest voice asked.
…And all she could answer with, was "yes".
Her head hung low, as she came to from that vivid daydream she had just found herself in. As both her classmates looked on, with the ever looming Eizan just itching for her to carry on her argument, Mea could do little else but clench her fist and mutter. "…He's out of our reach."
And Eizan's world went dark.
"And our winner is…!" Urara proudly announced, her hand extending to present the boy that, against all odds, had conquered the greatest challenge imaginable. "…Soma Yukihira!"
"Heh," Soma sheepishly said, as he rubbed the back of his head in slight embarrassment. "It wasn't mu-"
"NO!" Eizan screamed onto the mike so loudly that it cut short Soma's trademark, causing the redhead to look up to the clearly angry guy with a hint of irritation. "There will be none of that!" Eizan growled, and the entire stadium turned to him, most of them utterly confused as to why he sounded mad all the sudden. Well, everyone not in the know, as it were. "A taco? Really? All you do is make a mockery of our organization and of the work we all do at Stuffed and at the cruise! We pour our hearts and soul into it, and yet, you dare bring that insulting dish here! It doesn't matter how many points for creativity they give you; not one of our customers would order that over the dishes presented by all the other competitors here! That's what you lack, and that's what got you thrown out of Tootsuki Academy! You are not from this world, and you'll never be!"
"Dad," Yukichiko voiced, sounding actually concerned. "Etsuya's getting out of line. We should stop him."
But her father said nothing, simply stared on. He knew his son. There had to be something more at play.
And Soma thought so to. So, with a gesture, he asked Urara for her mike, and once she gave it, he addressed Eizan directly.
"Yeah, that's where I disagree," he explained, his tone still jovial but with just a hint of anger behind it. Or rather, sheer dedication. "You see, I know I'm not rich and fancy like you guys, but I think that's more a fault to you all than it is to me… no offense! But, I just made a very simple dish. Granted, I made it my way, so it's far more than the sum of its parts, but even so, you all sounded utterly lost when I announced it."
"Who cares?!" Eizan barked. "You listen here Yukihira, I will not allow you to-!"
"No, you listen here Eizan," Soma interrupted Eizan, causing the elder boy to stiffen in pure rage. "It's just like you said. I'm just a random drop-out from Tootsuki Academy, leagues below any of these alumni who are already midway into their second years. And yet, imagine that, I beat them all. So why not, for once in your life, don't you actually put all that money of yours where your mouth is. Surely a Seated Member, one of the elite of Tootsuki Academy, would have no trouble in bringing down a random nobody from a little food shop. After all, you do remember what you told me, don't you?"
Eizan visibly stiffened further. He instantly knew what Soma was referring to.
Soma had been taken into his office, for a meeting he had arranged. It was a time before the showcase was even a concept, before the expulsion that took Tootsuki by storm, before event the Autumn Election that started this whole thing in the first place. A much simpler time.
"You're finally here," Eizan had said to the boy as soon as his hired hands had brought him into the office, the Ninth Seat sitting calmly behind his desk. "Sumire's Karaage Roll," he voiced, sounding more like a casual acquaintance than a threatening villain. "That was a pretty interesting dish."
Soma said nothing, but his face betrayed some shock.
"I was the one who produced and did the branding for Mozuya's expansion to Tokyo. I've heard that you rebuilt the shopping district. And," Eizan voiced, allowing himself to smirk at the boy before him. "This is why I called you, work under me, if you do that I'll make it so you never miss a meal."
"My goal is to succeed my family's restaurant," Soma replied, his tone serious. Eizan liked the hint of venom in his voice. It made him sound like a fun opponent. "So I have no intention to work under anyone else."
"Haa~" Eizan couldn't help by laugh a little. "Well, I thought you wouldn't join me…" Eizan voiced, the glare from his glasses obscuring his eyes from view. "However, you say those things too, huh?"
"Huh?"
"You're bound to your own little box… The kind of cook that is satisfied as long as he can proclaim his true artisan spirit," Eizan explained, and with each word, he seemed to be getting further inside Soma's skin. "It's only a poor and boring shop, am I wrong? Was your will pulled down because you were born in such a house? Hey?"
"…That's some comments you're making," Soma replied. "But aren't you a cook too?"
"No."
Soma's eyes widen a bit at that answer.
"I'll subdue every cook," Eizan told him, as calmly as one could, "The scenery we're looking at is different," Eizan continued, as he moved to stand up, beginning to make his way towards a still standing Soma. "Sorry for taking your time, you can go back, I've already decided."
"Decided?" Soma repeated, sensing something more to his words than Eizan's tone would portray.
"Soma Yukihira," Eizan announced. "The "Autumn Election" will mark the end of your "upstart"," he warned, as Soma narrowed his eyes. He didn't quite fully understand all of it, but he was certain he had made a very problematic enemy. "I won't forgive anyone who dirties my career…"
And as the Alquimista removed his glasses, he gave Soma the challenge that would define their relationship from that moment onwards.
"I'll give you a crushing defeat," he threatened, "On the best possible stage!"
"So, tell me now Eizan!" Soma roared into the mike, extending his arms out towards the entire arena before himself and the Alquimista, with a spark in his eyes not seen since the moment he had declared war on all of Tootsuki Academy. "IS THIS STAGE BIG ENOUGH?!"
'That's was his aim all along!?' Eizan forced himself not to say.
'He played us like fiddle!' Yukichiko thought as she bit her lower lip in worry.
'Damn it if this kid isn't interesting,' Julius noted, a barely visible smirk on his face.
'All right, I'll admit it, you do look kinda cool right now Yukihira,' the proud rival Takumi praised, but despite his thoughts, his face showed nothing but pure pride for his friend.
'That's our Assistant Chef of Expo for you,' Hisako proudly noted, a fond smile on her face as she remembered all the struggles they went through just to be able to get this far. Everything that boy did to be there, announcing that challenge that seemed initially unreachable.
'Do not cry Julio, for once be a man and don't cry…' a wallowing Julio tried, and failed, to keep himself from getting overly emotional. 'This is a time of joy, not sadness!'
"Sis," little Berta muttered, "Julio's making another scene."
"Just ignore him Berta," Cilla replied, trying her best to distance herself from the crying Italian.
'Now that's the Soma Yukihira I remember,' a proud Isshiki observed, once again witnessing the boy that could effortlessly turn a losing scenario into a sure victory, capturing the hearts of an entire audience in the process.
'All of this after winning with a Mexican-inspired dish,' Akira thought, 'Was that meant as a jab at my theme way back then? Knowing him…'
'I can't stop shaking, that was so awesome Soma, you totally got this!' a nervous and excited Megumi thought, trying her best to keep her shaking to a minimum, as she alongside all the other Polar Stars kept on cheering as loud as their throats could manage, security be damned.
'Looks like I might get my chance for a rematch after all,' a gleeful Alice yearned, her eyes shifting from down at the arena at the triumphant Soma, towards her aide standing right beside her, his eyes fully focused on Yukihira. 'And looks like I'm not the only one itching for a match, eh, Ryou?'
'Yukihira…' was all Kurokiba could think off, sensing just how much the Autumn Election runner-up had grown thanks to that display.
'…Atta boy,' a very emotional Erina thought, her entire will power focused on keeping a straight face lest she give her aunt any ammunition to tease her for years to come. But ever then, it wasn't easy. Seeing that boy there, down at the arena they all struggled so much to help him reach, declaring his intentions for all to hear, not just in the arena itself, but throughout the entire world. Come tomorrow, no culinary expert worth his or her salt would be oblivious to the name Soma Yukihira, and the results of that could very well be unmeasurable.
"It would seem that a challenge has been set forth!" a loud, booming voice shocked the arena, belonging to the big man himself. As Senzaemon Nakiri spoke, all attention turned to him, especially from an expectant Soma and a shell-shocked Etsuya. "So, I'll ask this, Champion of the Showcase: Soma Yukihira, are you by any chance challenging the Ninth Seat Etsuya Eizan to something specific?"
"I believe there won't be a problem with that, huh gramps?" a cheeky Soma asked, smirk still placed firmly on his face. "I may no longer be a student, but as the winner here, it's within my privileges to be able to use them, right?"
"As Headmaster of Tootsuki," Senzaemon replied, "I'll allow it!"
"What?!" Eizan barked, guessing what the two were plotting. This was not going according to plan at all!
"What else Eizan?" Soma replied, turning back to his opponent-to-be. "Let's you and me have a Shokugeki, right here, right now!"
"Preposterous!" Eizan quickly retorted. "You are not at my level! There's nothing to be gained from that! So even if the Headmaster would allow such a childish request from you, I have no reason to accept, as there is no gain to be had on my part in doing so!"
"Oh, is that right?" Soma continued, his tone still as jovial as could be. "You sure about that? If I understand this correctly, we are being broadcasted in live television across the world, aren't we? So you rather officially deny the Champion his request? Pity, not sure that's the best look for the son of one of the heads of the company that is constantly patting itself on the back thanks to the connection it has to Tootsuki… a seated member at that, but oh well, I guess I caught you unprepared, would want to lose in front of so many people like that. Don't worry, I understand."
'You little shit!' Eizan bit his tongue, then turned towards those at his side. His father was stoic, clearly angered beyond belief, but with Mickey Roberts at his side, who looked like a kid at a candy store given how gleeful an expression he carried, it seemed like Fukuzawa Eizan currently had his hands tied. Doing anything to try and stop Soma would result in him outing himself and his intentions, so all the senior Eizan could do was watch as the young Yukihira effortlessly destroyed his business plans one by one.
Yukichiko looked out of it, her brain still trying to process just how on Earth had everything gotten so poorly so quickly. On the other hand, Julius looked the polar opposite, outright impressed by everything, which irked Eizan even more.
But, by seeing all of this, Eizan now realized just how utterly alone he was at handling this mess. His lackeys? Beaten. The Elite Ten? Picked Soma over him. The Tootsuki staff? Enabling Yukihira's whims. The audience? Cheering the redhead on.
So, pushed against a wall for what seemed like the first time in his life, Etsuya Eizan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, removed his glasses, and upon reopening his eyes offered Soma Yukihira the strongest glare the boy had ever seen. 'Fine then,' he decided, his explosive anger now turned into a tranquil fury not many had seen on the young Eizan before. 'I gave you an out. I allowed you to carry on onto your little shitty shop and leave the rest of your days in peace. But no, you just had to keep on coming back. You just had to ruin the greatest night in my life, and for that, you'll pay. No more lackeys, no more traps, no more set-ups! I'll end your career myself!'
"Very well," Etsuya finally spoke up. "I'll bestow upon you the honor of facing an Elite Ten, and unlike your previous encounters, this one will be with everything on the line. So, considering how well thought out this has all been, what are your terms, Soma Yukihira?"
"I thought you'd never ask!" Soma replied with a grin, as both Urara and Yua watched from the sidelines, their position as hostesses currently overtaken. Neither girl minded though, especially Urara, who couldn't be happier. "I had some personal reasons for leaving Tootsuki, but I managed to resolve everything, so, as an Elite member, if I win, would you be so kind to give me your vote on my readmission to the academy?"
"Readmission?" Eizan voiced before he caught himself. 'That was the goal all along?! Damn this guy! How big of a sore loser is he?! With all the support he has from Senzaemon and the other Elites, he could work this out with them, but no, he wants it to be me the one to start the process!'
"Wait…' Anne spoke up, having been carefully observing the exchange happening before her. They had not been hired for anything more than the finals, and they were within their right to just leave, but neither her nor the other two wanted to. This was so out of left field that they couldn't help but stick around. "Not that I'm the most well-versed in the matter, but does Tootsuki Academy even accept readmissions?"
"We do not," Senzaemon replied, and he could feel as the crowd felt a bit disappointed by the answer. All except, of course, the Eizan family, who seemed to give out a collective sigh of relief. "While we understand individual circumstances and wish our students the best even if they drop-out, our studies are so rigorous that missing out even one day of classes is the equivalent of missing out an entire week on a normal school. For a case such as Soma Yukihira's, for a student that has spent weeks away, readmitting him or her would not only be against school code, but would simply result in the student getting simply re-expelled due to failing to get back up to speed with the rest of his or her year. It is simply not done."
'Grandpa!' Erina give a childish glare at her grandfather. 'This is not the time to bring those details out!'
'Finally,' Eizan noted. 'The old man is talking sense once again.'
Damn it! You've got to be kidding me!' an irritated Soma thought, clenching his fists. 'Why do I need to pee at times like this?! Be a big boy and hold it in, don't ruin the mood!'
"However…" Senzaemon added, and the Eizans felt themselves choke up. "…We are not talking about just any run-of-the-mill student here. Soma Yukihira has, to my knowledge, directly competed against the other students during their Stagiaire period, engaged in matched against several of the Elite Ten members, and has won the support of nearly every student in Tootsuki Academy's high school division. As it stands, Tootsuki Academy does not allow readmissions, as we pride ourselves as being the best culinary school in the world, and our selections are always final… But, the sheer thought of allowing such a chef like Soma Yukihira to fall into the clutches of any of the other schools is outright frightening! So, for the very first time ever, I will allow it! Soma Yukihira, we're you to win this match, I will permit Etsuya Eizan to readmit you into the academy!"
"Yes!" Erina uncharacteristically cheered.
"No!" Eizan could help but shout.
Soma just smiled.
"So then," Senzaemon continued, turning his attention towards the Ninth Seat. "What would your terms be, Etsuya Eizan?"
"…" Eizan paused, his mind racing, until it hit him. He could still salvage this. Because Yukihira's request was unprecedented, his could be as well. He could very well hit him where it hurts, and use that to fully break his concentration. "…If I win, I get the Yukihira's Family Restaurant."
Soma and Erina's eyes widened at once upon hearing that, both realizing what Eizan's aim was. And despite themselves, it had caught them off guard.
"You want…?" Soma began, his eyes shifting into a glare to match Eizan's own.
"Do we have a deal?" Eizan asked, his tone now slowly regaining its trademark sleazy, yet professional style. "What you are asking for is massive, it is only fair that I stand to gain something with equal value. What better prize than the most popular restaurant in the Sumire District?"
"…I'd have no problem in offering it, honestly," Soma replied, his tone once again serious. "But, it's still not mine, I cannot offer something I don't own."
"Oh, that's not my problem," Eizan mocked. "There's nothing else you can offer me at this point in your short career. So, I'm afraid that if you do not possess the right to the restaurant baring your name, then I cannot take you upon this challenge. Pity, I was getting pumped and all…"
Then a set of keys landed against the arena's floor, creating a soft clang as they did, causing both would-be opponents to pause and look at the person responsible in surprise.
"Would you look at that now," Jouichirou declared, standing near the rails of the auditorium, with a surprised looking Gin not that far behind. "I had just been thinking of giving the shop to Soma anyways, so it seems you'll be able to get your little wager on after all boys."
Both Eizan senior and junior looked outright shocked at the sight of Jouichirou appearing out of seemingly nothingness, handing ownership of the restaurant to Soma in the process; all the while plenty of the higher ups at the event struggled to find words to describe what it felt like realizing than not only were they in the presence of the Tootsuki elite, but also to the legendary alumni Jouichirou Saiba and Gin Doujima.
"…Thanks pop," Soma voiced softly, out of the range of the microphone, as he walked over and bent down to take the keys onto his hand. They felt… heavier than usual, he noted. He clenched them, knowing full well what it meant. Losing this wouldn't harm them much in terms of living, as his father could get a job nearly anywhere, and Soma had open a lot of doors for himself during this little journey. But… it was really all that was left of her. Losing Yukihira's was losing his mother once again, and for a fraction of a second, he felt that distasteful hesitation hit him once more. The same one that had caused him not to fight for his right to remain in Tootsuki. The same one that almost prevented him from realizing his feeling for Erina Nakiri… 'That's right,' he realized, 'If I don't do this, then it's almost the same as losing her. I know that she won't hold it against me if I lose, none of them will, but I will. How can I be with the heiress of Tootsuki, the God's Tongue herself, if I can't even manage to protect what I care about? I can protect mom's memory… and I can protect what Erina and I have!'
'Our collision is unavoidable…' Eizan realized. "You're going to regret this Yukihira!"
"Come down here and make me, Eizan!" Soma flared back.
"Very well then!" Senzaemon announced, then he turned towards the judges currently working overtime. "I don't suppose you all could judge just one more match?"
"As if we'd miss this," Histoire was the first to reply, as all three nodded to the elder man, not wanting to give up their spot to anyone. Stuff like this rarely happened.
"Perfect!" Senzaemon added. "Now then, Soma Yukihira and Etsuya Eizan, please take your positions. The match shall begin in-"
"One thing if I may," another voice interrupted, and Senzaemon turned to face the elder Eizan, who had gotten his hands on another microphone and was now standing next to his son. He seemed to glare at Soma, then at Jouichirou, but it was hard to see given the distance, and neither Yukihira much cared. "Our prime time slot is almost over. We cannot afford to remain in the airwaves for long, so in order not to rob our audience of the show, let us make it quick. A "sudden death match" if you will."
'Still grasping for straws I see…' Erina thought, as she stood up from her seat, much to the confusion of the nearby Alice and Hisako. She didn't say a word, but she was sure what the elder Eizan's goal was.
'A sudden death Shokugeki?' Soma thought, '…That actually sounds awesome!'
"…What should have been the closing ceremony, we shall now dedicate to the match," Fukuzawa Eizan explained. "Forty-five minutes left on the clock. The Shokugeki shall take no more than thirty, with the remaining fifteen minutes dedicated to the judging and closing statements. Will that be sufficient?"
"Sounds great!" Soma replied.
"Works for me," Eizan replied.
Senzaemon just nodded, and Fukuzawa turned to the side, and without a word, Julius stood up, his expression unreadable.
"Given how there's not much in terms of prep work at their disposal," Fukuzawa continued. "I'll have Julius here work as the assistant chef for the two, so that they may focus strictly on the main course."
"What?" Hisako blurted out, now realizing what Erina had probably seen coming. "That cheat! If that guy helps them both, he could easily sabotage Soma's work without anyone noticing!"
"It is the perfect crime," Alice noted, her eyes scanning the African-American man, who despite his foreign status to them, was not an unheard of chef. "Julius Bedlam. A perfect choice if there ever was one. A mostly unknown for most professionals outside the major circuits, like say, our family, but… a massive name in the underworld. Ryou, go beat him up!"
"…Why?" Kurokiba voiced, but to Alice's surprise, not for the reasons she had expected him to. "And rob them of all the fun? I'd kill to be able to duel against those what-you-may-call them guys… as I'm sure they do."
"They?" Alice asked, then it hit her.
Eizan and Julius both made their way down to the arena, and despite Soma having won over most of the crowd, they still earned them major cheers, as Eizan's status as the Ninth Seat could not be overlooked. Also, while Julius was naturally an attractive young man, in the term of "dark and mysterious", Eizan could look pretty decent whenever he stopped wearing his glasses and had facial expressions not related to constipation, as per Shouko's observations at least.
"Forced your hand, didn't he?" Shouko muttered, smirking as she looked on from the sidelines, inconspicuously from the seats reserved for Tootsuki's students. "Been a while since I've seen such a serious expression in your face Etsuya…"
"Shall we?" Eizan asked, as both he and Julius stood before Soma, who had his arms crossed over his chest. The redhead merely took one look at Julius, then shifted his attention back to Eizan.
"Thanks, but no thanks," he told the two. "You can keep Julius all to yourself. Just like how Akira did to Kurokiba and me, and have him serve as your assistant chef and lackey for all I care."
"I never said "lackey"," Akira muttered.
"Open to interpretation really," Isshiki added, which only earned him a glare from the new Tenth Seat.
"You do realize our matchup is already set up, don't you?" Eizan questioned, although it was clear less an issue of fairness and more a jab to try an edge Yukihira further. If Soma refused Julius' help, then all the more power for Eizan, he concluded. "Granted, you don't have to use his services if you wish. I'm sure you'll be able to cook and prep at the same time in such a short time."
"You nuts? Even I'm not that crazy with what it is I'm risking," Soma countered, and Eizan was a little bit taken aback. "Of course I need some help, but I just don't want to burden Julius here with so much work. Let him help you, I already have a partner anyways," Soma explained, as he raised his arm and extended his hand. "Right?"
"Right!" Erina Nakiri responded as she clapped his open palm with hers.
Eizan and even Julius looked shocked at the sight of the princess right down there with them, having seemingly materialized out of nowhere. If the crowd had been loud before, they became outright deafening at the sight of the God's Tongue in the arena, still dressed in her ever expensive and proper dress, but with the same steely resolve in her eyes that the young Yukihira sported. Eizan wanted to argue, to fight back at this, at how unfair a match-up that was. If there was anyone their age in that arena who could hope to match Julius, aside from Eishi and Rindou, it was definitely her. He knew that, but saying out loud would reveal his intentions of having Julius assist him, so he had little to do aside from inwardly curse and accept the challenge as it had been presented.
"You read my mind Erina," Soma told the blonde. "But don't you think you should have changed yourself first? Might get that pretty dress dirty."
"It's your own fault for never managing to resolve issues without my help," she voiced back, her tone equal parts playful and mocking. "I'll have you wash it properly for me if it were to get dirty, so don't mind it much."
"Still can't use a washing myself I see…"
"This is not machine washable you dunce!"
"Then how…?"
"…Forget about it, focus on the match."
"Alright, we are on a clock people!" Urara beamed, having managed to wrestle the mike from Soma, who still wanted to trash talk Eizan a little more. "Let us begin! Headmaster, your call!"
"Let's see…" the old man muttered, taking the time to think a little bit. As he did, it hit him, the perfect theme for the match. It was just the sheer sight that did it, seeing Erina and Soma down there, ready to risk it all, against impossible odds. Just like those four had done, way back then; and like he himself had done even further back. There was just one word to describe it, and he went with that as the theme. "The theme is nostalgia. You may use any ingredients left behind after the showcase. You have a little over twenty-six minutes by now, so chefs, begin!"
And the match with everything ridding on it, between Soma and Erina against Eizan and Julius, began.
Both duos quickly began to prepare everything, moving quickly onto their stations without sharing many words between themselves. The music flared back up, as Urara and Yua took turns commenting on everything the chefs were doing. The audience was completely drawn in, completely taken in by the tension behind each move.
Without communicating much, Soma began to prepare the meat. His choice? Chicken. He tore it to pieces and began getting it ready, all the while setting a broth to the side, making sure to get it to the correct consistence he needed. He turned to Erina…
…And she caught on quickly. Erina began to prepare the vegetables, cutting them finely and evenly. From tomatoes, to bok choy, to shiitake shrooms, she prepped everything perfectly, her eyes scanning Soma's every move so that he'd have access to what he needed the moment he did, not a second sooner or later.
Eizan, not one to be outdone, turned his full attention to his creation. A nostalgic dish? He had lucked out. That definition was broad enough to allow him some breathing room, so he began to prepare on of his specialties. He couldn't risk it otherwise, he had too much running on this match, so he had to hit them both as hard as he could. Plus, he knew one thing he had in his favor…
…Julius knew his specialties. One look at Eizan's movements, and the once Noire had a grasp of what it was the younger Eizan had planned, and he reacted accordingly. He took great pains to get everything set, but even so, he wasn't as invested as the other three. Sure, it was thrilling to face such opponents like the son of the Asura or the God's Tongue, but this wasn't his match. He craved to fight them himself, not as an assistant. So he told himself he'd do just enough, keep himself at the level Erina kept herself. He knew she could do a lot, but as long as he didn't go over and beyond, neither would she. Which would meant, when it came down to it, if both he and Erina did their job properly, the winner would be decided by merit of the main chef alone, as it should.
But one sight did surprise even the more experienced Julius.
Well, granted, it surprised everyone. The crowd gasped softly, a little flushed and flustered, but soon the silence became cheers and whispers, and everyone, from Alice to Hisako to Takumi to Megumi to Jouichirou to even Senzaemon could do nothing but watch in surprise at what took before them.
As Soma and Erina cooked, as they moved about and helped each other get the stuff the other needed, they moved in a far more systematical method than anyone anticipated. It wasn't mechanical, far from it, it was… more. She'd reach out for something, he'd hold her hand as he give it to her. He'd move to take a prepped ingredient, she'd brush herself against his frame as she handed it out. Once she needed to move back to her station, he'd hold her by the waist briefly… and twirl her in place and motion her to her station…
…It was like watching them dance.
The music playing only helped increase the comparison. Fluid movements met fluid movements, little touches ignited the sensitive skin on the other, then as the beat of the music increased, so did their cooking. The fire was set at its highest, a large flame erupting from the stove, looking less like a cooking competition and more like a special effect in a show.
Then the song began to sound like clapping, as if the song itself was awestruck by the pair of dancing chefs.
Then the clapping became real. At the same tempo of the song, of their dance, their friends began to clap. To stomp their feet. Just like back at the basketball game turned Shokugeki, just so well-timed that it seemed practiced.
Megumi Tadokoro, Takumi Aldini, Isami Aldini, Shun Ibusaki, Ryoko Sakaki, Yuuki Yoshino, Zenji Marui, Ikumi Mito, Daigo Aoki, Shoji Sato, and even Subaru Mimasaka lightened the mood with their rhythmic claps, their enthusiasm for the display before them slowly winning over the crowd entirely, as the rest of the audience joined in and clapped and stomped to the beat of the song seemingly playing for just two.
"This is outright moronic!" Eizan argued, feeling that each clap made his head spin. How could he be expected to regain control of the narrative with everyone making out Yukihira to be the damn clear cut favorite? "Julius, more effort!"
"What would you have me do? Dance with you?" Julius asked, and Eizan glared at the elder boy. Julius just scoffed. "I'm just about done. Hope you stuck your landing."
"How dare you even imply the opposite," Eizan responded, and within moments, he was done. He looked down at his dish, for the first time unsure if his skills were indeed enough, but just as quickly as that thought hit him, he shook it away. He had long attempted to avoid this direct confrontation with Yukihira, but he supposed there were some things even he couldn't avoid. So, he took a step forwards…
…and handed his dish to the judges.
Anne, Charme and Histoire looked on, a mix of surprise and glee visible in their eyes. The crowd began to quiet down, and the music was lowered, all to allow the judges their say. Anne was the first to speak up, her eyes shifting from the dish to its chef. "This is…?"
"It's a ginger-dressed khao man kai," Eizan explained, presenting his dish made up of seasoned rice, fine boiled chicken chunks and slice cucumbers and several sauces. "Perfectly boiled and seasoned, the perfect mixture for a dish that took the entire Asian market by storm all those years ago. For all of those here, it is undoubtedly a dish we have had the pleasure of eating many times during our youth."
"I see…" Anne observed, taking a bit out of the meal, and within moments, she was utterly captivated by the taste, the texture, the smell, everything! Such a fine dish created in such a short time, utterly baffling! Such was the power of a seated member, she concluded. "~So good!"
"Indeed," Histoire added, likewise caught in the flavorful trance. "While the dish is simplistic in nature, the way it has been boiled to utmost perfection makes it seem like the chicken had been left seasoning for days! My word, how utterly incredible!"
"But there's more, isn't there?" Charme noted. "At first I thought only the cucumbers served as sides, but this flavor, this sheer sense of umami, it's like…"
"Oh, you've noticed?" Eizan commented with a smirk. "As expected of WGO members. What you are tasting is nothing more that the small slices of a little something I added inside the chicken itself. If you can see from it, it's been lightly stuffed with my very own, special brand of Blood Tofu."
"Blood Tofu," Histoire commented, turning to Anne.
"Ah, that would be pig blood curd," she explained, her taste buds still overjoyed by the aftertaste.
"So, inside this meat, even the drumsticks, is…" Charme managed.
"But of course!" Eizan replied. "I would be a fool to allow the opportunity to cook for the WGO go to waste! Such highly respected judges, how could I ever expect my family's name to survive were I not to grant you the greatest of pleasures! Don't you agree?"
'Such a cocky young man, so full of himself,' Anne thought, as she couldn't help herself from taking another bite. 'Yet… I can't deny this flavor… No matter how much I fight against it… this taste… is simply…'
Massive gates opened for the three WGO judges, and despite Anne, Histoire and Charme's best efforts, they were powerless to stop it. Thousand arms shot out from the opened gates, and in no time, their bodies were ravished, clothing torn apart and discarded, as all three ended up at the mercy of the lone figure sitting in the wide, white void.
When it spoke, it was with their voices.
And, despite their powers, they were defenseless against the cold, hard, Truth!
For a flavor so powerful, the only way to match it was to surrender themselves completely to it, to the young philosopher clad in the light before them, whose power greatly surpassed their own. The Flavor Alchemist, Etsuya Eizan, in all his powered glory. I lifetime of servitude for just one more bite, it was the only way…
…to offer up an equivalent exchange!
'…overwhelming!' Anne concluded her thoughts, struggling to keep her fantasies at bay and make sure she hadn't disrobed herself somehow. It seemed that her coworkers where sharing similar thoughts, with both Charme and Histoire looking about to pass out.
Eizan smiled victoriously, turning his attention from the enchanted judges towards his opponent, hoping to catch a glimpse of the fear surely running up and down his spine.
Instead, he was met by a confident smirk.
"Your turn Soma," Erina told him, her arms crossed across her chest as she looked on at the judging table. Her dress had gotten dirty after all, as had her expertly treated hair. She didn't care, and much less did Soma. After all, she looked breathtakingly beautiful like that.
"Yeah, let's finish this," he said with confidence, and made his way towards the judges, walking right past Eizan and Julius, and placed his dish before them. It was a big bowl, and as soon as Soma lifted the lid, a massive bomb of smells covered the entire arena. The steam was outright visible to even the audience members, resembling less the heat of a recently prepared meal and more a dragon's breath moments before being fired. "…Enjoy!"
"What is this striking aroma?" Charme asked, as even without taking a bite, he felt utterly entranced.
"It's a chicken and vegetable skillet-less… skillet?" Anne asked, seeing how the brightly colored, finely cut, chicken and veggies seemed to have been cooked on a skillet to perfection. Their color was striking, almost neon in presentation.
"The bowl only enhances the aroma, to great effect," Histoire noted, as he moved to grab a bite, picking a mix of tender chicken and vegetable, and with the single bite, becoming enamored by the sheer flavor it gave out that he almost felt slapped by a skillet himself, right across the face… after it had been used for cooking… by an Ultra-Instinct Son Goku.
"~Oh my, that's something!" the poor man managed to say.
Eizan looked on, eyeing the whole thing intently. He could still see Erina just standing there, obviously nervous but keeping herself calm to an utmost professional degree. Soma also played the part, but he did look a little bit more anxious than her. Then it hit him. The reaction! While it had been clear Histoire had enjoyed the taste, unlike when they tasted Eizan's dish, he had not been outright sent into a trance by it. That could only mean…
"Seems like I have a new shop, eh, Yukihira?" Eizan gloated, but instead of worrying Soma, the boy simply turned to him and smirked. 'Huh…?'
"When did I ever say my dish was meat and vegetables on a skillet?" Soma told both Eizan and the judges, and before either could ask, Soma walked right back toward the stove, grabbed another pot, and brought it forwards. He then poured its content onto the bowl, a newly prepped broth flowing forwards and enveloping the meat and vegetables completely. "Here we are now!" Soma announced, "My completed dish! This is the dish that was meant to win over the hearts of every customer in Golden Locks, my Chinese-American masterpiece, the "Mango Spiced Chicken Noodle Soup ~ Nouvelle Edition"!"
"Wait…" Anne began.
"This is actually…" Charme continued.
"Soup…?" Histoire asked.
"Yep!"
Everyone was silent. Even Eizan, who was now at a loss of what to say.
But then the time came, and the three judges each took a spoonful of the newly produced soup, and everyone awaited their reaction.
It never came.
All three just sat there, their eyes wide as plates, but none uttered a single word. The crowd just stared, as the three judges kept on staring into the void of nothingness.
"Did they die?" Yuuki could be heard asking, as Marui assured her that Soma would not be capable of creating a dish so horrid as to actually kill someone… unless he accidentally poisoned them. Then they began to worry.
Eizan felt peeved, because this comedy show had gone on for long enough. He moved to argue, but then the three reacted.
The gave no verdict or thought on the dish however, as all three simply pulled out their phones and dialed, without saying a word to anyone else, and just as baffling, began a conversation while still on the clock.
"Yeah, it's me, Anne, oh no, I'm fine, it's just," Anne said on the phone, tears on her face, "I… I miss you mom, I promise I'm coming over for a visit next weekend, I've been busy, but it's not an excuse!"
"Wait, what?" Eizan blurted out, as both he and the audience were utterly confused.
"Yes, it's me pops," Charme said. "The wife and I will probably go over to your house in the next few days… Oh, no reason really, it's just, well, I miss you is all."
"They're calling their parents?" Julius noted, and Eizan felt mentally slapped. The hell?
"MOMMY, I LOVE YOU, I'VE BEEN A BAD SON!" Histoire shouted onto his phone, bawling like a baby. "I'M VISITING SOON, SO HAVE A SPACE AT THE TABLE RESERVED FOR YOUR BABY BOY!"
"What's happening…?" Eizan tried, but he soon noticed that Soma had walked over to him, a small bowl in his hand served with his soup. Eizan glared at him, but Soma did not waver.
"Try it," he told Eizan, his tone showing neither anger nor remorse. "I did make it with you in mind after all."
"What?!" Eizan barked, but despite himself, he was curious. He just had to know what this guy had done to these people. It had to be staged, just another farce to make him look bad. Some stupid soup couldn't hope to match his genuinely gourmet dish. So, despite himself, Eizan snatched the spoon from Soma's hand, and took a bite…
…And suddenly he was eight again.
"And here it is!" he heard his sister proudly announce, as she walked into the bedroom carrying a steaming, hot bowl of soup. The twelve year old Yukichiko was careful to set up the portable table on the bed, before setting the bowl down. He could also see himself, like if he were watching a home movie, sitting in bed eyeing her curiously, his face still flushed thanks to the fever currently affecting him.
"I don't want it," the kid-version of himself told her, frowning at the bowl.
"You have got to eat something!" she told him, her hands on her hips, looking less like the kid she still was and more like an overprotective guardian. "You haven't eaten anything in two days now, and you won't get better on just fluids alone. The doctor told you to eat, and he recommended soup."
"What kind of soup even is this?" he heard himself ask, looking at the bowl as if it was going to come alive and swallow him whole. He had forgotten that day, but why?
"Chicken noodle and veggies, what else?" Yukichiko replied. "What else could it be?"
"…But we didn't have any soup cans," the kid said, and she sighed.
"I made it," she answered. "It's not that hard, I had seen mother do it."
"You made it!" little Etsuya almost jumped out of the bed, forcing Yukichiko to throw herself forwards to keep the bowl from spilling all over the sheets. "You can't cook! What temperature was the chicken cooked to?! How long did you steam the vegetables?! What kind of noodles even are these?! And the broth, what type-?!"
"Okay, now you're just being a brat!" she denounced. "It's not going to poison you! I was very careful at making it! You have to eat, please, at least half of it!"
It was something so uneventful, and yet, it pained him that he had forgotten.
"But-!" the little version of himself tried to protest again, but then he noticed her hands. Small bandages wrapped around almost every finger. She had cut herself. Eizan recalled that too. For as long as he could remember, Yukichiko had been a disaster in the kitchen. For a family that excelled in the culinary arts, that had to be the lowest of the low, and yet…
…the little boy began to eat.
"How does it taste?" he heard her ask, her tone hopeful.
"…Needs a little salt," both the current and kid-version of Etsuya replied, and it wasn't until he reached this point, that Etsuya Eizan realized that he had been crying. Soft tears streamed down his face, and he felt his anger flourish as a result. Without a word, he struck the bowl out of Soma's hand with a backhanded swing, causing the soup to crash against the arena's floor, startling the nearby hostesses.
"Hey!" Anne shouted out. "Can you people stop spilling his food?!"
"That's rather harsh," Soma noted, looking at the broken mess on the floor, as whispers and murmurs began to swell within the audience.
"…H-How?"
"Hmm?"
"Don't "hmm" me! How did you even know? This is just like… just like…" Eizan couldn't even find the words. It made no sense. Just like Yukichiko's cooking? Absurd. She'd never manage to make anything so tasty! Wait… tasty? Did he actually consider Yukihira's dish as such?
"The theme was nostalgia, right?" Soma explained. "So all I did was pick one of the simplest dishes that most people use as comfort foods, an area I've learned a lot from Tadokoro. Using the skills I picked up working with Erina, Hisako and Julio, I decided on a Chinese-American version of the traditional chicken noodle soup, but making it my own. Giving a hint of spice with my special mango chutney, and instead of simple broth, I ended up using consommé, for that added rich favor. In the end, I created a classic dish, just made simpler and at the same time more flavorful, the essence of Nouvelle Cuisine, which I find utterly fascinating really."
"Then…?"
"If it reminded you of something," Soma added. "It's just a testament of my skill, right?" he said with a flashy grin. "Nostalgia is a powerful force, and sometimes stuff we remember fondly wasn't the outright best, but back then, to us, it was all we ever needed!"
'Even now, he's still carrying his mom's spirit forwards…' Erina noted, fighting back the smile.
'Guess that I still come in second to you after all this years…' Jouichirou mused, 'Eh, Tamako?'
And Eizan couldn't reply. He couldn't argue back, he couldn't deny it. It was a flavorful dish, but more than that, it generated the image of pure nostalgia. He was certain that anyone who'd try that soup would be transported back to someplace only they'd know. It wasn't just a great dish, it was at the level of a parent's specialty, of a parent's love. Eizan was young when his mother passed, so he couldn't remember her clearly, so why? Why even now, whenever he tried to picture his mother, all he could see was Yukichiko?
Poor, dumb, useless Yukichiko… providing him the only warmth he'd ever known.
He closed his eyes, and threw his back. Then he voiced something Soma never expected. Something none of them did.
"…You win."
"W-What?" Soma blurted out, his expression now back to pure shock. Eizan did not repeat himself, he simply turned to face the judges. Anne smiled, fully knowing what had just occurred. And, within moments, the three judges gave their verdict.
"Holy shit!" Urara announced, then caught herself, "Ack, sorry! I mean, we have a winner. Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of this Sudden Death Shokugeki, the Champion of tonight's showcase, give it up for… Soma Yukihira!"
The crowd exploded. The cheering began to get louder and louder, as everyone began to bounce up and down out of sheer joy. The Tootsuki alumni were outright dancing up on their seats, the Elite Ten were awestruck, and every member hired by Stuffed International were now jumping for joy.
"…It wasn't much," Soma said, even if he felt that maybe, just this once, it really had been a little bit much. But, who's he to ruin a good catchphrase? He turned to Erina, the prim and proper princess currently all dirty and messy with oils and juices staining the fancy dress she had modeled tonight. She had never looked prettier, and he was sure the cameras were catching all of it. Then he smirked, a devilish thought entering his mind.
"You actually pulled it off," Erina told him, trying to keep it cool but on the verge of joining in on the cheers. She was sure he'd win, but boy did it feel good to actually see it happen. To finally see it happen. "…Aren't you forgetting something? Eizan now owes you a-"
He then pulled her in for a kiss so intimate she almost collapsed onto his arms the second their lips touched. He eyes went wide, as the once uncertain boy took possession of her mouth as if it were his, taking even the legendary God's Tongue and reducing it to putty with his own. One hand on her waist, another on her hair, and she was his.
And the camera caught it all. The attention had shifted from "underdog takes on the establishment" to "Tootsuki to allow first ever readmission" to "ERINA NAKIRI HAS A BOYFRIEND!" in the span of less than an hour, and they were ecstatic for it.
"S-Soma," she voiced, her lungs wanting air but her body wanting him even more. "We… the TV. We're on-"
"Let them watch," he answered, and took her once again.
"Oh my God!" a blushing Alice squealed, as she pressed her face against the viewing glass. "Are they using tongue? I think they're using tongue!"
"Alice!" Hisako reprimanded, her face flushed beyond compare. It was an awkward sight when she was in the same room as Erina's aunt. "T-They're passionate, I see…"
"Reminds me of myself back in the day," Leonora mused, as Alice gave her mother a pouted look.
"Eww, mom, I do not need to think of you and dad like that!" she chastised.
"Like that?" her mother replied. "My, that's child's play if I compare it to your father and me. I remember once, way past midnight, right in the kitchen counter of Station 3B, we-"
"No, none of that!" Alice squealed as she jumped away from the window and hid behind Kurokiba. "Ryou, attack!"
"The heck you want me to do?"
"I don't know just make her stop!"
"…As if I was completely unaware of the things you two curious kids did back home," Leonora added, and both the lady and the aide blushed.
"Mom!"
"Miss, that's…"
Hisako wanted to be out of that room so badly.
Elsewhere, nine students stood up, knowing that the event was coming to a close and, come tomorrow, things would not be the same.
"You go girl!" Rindou shouted out, pumping her fists into the air. "You show the world who that booty belongs too!"
"Kids these days are rather daring…" Eishi commented, feeling more embarrassed than the others.
"You sound like an old man," Tosuke told the shivering First Seat.
"The polar opposite of a little certain someone," Soumei added, as he pointed to Momo. "He won, so you should be happy!"
"Such an indecent display," replied the petite Fourth Seat, hiding behind her Bucchi. "Can we go now?"
"We should," Nene replied, before she turned to Isshiki. As she did, her eyes widened slightly, as she caught a glimpse of a look of pure pride coming from her classmate. "…Satoshi?"
"Oh, yes, we should, shouldn't we," he told her, but he couldn't mask the sheer glee in his voice.
"All I know is that I want to know everything about that guy," Kuga said. "Not only is he a good chef, but even more impressively, he totally conquered Nakiri. That, my friends, is impressive. What does he have that makes him so dreamy, I wonder?"
"Height?" suggested Nene.
"Can you not!" he barked back.
"What indeed…" Akira mused, as he began to follow his fellow seated members, his mind already racing on the possibilities before them all. 'Soon, he'll begin to challenge all of us. I cannot allow myself to stagnate. I must reach even higher, just you wait, Soma Yukihira… and, Erina Nakiri.'
"Soma Yukihira," Senzaemon's booming voice brought all the attention back to him, as the elder man had come down from the viewing area and had reached the arena, with Soe following closely behind. Both Soma and Erina turned to face them, both still feeling the after effects of a kiss seen around the world. The old man seemed not overly thrilled by the display, but he forced himself to move on. "Now then, da-I mean, Soma, allow me to say something I should have said long ago…"
"Huh? What do you mean gramps-Hey!?"
The Don of the Food Mafia, the biggest name in the culinary world, and the Headmaster of the biggest and best academy for aspiring chefs worldwide, was currently on the floor, bowing down before the boy who could not even process the event before him. Even Erina, who knew her grandfather a lot more than Soma, was at a complete loss. The entire audience was shocked, which had become a very common feeling for them it would seem.
"I am sorry," the old man apologized, as Soma and Erina tried to tell him he was overdoing it and that he could get up. "Nonsense!" he argued back. "My role is to nurture and protect you, and I failed at that! Soma, you are undoubtedly a gem amongst the stones, and for as much as I pride myself and Tootsuki as being the best, I will not hesitate to admit when I have a lapse of judgment and make a mistake! Similarly, I will do whatever it takes to fix it!"
"Gramps…"
"Grandpa…?"
"…So please accept my apologies, and," Senzaemon continued, and with a few more words, changed the course of the academic history forever. "…Would you do Tootsuki Academy the honor of returning to its halls, becoming a student once more, and allowing our Academy to flourish with you as one of our greats?!"
"I-I, I mean, I," Soma tried to form words, and was doing a poor job at it, until he felt a gentle squeeze in his hand. Erina had grabbed him, her gaze soft and her smile softer, reassuring the boy that his goal was now ready for the taking. He returned the squeeze, and flashed the old man one of his brightest smiles. "Sure thing gramps! Soma Yukihira, Tootsuki alumni, ready to report to class!"
The cheers got louder, and as Soma pumped his fists into the air to celebrate, he heard a massive ruckus from the side. To his surprise and joy, all his friends had jumped down from the audience seats, landing right at the arena, and began rushing towards him. The redhead was caught by surprise the moment they all tackled him, and with little effort, began to toss him up in the air, again and again. All he could do was laugh, hoping they wouldn't toss him against the roof with how high they were making him go.
Eizan simply scoffed and walked away. I deal was a deal, he supposed, so he would have to begin working on the reacceptance paperwork for his victorious opponent. He excited the arena, realizing Julius had long vanished from sight, but as he reached the tunnel leading to the arena, he could see his father waiting for him, none too happy.
"Seems like I lost," Etsuya voiced the obvious.
"It seems," his father replied. "You do realize how much this will probably affect us, do you not? Your handpicked participants, beaten. You, an Elite Ten member, defeated. Tootsuki Academy, the example of strict, bending over to this brat. Our investors are sure to lower their offers as soon as they catch wind of this, plus Sakamoto is bound to get a massive push in his dealings with Roberts thanks to the fact that he was the one who first hired the boy. A boy from a no-name establishment, who crushed you like a worm despite everything I poured into your damn education!"
"I tried, or did you close your eyes to the whole thing!" Eizan shot back. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to cook at that level? Of course you don't, because not once have I seen you cook! This deal was mine, not yours! It's my name and dignity on the line out there! I'm the one who has made our family the billions it has when you only managed millions! Did you not see any of that?!"
"All I saw was a grown man crying like a little girl," his father replied, his tone cutting, and Eizan could do nothing else but look down in shame, biting his tongue so he wouldn't cry again. How he hated feeling like this. Failing like this.
"And you have nothing else to say, of course," his father continued. "My investments seem to have all been for naught. Damn it, I swear you screwed us over so bad that-"
"Enough!"
The shout was so sudden that Etsuya didn't realize his sister had arrived until she placed herself between their father and himself, arms stretched out as if to protect him from his rage. Their father glared at her, but she simply returned it in equal measure. "Yukichiko…" he warned.
"No, you listen here father," she shot back. "Etsuya has done enough, and thanks to you, we both have had to do so many unsavory things, just to keep you happy. I'm sorry if you couldn't manage you goals on your own, but you are not taking your frustrations out on him. If you're such a great businessman, then fix this yourself, we are going home, come Etsuya, pay him no mind."
And she led him way from their father, who was left with nothing to say and no plan in mind on how to salvage the situation. As they walked away, Etsuya could only think back on the meal Yukihira had served him, and for once, he felt grateful to the boy. "…it was delicious, you know?"
"Huh?"
"…Nothing," he replied, smiling. "Just a memory from long ago…"
As everyone cheered on, Soe Nakiri approached his father, who was busy brushing himself off after having been on all fours. The old man turned towards his son, a smile on his face. "Quite the situation, eh?"
"…You did well, I'm sure little Erina is pleased," the ever proud father and uncle replied, looking at his niece as she joined in on the cheering and at throwing the increasingly dizzy Soma higher and higher up. Poor boy seemed about to pass out. "Still, you do understand the ramifications that this will no doubt cost us. We have always prided ourselves on our strictest of guidelines, both in marketing and in financial scenarios. The other schools won't take kindly to this act of seeming hypocrisy."
"Let them come."
"For real?"
"I feel nothing but pity for those fools if they dare declare an open challenge to our academy," Senzaemon explained, his voice carrying nothing but pride and assurance. "You know why it is our system always has the Elite Ten present no matter the school year. Were anyone to challenge us, they will step up, as the pillars which sustain the very roofs on the heads of all the others. This year is no exception, and, where they to come later," Senzaemon added, his gaze shifting towards the celebrating students, all smiles and glee. "…I'm sure a new guard will be in place, one so strong that not even all six of those schools combined would ever hope to defeat."
"I do believe you're right," was all Soe could add, as both men looked on at the youth before them, the warriors of a fight meant to be told on another day.
-0-
Once his business was concluded for the day, he returned back to his home, removing his jacket by the entrance and taking of his tie. Always fashionable to a fault, Azami Nakiri always considered himself above it all, knowing fully well how the world works and having planned ahead for any and all scenarios. But today? That damn brat, with just those few words, had turned his world upside down. His little girl, in the arms of that ruffian? Jouichirou's son or not, no boy would ever be great enough for his Erina, and if he didn't act quickly enough, she was going to end up just like her mother…
'Mana…' his mind flashed, but he shook his head and reached the living room, where the sounds of a lit television set and the smell of cooked pastries told him that a certain someone was still up.
"What are you doing wasting your time like this?" Azami told his couch invader, as he walked closer. "I imagine then that your tasks are all complete, or am I wrong, Loren?"
The young boy laying across the sofa turned his gaze upwards to meet Azami's, a half-eaten cupcake still stuck to his mouth like a sugary muzzle. "Ah, yho bhak."
"Swallow then talk," Azami told him.
"I said "Ah, you're back"," Loren repeated, as the petite looking boy bounced on the couch and landed right side up, facing Azami "properly", his blonde hair brushing against his face almost covering his eyes, most notable thanks to the dark colored tips he had done to it. "And of course everything's done, you're scary when you're angry, even if you say you're not mad it's clear you are, and I don't want that. But I do want these muffins. Dove made a lot, wanna bite?"
"No thanks," Azami dryly responded. "Where's your sister?"
"She's not my sister!" Loren barked at him. "Thanks to you saying that is why she keeps treating me like a little sister instead of the potential boyfriend material I clearly am!"
"Little sister?"
"Her words, not mine!"
"…Where is she?"
"Taking her three hour long bath I think," he replied, his attention now back onto the TV. "She told me not to interrupt or else. That aside, your girl's on TV."
"It's fine, I suppose I-wait, what?" Azami asked, taken aback as his eyes shifted from the kid towards the television set, and surely enough, there she was. His little daughter, in the competition with that Soma, looking like an outright mess. He wanted nothing more than to drive right back and raise hell, but then it happened.
Soma kissed his girl in such an undignified manner that it made the elder man almost collapse.
"…" Loren took a look at the screen, then at Azami, then at the screen, before he said: "Ah, look at the time! I'll tell Dove you were asking about her, as for me, time for beddy-bye, like, right, about, now…"
Loren practically dashed out of the living room, as Azami was left to his thoughts, his previous thought now fully cemented. He needed to begin his plans as soon as he could, and first on the list, was now that thieving Soma Yukihira.
-0-
"Damn, that's one hell of a kiss!" Kengo Yana shouted out, praising the hell out of Soma and whistling at the display. "Always knew that kid was a certified panty-dro-"
He was dropped onto the concrete before he could finish that statement.
"Keep quiet you!" Aki Koganei warned, before she turned around with a smile. "Don't mind him gramps, he's just dumb. Still, thanks for letting us watch this here!"
With the entire Sumire District wanting to know what had become of their boy, the Yukihira's shop was reopened for one night only, and many neighbors quickly came over to watch the show displaying Soma fighting the battle of his life. And they got more than they bargained for, with everything the witnessed, from the duels to the big damn kiss. All thanks to the man responsible for reopening the shop even for a few hours.
"Sure thing little miss," Kazusato Yukihira told Aki with a wink. "That knucklehead grandson of mine needs all the support he can get… kid almost got us all kicked out of here though, but it worked out at the end!"
"Sure did," Junichi Kawa softly replied, which made him hard to hear given how packed the place was. Still, knowing what that kiss really meant, Junichi turned to the girl seating right beside him, still playing around with the drink she had been given hours prior. "How you holding up Mayumi?"
"…It hurts," Mayumi Kurase replied in earnest, which took Junichi aback a bit. She was almost never directly upfront with her feelings, very much less to anyone that wasn't Aki. Mayumi still offered the boy a smile, as she turned her gaze towards him. "But, I'm happy. He made it, he reached that goal that had him struggling so much for. Now, I just have to do the same. I can't consider myself a good friend if I get sad when one of my friends is happy, now can I?"
"Feelings are complicated like that," Junichi replied. "I just hope that whatever it is you set your aim as, that I-we can be a part of it, because it would be sad if you went somewhere far too. One friend away is more than enough."
The smile she flashed him took his breath away.
"I'll always be close by," she told him. "And I'm sure we'll all get our happy endings, somehow."
He could do little but agree with the brokenhearted girl that had, in turn, long stolen his own.
-0-
"He did it!"
A loud cheer ran across the Central Restaurant, as the still closed place on the still docked cruise ship was filled with the staff, all watching the match to end all matches, followed by the kiss to end all kisses.
"That was so romantic!" Ava Payton squealed, almost dancing in place. "Like, I can't even…!"
"I have to admit," Yoshiaki Nikaido added, looking proudly at the screen. "Yukihira sure has balls of steel to manage all that."
"Balls? What balls?" the ever innocent Kanon asked, as Yoshiaki choked on air and tried his best to tell her he had meant "guts" or something to that extent. She didn't seem to buy it, but she shifted her attention elsewhere. Actually, somewhere Yoshiaki wished she didn't go so damn loudly. "Why don't you kiss Ava like that?"
Both parties spit out their imaginary drinks, and as the two lovebirds tried to explain themselves to a curious Kanon, who simply kept on nodding, the nearby bodyguards could only laugh. Kids would be kids after all.
Kotaru, busy chatting with the rest of the staff, given as to how they were no longer at war with one another, took a single glimpse at the screen. There was Soma, all proud and happy. There was Erina, all near catatonic and in bliss. There was Urara as well, who seemed to glow whenever she was in front of a camera.
'You guys keep at it,' he thought, a fond smile on his face. 'One day, I'll run a kitchen on this cruise so legendary, and you'll all be my first VIP guests. Isn't that how big one should dream, eh, Soma?'
-0-
"That shitty brat did it," muttered an ever tired and slouching Kojirou Shinomiya, laying back onto a rather comfy sofa, one which he was contemplating buying as soon as he got the chance. It was fantastic for sleeping in, watching TV, and even other things. The ability to rock back and forth only elevated its prowess. "So the decade long tradition finally ends, huh? A student has actually been granted reentry. How big of a mess will that cause, I wonder?"
"Wait, it's over?!"
Before Shinomiya could even register the question, Hinako Inui had bounced from the doorway and landed right onto his lap, crushing the poor man despite the sofa's best effort to soften the blow. This woman was going to be the death of him.
"What happened, what did I miss?!" she pleaded, shaking the injured chef in place.
"He won, pretty effectively too," Shinomiya replied, doing his best not to push her off and have her land on her ass. "Oh, and he kissed the Nakiri girl, probably to enrage everyone present. It's all…What?"
Hinako was looking outright murderous.
"They kissed?"
"…Yes?"
"On the lips?"
"Obviously."
"…And I missed it…?"
"…You were bathing," he argued, but the way she pressed her nails against his skin made him reconsider his strategy. "I mean, you know…"
"Why didn't you call out to me…?"
Damn that Yukihira, causing problems even while miles apart. He really should have gone to his mother's house instead after all…
-0-
She made her way towards the basement, minding her steps until she reached the doorway leading to the staircase, whereupon she slowly opened the door, steeling herself. Despite her best efforts, the aroma that came out as soon as she opened the door was so potent that she felt lightheaded, a notable feat for someone of her caliber, but one the kid seemed to manage almost effortlessly time and time again. So, she regained herself, and went down. She was quickly greeted by the sight she had long grown accustomed to, with the boy buried in his cooking, so potent that she had to create a makeshift kitchen in the basement to avoid unwanted "visits" from the neighbors.
How insulting, really, that they'd only visit to catch a glimpse of his technique, but as a former Fourth Seat, Riko Ebisawa was used to people after her top grade food. "Hey kiddo," Riko voiced, resting her body against the stairs. "Looks like your little sister's school caused quite a stir tonight. Did you watch it?"
"…Oh, the showcase," the young man voiced, no older than Julius or Yukichiko. Long black hair and very pale skin, and skinny to a fault, despite how much food the boy could eat. "I… have little interest in that sort of thing. Tootsuki is… overrated. Nor my sister, nor anyone else at that establishment is worth the effort of watching such a boring competition."
"Heh, I wouldn't say that," Riko replied, smirking at the oblivious boy. "Seems like a son of an ex-classmate of mine is causing quite a stir. Kid is outright unraveling the establishment, which I thought could interest you, given your history with that place."
That caught his attention.
"Go on…" Ashitaro Sadatsuka said, his interest finally peaked.
-0-
"Cooking competitions sure got overly dramatic," Akihisa Yoshii muttered, getting hungry just looking at all the excess food on the screen.
"It's all fake anyways, like wrestling," Yuuji Sakamoto replied, his eyes closed and no longer bothering to look at the TV.
"Oh please, there's no way that was scripted," a flushing Minami Shimada argued. "Did you see how hopelessly romantic that display was. How I wish someone would kiss me like that!"
"I wonder, should I try to get a scholarship at that academy?" an oblivious Mizuki Himeji hopefully asked, as the entire group of friends all shivered at the thought.
"…I think we're better off where we are now," the ever polite Hideyoshi Kinoshita advised, before he added, "Well, I don't mean Kenoue, I mean our actual place, right Muttsurini?"
"…" Kouta Tsuchiya said nothing, for he was already long knocked out as soon as Erina Nakiri had stepped onto the screen and her sheer beauty had blinded him of every other sense.
-0-
News of the event reached everywhere, even in places that were mostly indifferent to the happenings of the schools or the like. In the back alleys of culinary world, a small group resided, and a young man stared at the screen, his expression a mix of emotions. For one, it was good to see her, as they kinda needed her. On the other, he was sure he wasn't the one to give the news out. So, with the press of a button, Yuunosuke Tanaka turned off the television, ready to head out for the night before another person entered the room.
"Ah, you missed a pretty unexpected development," Yuunosuke said. "It could force us to move up our plans a bit. Rather interested, eh, Sarge?"
"Am I supposed to know what you're blabbering about?" Sargenta Kruel told him, crossing her arms against her chest. "And where are you going? Did you forget about our little deal yesterday?"
"Oh, that," Yuunosuke voiced, sounding like he had honestly forgotten, much to Sarge's frustration. "This takes precedence unfortunately. After all, he won't be all too happy to know some random nobody is trading spit with his precious little sister, now will he?"
%
VICTORY! |
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} | Poly(vinyl benzoate) nanoparticles for molecular delivery: Studies on their preparation and in vitro properties.
The preparation and properties of poly(vinyl benzoate) nanoparticle suspensions as molecular carriers are described for the first time. These nanoparticles can be formed by nanoprecipitation of commercial poly(vinyl benzoate) in water using Pluronic F68 as surfactant, to create spherical nanostructures measuring 200-250nm in diameter. These nanoparticles are stable in phosphate buffer and blood serum, and only slowly degrade in the presence of esterases. Pluronic F68 stabilizes the nanoparticle and also protects it from enzymatic degradation. Up to 1.6% by weight of a lipid-soluble molecule such as coumarin-6 can be introduced into the nanoparticle during nanoprecipitation, compared to a water-soluble compound (5(6)-carboxyfluorescein) which gave almost no loading. Kinetics experiments in phosphate buffer indicate that 78% of the coumarin-6 was encapsulated within the polymer matrix of the nanoparticle, and the residual 22% of coumarin-6 was surface-bound and quickly released. The nanoparticles are non-toxic in vitro towards human epithelial cells (IC(50)>1000μg/mL) and primary bovine aortic endothelial cells (IC(50)>500μg/mL), and non-bactericidal against a selection of representative test microbes (MIC >250μg/mL). These properties suggest that the poly(vinyl benzoate) nanoparticles may be suitable carriers for molecular delivery of lipophilic small molecules such as pharmaceutical and imaging agents. |
{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
} | Q:
AnkhSvn - SVN commit window do not bring in Visual Studio 2010
When I right click in solution explorer then click the "Commit..." menu item, Svn commit window do not bring.
I can not see the commit window. If I click anywhere in visual studio I can hear show dialog sound. But I can not see commit window.
How can I solve this?
Setup:
AnkhSVN - Subversion Support for Visual Studio 2.3.10509.1073
Viusal studio 2010 and SP1 installed.
I have two monitor
A:
This is so strange. I try to bring commit window again that right click in solution explorer then click the "Commit..." menu item.
Then I just use window + right arrow combination. Commit window appear again.
Thanks Bert Huijben
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
} | National Film Preservation Board
The United States National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) is the board selecting films for preservation in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry. It was established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988. The National Film Registry is meant to preserve up to 25 "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant films" each year; to be eligible, films must be at least 10 years old. Members of the Board also advise the Librarian of Congress on ongoing development and implementation of the national film preservation plan.
The NFPB is a federal agency located within the Library of Congress. The NFPB was established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, and reauthorized in 1992, 1996 and 2005. The 1996 reauthorization also created the non-profit National Film Preservation Foundation, which is loosely affiliated with the National Film Preservation Board, but the private-sector Foundation (NFPF) and federal Board (NFPB) are separate, legally distinct entities.
Organization
The board is appointed by the Librarian of Congress and is composed of representatives from professional organizations representing the film industry, archives, scholars, filmmakers and others who comprise the diverse American motion picture community. Explicitly it is composed of up to 5 "at-large" members (with 5 alternates) and 17 member/alternate pairs from the following 18 organizations:
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers
American Film Institute
American Society of Cinematographers and International Cinematographers Guild
Association of Moving Image Archivists
Directors Guild of America
Motion Picture Association of America
National Association of Theater Owners
National Society of Film Critics
Department of Film and Television of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University
Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
Society for Cinema and Media Studies
Society of Composers and Lyricists
United States members of the International Federation of Film Archives
University Film and Video Association
The Department of Film and Television of the School of Theater, Film and Television at the University of California, Los Angeles
Writers Guild of America
Relationship with National Film Preservation Foundation
The National Film Preservation Foundation was created by the U.S. Congress in 1996, at the recommendation of the Library of Congress, following four years of hearings and research conducted by the National Film Preservation Board. The National Film Preservation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-285, Title II), signed into law on October 11, 1996 by President Bill Clinton, charged the NFPF to "encourage, accept, and administer private gifts to promote and ensure the preservation and public accessibility of the nation's film heritage" and authorized federal funds to advance this work. The NFPF started operations a year later in 1997 as an independent federally chartered grant-giving public charity and the nonprofit charitable affiliate of the Library of Congress's National Film Preservation Board. Since 1996 Congress has increased the NFPF’s authorization twice, in 2005 via the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-9) and in 2008 via the Library of Congress Sound Recording and Film Preservation Programs Reauthorization Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-336). Funding received through the NFPF’s authorization is secured through the Library of Congress and goes directly to the field for film preservation projects.
See also
National Film Registry
National Film Preservation Foundation
National Recording Preservation Board
References
External links
About the National Film Preservation Board
Publications
Moving Image Resources
Category:Film preservation organizations
Category:Federal government of the United States
Category:1988 establishments in the United States
Category:Organizations established in 1988 |
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
} | ESPN's Paula Lavigne discusses the University of Nebraska's expelling two former football players after a school investigator last year found that they had violated the school's sexual misconduct policy. (1:13)
The University of Nebraska expelled two former football players after a school investigator last year found them responsible for violating the school's sexual misconduct policy, according to a document obtained by ESPN.
In a letter obtained by ESPN, the university conduct board said the expulsion of two unnamed respondents was effective April 3. A university spokeswoman confirmed Monday that the players involved were redshirt freshmen Katerian LeGrone and Andre Hunt.
The March 25 letter states that the board "considered the seriousness of this incident and modified the previously proposed sanction." The school's investigator previously recommended a two-and-a-half-year suspension when she issued her finding in December. Expulsion means the two men are not allowed on campus and are permanently terminated as students, according to the letter.
The university investigation found evidence to support that Hunt touched and digitally penetrated a female student and made her have oral sex without her consent and that both men had sex with her without her consent, according to the report. The report states that the woman provided text messages with others, sent immediately following the actions, in which she alleged that she had been raped.
LeGrone and Hunt were charged with first-degree sexual assault after the woman reported the alleged Aug. 25 assault to the Lincoln Police Department. Both men were suspended indefinitely from the football team on Aug. 26, and as of December, they were no longer on the roster. Both men entered the NCAA transfer portal, signaling their desire to transfer and allowing other programs to contact them.
Hunt's attorney, Carlos Monzon, said Monday that Hunt was "already at a different university, and he's playing," but Monzon would not say where. Hunt did not respond to a social media message asking about his status, and an online search did not find Hunt on any university's roster. As of Monday, Hunt was still listed as active in the NCAA transfer portal, which would typically indicate that he has not been picked up by a school.
LeGrone is still listed as available in the portal, and his attorneys, Mallory Hughes and John S. Berry, said he has been living with family, working out and "exploring his options."
Attorneys for both men previously said their clients will plead not guilty. Hunt was granted a continuance on his hearing -- which was scheduled for later in April -- until May. LeGrone has a hearing scheduled for June, though it's uncertain if those dates will change due to delays caused by the coronavirus.
LeGrone's attorneys said Monday that the school's decision should have no bearing on what happens in the criminal case, saying that such school investigations fall short, deny due process and often don't include access to all available evidence.
Two prosecutors in Lancaster County, Nebraska, did not immediately respond Monday to an email.
Findings of sexual misconduct at Nebraska -- and at many other universities -- are based on a preponderance of evidence, meaning the weight of the evidence favors one side over the other. That is a lower burden of proof than the "beyond a reasonable doubt" needed to convict someone in a criminal case.
Hunt and LeGrone have been named in several additional police reports of alleged sex offenses filed with Lincoln police since news of the university's findings in the August case became public, according to records obtained by ESPN and a source familiar with those records. The alleged offenses occurred between August 2018 and April 2019. Charges have not been filed in any of them, according to the records.
When asked about any other possible Title IX investigations involving Hunt and LeGrone, the Nebraska spokeswoman said there are no further actions pending against them. |
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | My Early Years
When I was eight or nine I started to notice my erections usually occurred right after I took a bath and never really pondered why they happened.
During this time I had one of my first girl friends with whom we did some mutual observation and some mutual touching of each other, but nothing ever really happened, other than her asking why my penis was sticking out like that. I told her I just does that sometimes.
Ok, fast forward a couple of years, I was 11 and was taking 'sex education' in health class and it became clear what was going on in my personal amusement park. I frequently masturbated and sometimes did so to the point of orgasm, but my first ejaculation happened when I was 12. I was using a couple of pillows as a stimulator and luck for me I planned ahead by putting a plastic sandwich bag over my penis first. I had the house to myself and was joyfully humping away when it happened, the most excruciatingly pleasant feeling I ever had to that point. I pulled it out from between the pillows with the bag still on and saw the second wave. There really is no time like the first time. |
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} | Controlled drug release for oral condition by a novel device based on ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer.
The application of drug delivery systems in oral environment is relatively a new area of research with the exception of release of fluoride ions from polyalkenoate cements and their predecessor silicate cements. The present study addresses development of a novel device based on ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), a biocompatible material which enables constant drug release over several days to treat oral infections. Drugs incorporated in EVA included tetracycline, minocycline and nystatin together with combinations (C) of nytatin-tetracycline (1 : 1) and nystatin-minocycline (1 : 1). Polymer casting solutions were prepared by dissolving EVA and the drugs in the ratio of 10 : 1 in 70 ml of dichloromethane at 38 degrees C for 6 h. Thin square films of 3x3 cm and 1 mm thickness were cut from the dry sheet obtained by solvent evaporation. Drug loaded samples were extracted for a minimum of 15 days in 10 ml medium (water or water/ethanol (1 : 2) or 0.9% saline solution) which is replaced daily. Spectral measurements were made to follow changes in optical densities (OD) during release kinetics. Analysis of the data revealed that among all the drugs tested tetracycline exhibited the highest release rate (56.15microg/cm2/day) and % cumulative release (27.92). The observed enhanced values may be interpreted as due to the channels formed due to changes in free volume (microvoids). In case of nystatin-minocycline combination, the observed increased values of release rates and percent cumulative release, may be attributed to the swelling component or channels or relative hydrophobic interactions. Initial "burst" effects due to liberation of surface-bound drug molecules were observed with reference to all the three drugs and the combinations of drugs studied. Among all the drugs, minocycline exhibited the least "burst" effect suggesting that the drug is more homogeneously distributed in the copolymer. Drug loaded EVA thermoplastic copolymer may provide a favorable therapeutic material for the development of a novel, local treatment for oral, mucosal and periodontal infections. |
{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
} | Q:
How can I use NASM as a library?
I would like to include NASM itself (the assembler) in a C++ project. Can I compile NASM as a shared library? If not, is there another assembler that works as a C or C++ library?
I checked libyasm but couldn't understand how I can use it to assemble my code.
A:
Woah, this exploded when I was away.
I had solved this problem by tampering with the YASM source code, and totally forgot about the question in SO as it received absolutely no attention 8 months ago. Below are the details, followed by a better suggestion.
For the project that I had in mind, I needed to use YASM as a library, and I was in a hurry because I was doing this for a company. Back then there were no good libraries that I was aware of; and I had concluded that getting used to the LLVM framework was an overkill for the task (because all I wanted was to assemble singular x86 - x86_64 instructions and receive the bytes).
So I downloaded the source code for YASM.
Upon meddling with the code for a while, I noticed that the executable receives the file paths for input and output files; and passes these two strings along. I wanted char arrays in memory for the input and output; not files. So I figured, maybe if I could find all FILE pointers that are passed around, I can convert them to char pointers, and change every file read/write to array operations.
This turned out to be even more cumbersome than it sounds. Apparently YASM does not open input/output files once and uses the same FILE pointers; instead it passes around copies of the filepath strings. I needed a script that could make all the necessary changes for me, this wasn't good for me.
Eventually, I found all fopen/fclose calls in the program with a script, and replaced them with my_fopen/my_fclose. For each file that I made these replacements, I included my header file in which I implemented these two functions.
In both of these functions, I checked the incoming string, compared it with "fake_file". If they are equal, I passed a 'fake' FILE pointer pointing to two portions of memory, obtained from the function calls fmemopen and open_memstream. Otherwise I simply called the actual fopen/fclose functions. In other words, I redirected these two calls (only for a given filename) to a memory file. Then, I called the library with the filename parameter set to 'fake_file'.
Since I have had limited myself to Linux at that point, this approach worked for me. I also found out (using Valgrind) that there was a memory leak in the library version, so I wrote a very primitive garbage collector for it. Basically I wrapped malloc's etc. to keep track of all allocations that are not freed, and clean them after each execution.
This approach also allowed me to automate these changes using a script. Unfortunately I did all these in a company so I cannot leak any actual code.
Better suggestion:
As of May 31, 2016; you can use Keystone Engine instead. It is "based on LLVM, but it goes much further with a lot more to offer." The disassembly engine Capstone and this are a near perfect couple for assembly and disassembly. If you need either of these components, I suggest these instead of doing the hacks I described. Both of these engines are currently being developed; and even though Keystone has some small bugs, Capstone is very robust at the moment.
TL;DR: Use keystone.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
} | Q:
Setting a Custom HeaderView on UITable in swift, using AutoLayout from Nib
Hi I was wondering how i'd go for implementing a custom header for my UITableView and use it's autolayout for correct positioning.
I can display the cell right now but neither horizontal or vertical autolayout is applied.
in my tableViewController, I set a headerView variable to my custom nib as such:
@IBOutlet var view: UIView!
override init(frame: CGRect) { // for using CustomView in code
super.init(frame: frame)
self.setup()
}
required init(coder aDecoder: NSCoder) { // for using CustomView in IB
super.init(coder: aDecoder)
self.setup()
}
private func setup() {
NSBundle.mainBundle().loadNibNamed("CustomHeader", owner: self, options: nil)
self.addSubview(view)
}
which in the view class calls:
override init(frame: CGRect) { // for using CustomView in code
super.init(frame: frame)
self.setup()
}
required init(coder aDecoder: NSCoder) { // for using CustomView in IB
super.init(coder: aDecoder)
self.setup()
}
private func setup() {
NSBundle.mainBundle().loadNibNamed("ChallengeHeader", owner: self, options: nil)
self.addSubview(view)
}
It has some dummy content and I set a dynamic text to a label inside. The constraints are set up correctly I have it working fine for the table cells.
I have this for displaying the view as header
override func tableView(tableView: UITableView, viewForHeaderInSection section: Int) -> UIView? {
if let view = headerView {
return view
}
return nil
}
override func tableView(tableView: UITableView, heightForHeaderInSection section: Int) -> CGFloat {
if let head = headerView {
head.setNeedsLayout()
head.layoutIfNeeded()
let height = head.systemLayoutSizeFittingSize(UILayoutFittingCompressedSize).height
let headerFrame = head.frame
Debug.log("Header Height \(height)")
return 100.0
}
return 0
}
Currently I'm returning the 100.0 since height is always 0, so what am I missing here to make the autolayout do it's work? Or do I need to set f/e the width programmatically?
Edit: Forgot to add, the xib has a width of 400 and it seems to remain 400 width aswell.
A:
There are a few problems with your implementation.
First, you should not add the headerView as subview of self.view.
Second, if you have more than one sections, you would need a new CustomView for every section, you should not reuse it.
So your code should look something like:
override func tableView(tableView: UITableView, viewForHeaderInSection section: Int) -> UIView? {
return NSBundle.mainBundle().loadNibNamed("CustomHeader", owner: nil, options: nil)[0] as? UIView
}
override func tableView(tableView: UITableView, heightForHeaderInSection section: Int) -> CGFloat {
return headerView.systemLayoutSizeFittingSize(UILayoutFittingCompressedSize).height
}
You don't need any frame manipulation. Just make sure you return a correctly initialized CustomHeader in the viewForHeaderInSection and everything should work fine.
If you need more help or support, just let me know.
This is a small code snippet that I used to test - the only difference to your situation is that you load the headerView from the xib:
override func viewDidLoad (){
headerView = UIView.new() // here you should have your xib loading
var insideView = UIView.new();
insideView.setTranslatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints(false)
headerView.addSubview(insideView);
// This is simulating the constraints you have in your xib
headerView.addConstraints(NSLayoutConstraint.constraintsWithVisualFormat("V:|-[view(50)]-|", options: nil, metrics: nil, views: ["view": insideView]))
headerView.addConstraints(NSLayoutConstraint.constraintsWithVisualFormat("H:|-[view]-|", options: nil, metrics: nil, views: ["view": insideView]))
}
override func tableView(tableView: UITableView, viewForHeaderInSection section: Int) -> UIView? {
return headerView
}
override func tableView(tableView: UITableView, heightForHeaderInSection section: Int) -> CGFloat {
return headerView.systemLayoutSizeFittingSize(UILayoutFittingCompressedSize).height
}
|
{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
} | Q:
IBM Watson chat bot
I am currently working on Watson chat bot with the aim of creating a virtual assistant for customers which hopefully will be capable of handling the requests. Within a node I ask a question like "Can you provide me the serial number?" to the customer. What I want Watson to do is that save that serial number as a variable so that I can respond the customer like "Okay so the number you provided is "that number", do you confirm?" I would be very happy if someone can help me out with this. How am I going to integrate a variable capable of storing the customer´s input?
Thank you in advance!
A:
I recommend starting with this tutorial on building a database-driven Slack chatbot. The source code is available on GitHub.
The tutorial shows how to gather event data. The typical way of getting data from an user is to save the relevant parts in so-called context variables. You can access those variables from within dialog nodes, print values in responses or pass them to other code for backend processing (like in a database system).
|
{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} | Conventionally, a DC/DC converter having a DC input terminal has been used to boost or drop a DC voltage and output it (see, e.g., Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-022077). In such a type of the DC/DC converter having the DC input terminal, when reverse polarity is connected to the DC input terminal, an internal circuit of the converter is broken. Various configurations as shown in FIGS. 28A to 28C have been known as countermeasures against the reverse connection to the DC input terminal.
FIG. 28A illustrates the configuration in which a diode is connected in series to one input terminal, thereby preventing a voltage from being applied to the internal circuit of the DC/DC converter in reverse connection. In this configuration, when polarity is normally connected to the DC input terminal, voltage loss is always generated by a voltage drop of the connected diode. Since the voltage is not applied to the internal circuit of the DC/DC converter in the reverse connection, the DC/DC converter does not operate.
FIG. 28B illustrates the configuration in which a diode is connected from one input terminal to the other input terminal and the internal circuit is short-circuited by the diode in reverse connection, thereby preventing a voltage from being applied to the internal circuit of the DC/DC converter in the reverse connection. In this configuration, a protection circuit is additionally required to protect a circuit connected to the DC input terminal from the short-circuit current. Alternatively, this configuration is limitedly applied to a power supply, such as a solar photovoltaic power generating panel, to which current limiting acts. Also, since the voltage is not applied to the internal circuit of the DC/DC converter in the reverse connection, the DC/DC converter does not operate.
FIG. 28C illustrates the configuration in which a bridge circuit is provided in an input unit, so that a normal voltage is applied to the internal circuit of the DC/DC converter even in any one of forward and reverse connections, such as when an AC power supply is connected to the DC/DC converter. In this configuration, the DC/DC converter operates even in any one of the forward and reverse connections, but voltage loss corresponding to the voltage of two diodes included in the bridge circuit always occurs. |
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} | A Communication Theoretical Modeling of Axonal Propagation in Hippocampal Pyramidal Neurons.
Understanding the fundamentals of communication among neurons, known as neuro-spike communication, leads to reach bio-inspired nanoscale communication paradigms. In this paper, we focus on a part of neuro-spike communication, known as axonal transmission, and propose a realistic model for it. The shape of the spike during axonal transmission varies according to previously applied stimulations to the neuron, and these variations affect the amount of information communicated between neurons. Hence, to reach an accurate model for neuro-spike communication, the memory of axon and its effect on the axonal transmission should be considered, which are not studied in the existing literature. In this paper, we extract the important factors on the memory of axon and define memory states based on these factors. We also describe the transition among these states and the properties of axonal transmission in each of them. Finally, we demonstrate that the proposed model can follow changes in the axonal functionality properly by simulating the proposed model and reporting the root mean square error between simulation results and experimental data. |
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | WASHINGTON - Thomas J. Connor, a former
FBI agent and the last surviving member of the squad that gunned down the notorious John
Dillinger outside a Chicago movie theater in 1934, died of cardiac arrest April 14 at his
home in Southbury, Conn. He was 91.
Connor was born and grew up in Washington.
As a young man, he played third base in the Boston Braves' farm system and later attended
what became the Catholic University law school while working as a clerk for the FBI. On
his graduation in 1932, be was invited by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover to join the bureau
as an agent and also to be captain of the FBI baseball team.
Under Connor's leadership, the team won
the inter-government championship that summer, and as its captain, he received warm praise
in a commendation letter from Hoover. The letter cited Connor's "physical prowess ...
rare intelligence and indomitable courage," and it saluted him for his
"marvelous achievements."
But the next season, the FBI baseball team
finished in second place, and Connor was transferred to New York, Connecticut and Chicago.
His son, Thomas L. Connor, said his father always believed he was transferred for failing
to win a second championship.
The move to Chicago placed Connor at the
center of some of the FBI's best-known operations, and in 1934 he was assigned to the
Dillinger squad, led by agents Sam Crowley and Melvin Purvis.
At the time. Dillinger was the FBI's
Public Enemy No. 1, sought for the commission of more than three dozen bank robberies
throughout the Midwest, the slayings of more than a dozen people and escapes from five
jails. But at the depths of the Great Depression; when bankers tended to be less than
universally loved, Dillinger also was something of a folk hero.
On July 22, 1934, the FBI received a tip
that Dillinger would be at Chicago's Biograph Theater.
That night, Connor was among the 15
well-armed members of the FBI Dillinger squad who staked out the Biograph with a
detachment of Chicago police.
The updated description of Dillinger, who
was known to have altered his appearance with plastic surgery, said the outlaw was 5 feet
9 inches tail with a medium build and a pronounced cleft chin. Connor was 5 feet 8 inches
tall with a medium build and a pronounced cleft chin.
According to the informant's description,
Dillinger would be wearing a white suit and a straw hat Connor was wearing a white suit
and a straw hat
Posted in an alley next to the theater
with his service revolver drawn and a submachine gun tucked under his coat, Connor was
almost mistaken for Dillinger and shot by Chicago police, but he managed to convince them
of his true identity. A few minutes later, the real Dillinger went down in a hail of
bullets in front of the theater.
Later, Connor participated in tracking
down the likes of "Pretty Boy" Floyd, Ma Barker and the Barker gang and
"Baby Face" Nelson, who shot and killed Crowley and Connor's friend Ed Hollis
before dying in a shootout |
{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} | CMP processes are used in the semiconductor and optics industries to provide ultra-smooth surfaces. CMP process slurries typically consist of SiO2 or Al2O3 particles suspended in an acid or base solution at a concentration of 4% to 18% solids by weight. SiO2 slurries are referred to in the art as “oxide” slurries, and Al2O3 slurries are referred to as “metal” slurries. It is difficult to check the quality the particle size distributions within these slurries due to the sub-micron sizes of the particles and the substantially opaque nature of the slurry.
CMP slurries facilitate the deposition of uniform planarized layers in multiple layer wafers, resulting in ultra-smooth surfaces the enhance the resolution of embedded integrated circuit microfeatures. Particles having dimensions that exceed a delimiting value for a particular application are analogous to sandpaper having grit that is too large, and disadvantageously score or scratch the surface that is being smoothed. Thus, it is an essential quality control process to eliminate the use of slurries having particles that are too large.
The use of CMP slurries in semiconductor manufacturing has risen sharply over the last five years. It has emerged as the preferred method of planarization for manufacture of multiple layer semiconductor wafers having features sizes less than or equal to 0.35 micron. It has been observed that semiconductor wafers can be scratched and thereby damaged if a significant concentration of large particles appear in the slurry through either contamination or agglomeration. The size threshold for particles that are large enough to damage wafers is believed to be in the range of 0.5-3.0 microns. CMP slurry manufacturers attempt to produce slurries that consist predominantly of particles less than 1.0 or even 0.5 micron in size.
Commercially available sensor devices are presently unable to meet the needs of those who wish to measure the particle size distribution of CMP slurries. It is desirable to perform continuous measurements of the CMP slurry particle size distribution in real-time, in order to eliminate the risk of using slurries having particles or agglomerated particles that are too large. This enhanced process control, if available, would allow early detection and cure of slurry problems. The use of the term “real-time” in this discussion means that the measurement results are available within a few seconds after sampling. It is also desirable to measure the particle size distribution of undiluted slurry because dilution and the subsequent change in pH can alter the distribution. Furthermore, dilution combined with continuous sampling creates large volumes of waste slurry. These needs characterize the present state of the art in measuring and/or detecting the particle size distribution of CMP slurries.
Existing commercial particle size sensors include those based on measurement of angular light scattering, dynamic light scattering or photon correlation spectroscopy, ultrasonic transmission, and capillary hydrodynamic fractionalization. These measurement techniques are problematic because they require (a) substantial dilution of the optically dense CMP slurries, or (b) discontinuous batch sampling of the slurry, or they have insufficient sensitivity to detect small changes in the particle size distribution over the critical size range of 0.5 to 3.0 microns.
The need to dilute CMP slurries for particle size measurements creates large amounts of waste that cannot be recovered into usable CMP slurry. According to the data of Bare et al., Monitoring slurry stability to reduce process variability, Micro. Vol. 15, No. 8, pp. 53-63 (1997), oxide slurries typically have 2×105/cm3 particles greater than one micron, and metal slurries typically have 7×108/cm3 particles greater than one micron. This data was obtained using a Particle Measurement Systems LiQuilaz SO5 particle size detector, which is specified for a maximum particle concentration of 12,000/cm3 to keep coincidence errors less than ten percent. The SO5 detector is typical of commercially available single particle light scattering devices. Thus, a minimum dilution factor of seventeen is required to reduce coincidence errors for oxide slurries, and a minimum dilution factor of 58,350 is required for metal slurries. These dilution factors represent significant amounts of process slurry waste, and the dilution itself is suspected of altering the size distribution through agglomeration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,710,069 (the '069 patent) to Farkas et al. discusses an optical particle counter that detects only one partide at a time in CMP slurries. The single particle must flow through a sample volume consisting of the intersection of a light beam and a detector field of view. The '069 patent does not discusses the difficulty in requiring the light beam to penetrate the slurry towards the measurement area (sample volume), nor in achieving detection of one particle at a time in slurries which typically contain of 1013-1014 particles per cm3. The idea of being able to measure only one particle at a time is unsupported by any calculations, numerical arguments, or design details. It is unclear whether the '069 patent uses Mie scattering calculations or empirical correlations to calculate particle size distribution based upon the number of single particles that are counted. The technique of “photocorrelation” is said not to work, but no description is provided of a technique that does work.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,616,457 (the '457 patent) to Garcia-Rubio teaches an apparatus for detecting the presence of a microorganism in a liquid sample. A Twomey linear inversion with a smoothing constraint is used to calculate particle size distribution for the organism. A standard commercial spectrophotometer having a one centimeter cell path length is used to perform the measurements. Additional detail regarding the Twomey linear inversion can be found in Twomey, Comparison of Constrained Linear Inversion and an Iterative Nonlinear Algorithm Applied to the Indirect Estimation of Particle Size Distributions, J. Comp. Phys. Vol. 18, No. 2, 188-200 (1975). The '457 patent does not require dilution because it addresses solutions that are much less optically dense than CMP slurries.
Examples of the present state of the art in measuring particle size distribution in optically dense mixtures of sub-micron particles suspended in a liquid solution include two presentations at a recent American Chemical Society symposium: Kourti et al., Particle Size Determination Using Turbidimetry, Particle Size Distribution II—Assessment and Characterization, pp. 35-63, Amer. Chem. Soc. Symposium No. 472 (1991); and Brandolin et al., On-line Particle Size Distribution Measurements for Latex Reactors, Particle Size Distribution II—Assessment and Characterization, pp. 65-85 (1991). These authors typically utilize measurements at two to three wavelengths in the range of 0.2-1.0 microns. Conventional sample cells on the order of one centimeter in thickness were apparently utilized. The limited wavelength range and conventional sample cell dimensions force significant sample dilution, which in turn results in generation of a large waste stream of diluted product. An off-line batch sampling system may also be used, but this type of system has an unacceptably slow time response.
There remains a need for a real-time probe for use in obtaining continuous particle size distribution measurements that do not require dilution of the CMP slurry. The probe should retrieve particle distribution over a broad range of sizes, and consistently detect small changes in the particle size distribution, while providing autonomous operation in an industrial environment.
There is the further need to detect changes in the particle size distribution of a CMP slurry as a quality control process.
It is, accordingly, one object of the invention to provide a probe and/or system which provides real-time measurement of CMP slurry particle size distributions and/or change of the particle size distribution. Another object of the invention is to provide a quality control process to detect acceptable and unacceptable CMP slurries, real-time, in a manufacturing environment. Yet another object of the invention is to provide systems and methods for detecting CMP slurry particle size distributions and/or changes in such distributions. These and other objects of the invention are apparent within the description which follows. |
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Central"
} | Background
==========
The effects of particulate matter (PM) on human health are a major concern since current epidemiology data show health effects at PM concentrations below common ambient air quality standards or health-based guidelines \[[@B1]\]. Furthermore, a clear association has been demonstrated between increased airborne PM concentrations and exacerbation of chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, respiratory symptoms or decreased lung function, as revealed in increased hospital admissions and emergency room visits or even premature mortality \[[@B1]\].
PM has not been linked to numerous adverse health effects by epidemiological research alone. It is supported by PM toxicity studies in both experimental animals and human volunteers. Inhalation exposure studies have shown that short-term exposure to diesel exhaust has an acute inflammatory effect on normal human airways resulting in marked neutrophilia, activation of mast cells and neutrophils, and the production of cytokines and chemokines associated with neutrophil accumulation and activation \[[@B2],[@B3]\]. In addition, repeated exposures of experimental animals \[[@B4],[@B5]\] and humans \[[@B6]\] to direct real-world ambient air in urban areas of São Paulo, Mexico City and Florence suggest that more adverse health effects occur at locations with high traffic densities, possibly due to the higher level of (fine) PM (aerodynamic diameter \<2.5 μm). These studies have demonstrated serious adverse health impacts on the airways, including lesions in the upper and lower airway tissues, increased airway reactivity and immunotoxic effects. Many *in vivo*animal exposure studies have shown the toxicity of PM, sampled from ambient air or diesel exhaust on filters, and administered by intratracheal instillation. PM fractions cause not just airway and lung inflammation, and injury \[[@B7]-[@B10]\], but can also affect cardiopulmonary function \[[@B11],[@B12]\].
Uncertainties about health effect-relevant PM characteristics and components and their respective sources seriously complicate the process of PM health risk assessment and standard setting as well as the application of cost-effective emission and risk control measures. Whether ambient PM with different compositions and source contributions will have different biological activity and toxicity remains to be determined; this is of substantial importance, both from the scientific and regulatory point of view. Therefore, there is an urgent need for studies to establish the source-composition-effect relationship of PM. Hybrid studies between the toxicology, epidemiology and air quality disciplines may be challenging in this respect. In order to improve the scientific database on this aspect, several European projects have been launched to investigate both the effects of ambient PM collected in European metropolitan as well as rural areas and the relation between toxicity and PM composition and sources (e.g. traffic). These projects use the intratracheal instillation method and focus on the differences between the accumulation or so-called fine mode (aerodynamic diameter 0.1 -- 2.5 μm) and the coarse mode (aerodynamic diameter 2.5 -- 10 μm) of PM. The studies of Schins et al \[[@B10]\] and Hetland et al \[[@B13]\] have given a first indication that coarse mode particles might be more potent *in vivo*than a fine mode fraction.
Previously, we had investigated the time course of urban PM \[[@B7]\] over a 7-days period, i.e. 2, 4, and 7 days after a single exposure to PM. Gene expression levels and the corresponding products involved in pulmonary and cardiovascular problems were studied in rats with existing pulmonary inflammation. Since the strongest impact on biological effect indicators such as macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, endothelin-1 (ET-1) and fibrinogen was observed at 2-days post-exposure, the question arises whether or not significant effects can be detected in less than two days after a single exposure. Indeed, changes in the lung levels of inflammation-associated cytokines have been reported within 2--6 hr after a single exposure to PM or ozone, whereas inflammation, as shown by increased neutrophil levels, often peaks around 24 hr \[[@B14]-[@B16]\]. Using residual oil fly ash (ROFA) as a surrogate for ambient PM, Watkinson et al \[[@B17]\] and Campen et al \[[@B18]\] have shown that ROFA induced both immediate (0--6 hr post-instillation) and delayed (24--84 hr) cardiac as well as thermoregulatory responses. A rapid expression of genes after a single PM exposure has also been demonstrated in spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats \[[@B19]\].
The objective of this study was to optimize the design for *in vivo*PM toxicity screening studies in terms of dose and the time between a single intratracheal exposure and determination of the biological responses. Therefore, in the present study we would gain insight in an optimal dose at which biological effects are still detectable given the relatively small number of observations. Moreover, the time course of effects after a single PM dose was explored. The results should provide important information for the design of upcoming studies in SH rats like the HEPMEAP and PAMCHAR *in vivo*studies in which various ambient PM samples collected across Europe will be compared for their relative toxic potency.
Results
=======
The results of the body and organ weights, as well as BALF and blood analyses of SH rats exposed to saline or PM (road tunnel dust (RTD) or EHC-93) are given separately for each examined post-exposure time (4, 24 and 48 hr) in additional files (see [additional files 1](#S1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}, [2](#S2){ref-type="supplementary-material"} and [3](#S3){ref-type="supplementary-material"} respectively).
Body and organ weights
----------------------
Body and heart weights did not change in response to RTD or EHC-93 exposure. Conversely, wet lung weights and lung to body weight ratio significantly increased upon exposure to EHC-93 (10 mg/kg) 24 hr after exposure.
Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) analysis
--------------------------------------------
### Cell profile
Total cell numbers and neutrophils (Figure [1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}) were significantly increased in RTD and EHC-93 exposed animals 24 and 48 hr after exposure especially at the highest dose levels. The aforementioned also holds for the number of macrophages with the exception of the response to RTD at 48 hr. Decreased macrophage numbers were observed 4 hr post-exposure to RTD (3 mg/kg). In addition, exposure to EHC-93 resulted in increased BALF lymphocytes numbers at 24 hr (see [additional file 2](#S2){ref-type="supplementary-material"}) and no differences in BALF eosinophil numbers were observed. Furthermore, an increase in the percentage of viable BALF cells was seen after exposure to the highest PM doses of RTD and to EHC-93 at 24 and 48 hr post-exposure. For the percentage of viable cells 24 hr after RTD exposure a clear dose-effect relationship was observed, this effect diminishing at 48 hr after instillation. No signs of reduction in the percentage of viable cells were noted.
{#F1}
### Biochemical characterisation
Since RTD did affect the number of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) in BALF, the neutrophil activity marker myeloperoxidase (MPO) was determined for a selected number of BALF samples (see [additional file 2](#S2){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). MPO activity was increased at 24 hr post-exposure after exposure to the two highest doses of RTD (3 and 10 mg/kg). Both RTD and EHC-93 induced significantly increased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in BALF 24 and 48 hr after intratracheal instillation. This increase in cytotoxicity was only observed at the highest dose of 10 mg/kg and the LDH levels increased in time (Figure [2](#F2){ref-type="fig"}). Exposure to EHC-93 resulted in elevated type II cell damage (alkalin phosphatase (ALP) increase) at all examined time points while RTD caused a dose-dependent damage only at 48 hr after exposure. In addition, elevated concentrations of the macrophage activation marker N-acetyl glucosaminidase (NAG) were found for EHC-93 at all post-exposure times. On the other hand, rats exposed to the low RTD dose of 0.3 mg/kg showed decreased levels of NAG in BALF at 24 and 48 hr. Exposure to this relatively low RTD dose also resulted in decreased BALF protein levels at 24 hr. No additional contrasts were found either for the permeability markers protein and albumin or for the lung damage marker Clara cell protein (CC16) in response to either RTD or EHC-93. Antioxidants levels (reduced glutathione (GSH) and uric acid (UA)) were decreased in rats due to exposure to RTD (1 mg/kg of body weight 24 hr after exposure). Glutathione appeared to be a more sensitive marker since the levels of this antioxidant were affected even by the lowest RTD dose.
{#F2}
### Cytokine content
The interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentration was increased already 4 hr after exposure to EHC-93 or the highest dose of RTD. The effect on IL-6 was diminished at a later time for both PM samples but it was still present 48 hr after instillation of EHC-93. A more pronounced response, especially for RTD, was observed for the inflammation marker TNF-α since increased quantities were also seen at lower dose levels (see [additional file 1](#S1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). This effect decreased in the course of time and was still present for the 10 mg/kg of dose of both PM samples 24 hr post-exposure and for RTD even 48 hr after instillation. MIP-2 seemed to be even more sensitive to PM (see [additional file 1](#S1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}) as it showed highly significant increases at the lowest dose levels. Again, the peak response was observed 4 hr after exposure but also at 48 hr the highest dose of 10 mg/kg of both PM samples induced a significant MIP-2 response. An increase in BALF MIP-2 concentrations at 4 hr post-exposure coincided with an increase in BALF total cell numbers for the highest RTD doses at 24 as well as 48 hr post-exposure (Figure [3](#F3){ref-type="fig"}).
{#F3}
Blood analysis
--------------
Plasma fibrinogen was increased only at 24 and 48 hr after exposure to 10 mg/kg RTD or EHC-93 (Figure [4](#F4){ref-type="fig"}). No significant changes were found in plasma for big ET-1, the precursor of the vasoconstrictor endothelin-1, neither for the endothelial injury marker von Willebrand factor (vWF). Cell differentials in blood only revealed decreased lymphocyte levels after exposure to the highest dose of RTD and EHC-93, and RTD exposure (10 mg/kg) also resulted in diminished basophilic granulocyte plasma levels, both at 4 hr post-exposure.
{#F4}
Pulmonary histopathology
------------------------
Exposure to RTD at doses of 3 and 10 mg/kg of body weight showed a dose-dependent increase in the number of inflammatory foci 24 and 48 hr post-exposure, being significant for the 10 mg/kg of dose at 48 hr (Table [1](#T1){ref-type="table"}). On the other hand, exposure to 10 mg/kg of body weight EHC-93 resulted in a more pronounced significant increase in inflammatory foci at both time points. In addition to the observed dose-dependent increase of inflammatory foci, a significant dose-effect relationship was seen for the number of macrophages loaded with PM after exposure to RTD (Figure [5](#F5){ref-type="fig"}). The high EHC-93 dose also induced a significant increase the number of macrophages in SH rats that phagocytized RTD. The histological evaluation of BrdU-labelling in control SH rats showed besides a normal background labelling and a high labelling in bronchoalveolar lymphoid tissue (BALT) and perivascular lymphoid tissues, a pronounced labelling in the inflammatory foci. Exposure to RTD as well as EHC-93 caused a pronounced increase in the size of the labelled areas of the inflammatory foci (Table [1](#T1){ref-type="table"}).
######
Summary of histopathological changes in lungs of SH rats exposed to particulate matter or saline.
Post-exposure time 24 hr 48 hr
--------------------------------------------- ----------------- ---- ---- ---- ------- ---- ---- ---- ----
Number examined 9 9 9 9 10 10 10 10
Alveolar Mφ minimal 2 6 3 5 4 6 3 \-
slight \- 2 5 1 1 4 2 6
moderate \- 1 1 1 \- \- 4 2
marked \- \- \- \- \- \- \- 2
overall 2 13 16 10 6 14 19 26
Inflammatory foci thick septa + alveolar Mφ minimal 6 4 3 \- 6 2 \- \-
slight 3 5 3 3 2 4 \- \-
moderate \- \- 3 3 2 4 7 3
marked \- \- \- 3 \- \- 3 7
overall 12 14 18 27 16 22 33 37
BrdU score number examined 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
minimal 2 \- \- \- 6 1 \- \-
slight 1 1 \- \- \- 3 \- \-
moderate \- 3 3 \- \- 2 3 2
marked \- 2 2 3 \- \- 3 2
strong \- \- 1 3 \- \- \- 2
overall 4 19 22 27 6 13 21 24
The lungs of SH rats exposed to saline (group1), 3 or 10 mg/kg of body weight RTD (respectively group 4 and 5) or 10 mg/kg of body weight EHC-93 (group 6) were examined at 24 or 48 hours post-exposure. In the overall score, a weight factor of 1 to 5 is included for the score minimal to strong. Abbreviations: Mφ -- macrophages.
{#F5}
Discussion
==========
In this study, several dose-dependent biological responses were measured after exposure to RTD or EHC-93 by intratracheal instillation at all three post-exposure times (4, 24 and 48 hr). As expected on the basis of previous studies \[[@B14]-[@B16]\], the inflammation-associated cytokine response in the lung is most prominent rapidly after exposure while inflammatory cell influx peaks 24 hr post-exposure. No deaths or immediately life-threatening health effects have been observed after a single exposure to PM; this latter aspect is supported by the relatively slight changes in body or lung weight, macroscopic findings noted in necropsy and the overall lung pathology. Furthermore, the marker for cytotoxicity, LDH, is released into BALF only at the highest dose level. The low levels of protein and albumin in the BALF as well as the lack of Clara cell secretory protein CC16 once more indicated that these relatively high doses used for instillation did not induce serious toxicity.
All doses used in the present study, including the lowest dose of 0.3 mg/kg, were above levels which can be expected to occur in realistic human occupational or environmental exposures \[[@B20]\]. On the other hand, these levels are justified considering relative PM toxicity assessment of different types of particles and their underlying biological mechanisms. For most health effect parameters, a clear dose-dependent response pattern is observed. However, the biological responses induced by the highest 10 mg/kg dose of RTD, and especially EHC-93, appeared more extreme and did not seem to fit in the general pattern of this curve. These effects could be attributed to high dose and could be seen as a different response pattern, which is probably caused by overload of the lungs \[[@B21],[@B22]\]. Remarkably, however, is the observation that there are still lung macrophages without phagocytized PM and there are also no signs of loose PM in the alveoli indicating that the dose of 10 mg/kg of body weight did not result in overload of the lungs in the present study (unpublished observations). Although separate screening of size-different PM fractions will occur in several European projects, the present study used a RTD PM sample of pooled coarse and fine fractions to increase the yield of PM toxicity, thereby improving the probability of hitting the biological responses. Furthermore, using combined instead of separate fractions is in accordance with the policy to restrict the number of experimental animals.
PM exposure can provoke pulmonary injury/inflammation, an oxidative stress response as well as systemic effects \[[@B7],[@B23]-[@B27]\]. Individuals with existing diseases are more susceptible to PM exposure; exacerbation of pulmonary inflammation in susceptible people might therefore be a central mechanism by which PM exerts its toxicity \[[@B28],[@B29]\]. Since susceptible subjects are more at risk, the spontaneously hypertensive rat was selected as an animal model for assessment of relative PM toxicity. The SH rat has proven to be an animal model representative for subjects with systemic hypertension and has also shown to facilitate measurement of PM toxicity \[[@B30]\]. In the present study, pulmonary injury was determined by several parameters measured in BALF (LDH, ALP, protein, albumin, and CC16) in addition to macroscopic and microscopic pathology of the lung. Gross cellular lung damage is absent even after exposure to very high PM doses despite the high neutrophilia in PM exposed lungs. Such an inflammatory reaction in the lung in the absence of serious damage has also been reported in rats after exposure to relatively low PM dose (\~0.6 -- 1 mg/kg) measured 18 hr post instillation \[[@B10]\].
The present PM exposures resulted in a rapid response of pro-inflammatory mediators (MIP-2, TNF-α, and IL-6). MIP-2 plays a key role in inflammatory cell recruitment since MIP-2 levels have often preceded the increases in neutrophils \[[@B14],[@B31]\]. TNF-α has been suggested to be mostly released in connection to increased neutrophils though it is released by macrophages. In addition, IL-6 levels would rise when TNF-α becomes down-regulated \[[@B32]\]. This appears to be true also for PM induced inflammation shown here. Pulmonary inflammation due to PM exposure is evident in the present study since the neutrophil numbers in BALF increased tremendously after exposure to the highest RTD doses or EHC-93 and some neutrophil influx was already seen at a low PM dose 4 hr after exposure. In spite of this, only the high RTD doses of 3 and 10 mg/kg of body weight have also shown induced neutrophil activity as indicated by increased MPO activity. Increased BALF neutrophil numbers, and by that pulmonary inflammation is a consistent PM effect that has also been reported in other rat instillation studies \[[@B10],[@B15]\]. Elevated numbers of macrophages, as observed in the present study, have not consistently been shown, which is probably caused by variability in the lavage procedure. However, a clear macrophage increase is shown in humans 18 hr after exposure to diesel exhaust \[[@B33]\]. The finding of reduced macrophage numbers in BALF 4 hr after exposure to 3 mg/kg of body weight of RTD most likely represents an increased macrophage adherence to the epithelium in a relatively early phase after exposure. Later onwards the macrophage numbers increase due to the demand for particle clearance. The importance of lymphocytes in the induction of an early inflammatory response by PM exposure has been suggested earlier for diesel exhaust \[[@B2],[@B3],[@B34]\] and exposure to EHC-93 resulted in increased BALF lymphocyte numbers, which supported this finding. It is obvious that in the normal resting unchallenged state there are a certain percentage of aged cells with reduced membrane integrity. Exposure resulted in a relatively massive recruitment and influx of inflammatory cells, which are far more viable. This means that it is not the viability itself which has increased, but rather an influx of fresh and lively cells. In addition, 24 hr after exposure to low doses of RTD decreased levels of the antioxidants GSH and UA were observed. This implies that oxidative stress will also play a role in the mechanisms that will lead to adverse health effects, which should be investigated more thoroughly in future studies.
Systemic changes following inflammatory reactions or other immune responses in the lung are likely. A decrease in the number of blood lymphocytes is one example of a possible systemic change. In the present study, this was only observed shortly after PM exposure in the absence of pulmonary injury and when pulmonary inflammation was not yet obvious. A small decrease in circulating lymphocytes has been demonstrated before as a result of PM exposure by intratracheal instillation and/or inhalation in both rats \[[@B23],[@B35]\] and humans \[[@B36]\]. An increase in circulating neutrophils coincided with a decrease in lymphocytes upon exposure by inhalation \[[@B35],[@B36]\] while instillation studies, including the present study, revealed no increase in blood neutrophils \[[@B23]\]. Although the biological significance and impact remains unclear, the decrease in lymphocytes is consistent in these studies. In the present study, reduction in blood lymphocytes preceded the increase in BALF lymphocytes, which could be explained by increased adherence of lymphocytes to the pulmonary vasculature, leading to subsequent lymphocyte influx to the airways. Another systemic effect marker, fibrinogen, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease \[[@B37],[@B38]\], contributes to plasma viscosity as does vWF, a pro-coagulant product of the endothelium \[[@B39]\]. Exposure to a high PM dose resulted in increased plasma fibrinogen but no changes were observed in plasma vWF levels. Various effects of pollutant particles on blood fibrinogen are reported in the literature. Elevation, reduction as well as no changes in fibrinogen levels have been described in either humans \[[@B40]-[@B42]\] or animals \[[@B43],[@B44]\] upon exposure to PM under variable conditions. These contradicting results could be due to differences in the source contribution, PM dose or differences in exposure pathways, time of evaluation, and/or variability in response within groups. Given that vWF also contributes to plasma viscosity the observed steady vWF levels were unexpected and could be attributed to a stronger effect of fibrinogen on viscosity \[[@B39]\]. However, the unchanged vWF plasma levels indicate that exposure to RTD and EHC-93 in these concentrations did not result in endothelial damage.
Conclusion
==========
In the present study, we have shown that the optimal dose for determining the toxicity ranking of ambient-derived PM samples appeared to be between 3 and 10 mg PM/kg of body weight. This is valid for the applied study design in spontaneously hypertensive rats. This is supported by the fact that, in the range of these doses, biological responses such as pulmonary inflammation, oxidative stress and effects observed in the circulation can be detected without the presence of pulmonary injury or toxicity. At lower doses only some inflammatory effects can be detected, probably too few to be able to discriminate between PM samples while a completely different response pattern was observed with the highest dose. Most likely, additional effects could be found at lower doses by increasing the number of animals but searching for an optimal dose using small animal numbers was an argument behind this study. In addition to the dose, 24 hr post-exposure seemed to be the appropriate time to assess PM toxicity since the majority of the health effects are observed one day after PM exposure compared to the other times examined. The aforementioned considerations provide a good basis for conducting *in vivo*PM toxicity screening studies in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
Methods
=======
Animals
-------
Spontaneously hypertensive male rats (SHR/NHsd) of 11--12 weeks old and weighing 250--350 g were obtained from the breeding colony of Harlan (Indianapolis, Indiana, USA). Animals were housed in macrolon cages Type 3 in a room with HEPA-filtered air and a constant climate (room temperature 21 ± 2°C and relative humidity 40--70%) with a 12-hr light/dark cycle (light on at 8.00 a.m.). Special rodent food (SSP-TOX standard/eromix pellets 10 mm non-radiated; Hope Farms, Woerden, the Netherlands) and tap water via an automatic drinking-water system was supplied *ad libitum*. Immediately after arrival, the animals were weighed and randomly allocated into exposure groups. Experiments started after an acclimatisation period of at least 7 days. Experiments were approved by the Ethical Review Committee of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment.
Objectives and study design
---------------------------
The objective of the present study is to determine the optimal dose of and time after a single exposure to PM at which in subsequent studies various PM samples collected throughout Europe can be tested and ranked for their toxic potency. It is hypothesized that a single exposure to ambient particulate matter in spontaneously hypertensive rats will lead to an immediate pulmonary injury/inflammation, antioxidant depletion. This may consequently be followed by alterations in markers which are symptomatic for changes in blood coagulation factors and circulating blood cell populations and might eventually affect cardiovascular function. In order to address the hypothesis, rats were exposed to various doses of PM collected from ambient air near a motorway tunnel using high-volume techniques. In addition, a reference sample (EHC-93, see below) has been used to allow inter study comparison. The biological responses to these PM samples were determined after three distinct time points: 4, 24 or 48 hr post-exposure. In order to increase the sensitivity of the analysis, spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats were selected, as being representative for people with systemic hypertension \[[@B30]\]. A wide selection of markers for toxicity and inflammation were examined.
Sampling and characterisation of particles
------------------------------------------
PM was collected on polyurethane foam (PUF) at the exit of a motorway tunnel in Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht (HIA) in the Netherlands using a high volume cascade impactor (HVCI) \[[@B45]\]. Coarse (2.5--10 μm) and fine (0.1--2.5 μm) PM were sampled separately on PUF. The PUF was cleaned before use in 3 successive baths with 30 min sonications, in water, in ethanol and in methanol respectively. The methanol extraction of collected PM from PUF includes potentially both advantages and disadvantages. Methanol, unlike water, wets the porous structure of PUF and a high extraction efficiency (up to 90--95%) of the collected PM mass has been shown \[[@B46]\]. The method has already extensively been applied in several EU funded projects \[[@B46]-[@B48]\]. After washing, PUF was dried at 50°C overnight and weighed. The collected PM samples were extracted from the PUF into 100% methanol by sonicating 2 or 3 times for 30 min, each time adding new methanol to increase PM yield. Subsequently, methanol was removed by evaporation at 30°C overnight to yield dry PM samples. Coarse and fine PM fractions, collected during week 7 and 10 in 2002, were pooled in this study to represent an integrated PM sample from the motorway tunnel at HIA (road tunnel dust, RTD). An urban air PM sample (Ottawa dust; EHC-93) recovered by vacuuming of bag-house filters of the Environmental Health Centre in Ottawa in Canada was used in this study as a second ambient PM sample. The chemical composition and biological reactivity of EHC-93 have been described earlier \[[@B49],[@B50]\]. In addition, the chemical composition of both RTD and EHC-93 was determined in the present study and the outcomes are shown in Table [2](#T2){ref-type="table"}.
######
Chemical composition of RTD and EHC-93 (μg/g).
RTD EHC-93
----- -------- --------
Cd 7.4 18.3
Pb 176 5700
Mg 5207 15983
Al 5184 14562
Si 10409 43713
Ca 11738 123403
V 83.2 99.1
Cr 53.3 44.9
Mn 376 445
Fe 12929 17759
Ni 70 41
Cu 532 760
Zn 2678 10370
Na 50819 22339
K 3172 6436
NH4 42868 222
Cl 79679 23916
NO3 130374 24319
SO4 47355 56664
PAH 0.66 0.86
Exposure by intratracheal instillation
--------------------------------------
Table [3](#T3){ref-type="table"} shows the exposure material and doses of the different animal groups (*N*= 10/group) used in this study. Rats were exposed to RTD suspended in saline (0.15, 0.5, 1.5 or 5 mg/mL) after anaesthesia with 4% halothane (Ceva, Maassluis, the Netherlands) and instilled with a volume of 2 mL/kg of body weight resulting in 0.3, 1, 3 or 10 mg/kg of body weight. EHC-93 (5 mg/mL) was employed as a reference sample used in previous studies \[[@B7],[@B51],[@B52]\]. Briefly, after a few min of 4% halothane anaesthesia the rat was fixed with the forelegs on a small vertical (60 degrees) table. The neck was lighted and a cannula was inserted through the mouth into the trachea just above the bifurcation. Proper placement of the cannula was checked with a 10 mL glass syringe BD cornwall 2193F (Becton Dickinson, Grenoble, France). With the same syringe hyperventilation was induced to get a period of about 3 seconds without breathing of the animal. During this period the volume of saline or PM sample was instilled through the cannula with a long needle ending just above the end of the trachea cannula. Immediately after the instillation, the glass syringe was used again a few times to inflate the lungs and spread the instilled volume over the lungs.
######
Exposure and dose of experimental animal groups (*N*= 10/group).
Group Exposure Dose (mg/kg of body weight)
------- ---------- -----------------------------
1 Saline \-
2 RTD 0.3
3 RTD 1
4 RTD 3
5 RTD 10
6 EHC -93 10
Biological responses were examined 4, 24 and 48 hours after exposure. Abbreviations: RTD -- particulate matter collected at the motorway tunnel in Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, the Netherlands; EHC-93 -- Ottawa dust \[22\].
Necropsy
--------
Two hours before necropsy, the animals (*N*= 6/group) were subcutaneously (s.c.) injected with 40 mg/kg of body weight 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (20 mg/mL BrdU; Sigma-Aldrich, Zwijndrecht, the Netherlands). At necropsy, animals were anaesthetised with a mixture of Ketamine/Rompun (1 mL/kg body weight i.p. of a 10:4 mix of 100 mg/mL Ketamine (Aesculaap, Boxtel, the Netherlands) and 20 mg/ml Rompun (Bayer, Leverkusen, Germany)) and sacrificed by exsanguination via the abdominal aorta. Necropsy was performed at 4, 24 or 48 hr post-exposure. Saline perfusion of the lungs was performed via the right cardiac ventriculum only for those animals that did not received BrdU (*N*= 4/group). In this study, the right lung was used to obtain BALF after ligation of the left bronchus. The right lung was lavaged (three in- and out lavages using same fluid) with a volume of saline corresponding with 27 mL/kg body weight at 37°C. The recovered BALF was placed on ice. The left lung was dissected, weighed, and preserved for histopathology after fixation for one hour under a constant pressure of 20-cm H~2~O with 10% phosphate buffered formalin.
Histopathology
--------------
The left lung was embedded in paraplast and 5 μm thick lung sections from animals exposed to saline, 3 or 10 mg/kg RTD, and 10 mg/kg EHC-93 (experimental groups 1 and 4--6; Table [3](#T3){ref-type="table"}) collected 24 and 48 hr post-exposure were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE). The pathological lesions were semiquantitatively, blindly scored by light microscopy (minimal, slight, moderate, marked and strong; *N*= 9--10/group). Furthermore, the cumulative cell proliferation was examined by immunohistochemical staining with an anti-BrdU antibody (Boehringer, Mannheim, Germany) labelled with peroxidase. BrdU-labelling was also semiquantitatively scored by estimation of inflammatory areas with higher labelling index (*N*= 6/group).
BALF analysis
-------------
The BALF from each animal was centrifuged at 400 g, 4°C, for 10 min. The cell-free fluid from the lavage was used for measurements of cellular toxicity, inflammation and oxidative stress. The pellet from the lavage was resuspended in 1 mL saline and used for total cell counts, preparation of cytospins for differential cell counts and measurement of cell viability.
### Cell counts and differentials
Total cell number was determined by mixing 0.5 mL of the cell suspension with 9.5 mL Isoton II (Beckman Coulter B.V., Mijdrecht, the Netherlands) and subsequently counting in a Coulter Counter Z1 and/or Z2 (Beckman Coulter B.V.). Cytospin slides were made in duplicate for differential cell counts and stained according to May-Grünwald and Giemsa. Per cytospin slide, 200 cells were counted (total of 400 cells per exposure) and the proportion of each cell type (macrophages, neutrophilic granulocytes, eosinophilic granulocytes and lymphocytes) was calculated on the basis of total cells per BALF sample. The viability of BALF cells was only examined 24 and 48 hr after exposure. Cell suspensions were diluted 1:1 with 0.2% trypan blue and the numbers of living and dead cells were counted in a Bürker counting chamber.
### Biochemistry
The neutrophil activity marker MPO was assayed. Briefly, samples were diluted 1:5 in freshly prepared assay solution (0.01 M sodium phosphate buffer pH 7.0, 0.01 M H~2~O~2~and 0.015 M guaiacol (Sigma-Aldrich)). The generation of tetra-guaiacol was measured at 470 nm for 2 min at 37°C at intervals of 15 seconds and and the change of optical density (OD) per min was calculated from the initial rate. The MPO activity was then calculated from the formula: U/mL = ΔOD/min × 0.752. One unit of the enzyme is defined as the amount that consumes 1 μmol H~2~O~2~per min \[[@B53]\]. LDH, NAG, ALP, UA and albumin were determined using a commercially obtained reagent kit (Roche Nederland B.V, Almere, the Netherlands). Total protein was determined using a reagent kit obtained from Pierce (Etten-Leur, the Netherlands). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine CC16 in BALF as described before \[[@B54]\]. Briefly, high-binding microtiterplates were coated with anti-CC16 serum diluted 1:4,000 in coating buffer (50 mM carbonate pH 9.4). Between each incubation step the plates were washed four times in washing buffer (PBST; phosphate buffered saline (PBS) with 0.1% Tween 20. The CC16 standards (10, 3.33, 1.11, 0.37, 0.123, 0.041, 0.0137 and 0 ng/mL) diluted in assay buffer (PBST with 0.5% BSA and the BALF samples diluted 1:10,000 were added in duplicate and incubated at 37°C for 90 min. Subsequently, plates were incubated with a polyclonal anti-CC16 antibody (1:2,000 diluted in assay buffer) at 37°C for 90 min followed by an incubation with 0.10 mL streptavidin HRP (1:10,000 diluted in assay buffer) for 30 min at room temperature. TMB-reagens was added for colour development and after stopping the reaction by adding H~2~SO~4~, the absorbance was measured at 450 nm. The CC16 concentrations in BALF samples were calculated on the basis of absorbance readings of the standards. Glutathione (GSH and GSSG) was measured as described previously \[[@B54]\]. Quantification of GSSG was accomplished by conjugation of GSH with 2-vinylpyridine in ethanol (1:20 ratio v/v). Both the vinylpyridine-treated and untreated samples were assayed for GSH concentrations by an enzymatic recycling method using glutathione reductase at 415 nm for 2 min. GSSG was calculated from the vinylpyridine-treated sample (GSSG = 2 × GSH) and GSH from the untreated sample (GSH = total glutathione - GSSG × 2). LDH was measured as a marker for cytotoxicity, NAG as an indicator for macrophage activation, ALP as a marker for type II cell damage. Albumin and total protein levels were measured as indicators for increased permeability of the alveolar-capillary barrier and CC16 for lung cell damage. In addition, the antioxidants uric acid and glutathione were measured as markers for oxidative stress. The inflammatory mediators IL-6, TNF-α and MIP-2 were determined using commercially available ELISA kit (Biosource, Etten-Leur, the Netherlands).
Blood analysis
--------------
Fibrinogen, a marker of the coagulation response, was determined in citrate plasma (DiaFibrinogen kit Cat. no. 305100; DiaMed Benelux n.v., Turnhout, Belgium). The marker for early endothelial injury, vWF, was determined in citrate plasma by ELISA (Kordia B.V., Leiden, the Netherlands) using pooled citrate plasma of unexposed rats to prepare a reference standard. Cell differentials were determined in EDTA(K~3~) (Terumo Europe N.V., Leuven, Belgium) anticoagulated blood using an H1-E Multi Species Haematology Analyser (Bayer B.V., Mijdrecht, the Netherlands). The following parameters were measured: white and red blood cell concentrations, haemoglobin and platelet concentrations, the number of lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophilic and basophilic granulocytes, as well as the haematocrit value. The ET-1 precursor bigET-1 was measured by ELISA (IBL, Hamburg, Germany) only 24 and 48 hr post-exposure.
Statistical analysis
--------------------
All biological effect parameters were log-transformed and, subsequently, a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed. Two-way ANOVA techniques were used to assess differences due to PM (RTD or EHC-93) exposure, day-to-day variation (caused by different necropsy days (*N*= 5) for a specific post-exposure time) and their interaction. The above-mentioned differences were analysed for all three post-exposure times (4, 24 and 48 hr) separately and Bonferroni was used for post-hoc analyses. In case log-transformation did not result in normal distribution of the measured parameter the non-parametric test Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test (used for the following markers: BALF lymphocytes and eosinophils; viability; protein, albumin, IL-6, MIP-2, and TNF-α at 4 hr; NAG, glutathione, GSSG, GSH, GSSG:GSH ratio, and UA at 4 as well as 24 hr post-exposure; fibrinogen; blood lymphocytes; basophilic granulocytes) or Wilcoxon signed-rank test (MPO) was performed to reveal differences between specific groups. The values are expressed as means ± standard error of the mean (SEM) and *P*values \<0.05 were regarded significant. All above-mentioned statistical analysis was performed using S-Plus software (MathSoft, Inc). The histological parameters were statistically tested with the non-parametric Wilcoxon test.
List of abbreviations
=====================
ANOVA -- analysis of variance; ALP -- alkalin phosphatase; BALF -- bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; BALT -- bronchoalveolar lymphoid tissue; BrdU -- 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine; b.w. -- body weight; CC16 -- Clara cell protein; EHC-93 -- urban PM sample, Ottawa dust; ELISA -- enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; ET-1 -- endothelin-1; GSH -- reduced glutathione; GSSG -- oxidized glutathione; HE -- hematoxylin-eosin; HIA- Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht; HVCI -- high volume cascade impactor; IL-6 -- interleukin-6; LDH -- lactate dehydrogenase; MIP-2 -- macrophage inflammatory protein-2; MPO -- myeloperoxidase; Mφ -- macrophages; NAG -- N-acetyl glucosaminidase; OD -- optical density; PM -- particulate matter; PBS -- phosphate buffered saline; PBST -- PBS with 10 mM 0.1% Tween 20; PMNs -- polymorphonuclear neutrophils; PUF -- polyurethane foam; ROFA -- residual oil fly ash; RTD -- road tunnel dust; s.c. -- subcutaneous; SEM -- standard error of the mean; SH -- spontaneously hypertensive; TNF-α -- tumor necrosis factor α; UA -- uric acid; vWF -- von Willebrand factor
Competing interests
===================
The author(s) declare that they have no competing interests.
Authors\' contributions
=======================
MEG has designed, coordinated and supervised the experimental work of this study, took part in the autopsies including the collection of BALF samples, processed the data including tables and figures, carried out the statistical analysis, and interpret the results and drafted the manuscript.
AJFB participated in the design and coordination of the study, carried out the *in vivo*experiments including sample handling, and participated in the statistical analysis.
DLACL participated in the design, supported the *in vivo*experiments and collection of blood and tissue samples, carried out several BALF and blood analysis.
JAMAD supported collection of lung tissue, performed histopathology and the statistical analysis for this part of the study.
TS is overall co-ordinator of the HEPMEAP project and participated in the design of the study and interpretation of the data.
ROS is overall co-ordinator of the PAMCHAR project and participated in the design of the study and interpretation of the data.
LvB is RIVM co-ordinator of the HEPMEAP project and participated in the design of the study and interpretation of the results.
FRC is RIVM co-ordinator of the PAMCHAR project, participated in conceiving the study, its design, interpretation of the results and is co-writer of the manuscript.
All authors have read, reviewed, commented and approved the final manuscript.
Supplementary Material
======================
###### Additional File 1
**Results of the body and organ weights, BALF and blood analyses measured 4 hours post-exposure.** Analyses were performed on material from particulate matter or saline exposed SH rats. Values are shown as means and 95% confidence interval (CI). P values \< 0.05 were regarded significant compared to saline. \*P \< 0.05, \*\*P \< 0.01 and \*\*\*P \< 0.001.
######
Click here for file
###### Additional File 2
**Results of the body and organ weights, BALF and blood analyses measured 24 hours post-exposure.** Legend and significance as indicated in [additional file 1](#S1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}.
######
Click here for file
###### Additional File 3
**Results of the body and organ weights, BALF and blood analyses measured 48 hours post-exposure.** Legend and significance as indicated in [additional file 1](#S1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}.
######
Click here for file
Acknowledgements
================
This research has been done within the framework of two European projects entitled \'Health effects from motor engine exhaust and ambient pollution (HEPMEAP; QLRT-1999-01582)\' and \'Chemical and biological characterization of ambient air coarse, fine, and ultrafine particles for human health risk assessment in Europe (PAMCHAR; QLK4-CT-2001-00423)\'. Both projects have been funded by the EC_FP5 Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources Programme. We kindly thank Renaud Vincent of the Environmental Health Centre, Ottawa, Canada for providing EHC-93, and Prof. Gurmukh Singh from VA Medical Centre and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine for providing the anti-CC16 serum. We also thank Rodger Duffin from the Institut für umweltmedizinische forschung gGmbH in Düsseldorf, Germany for performing the MPO measurement. Furthermore, the authors wish to acknowledge Mrs JP Vermeulen for her histotechnical assistance and Ingeborg M. Kooter for critically reading the manuscript. This study has been presented in part at the AAAR PM Meeting in 2003.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
} | Google, Facebook, Amazon join forces on future of AI By Jane Wakefield
Technology reporter Published duration 28 September 2016
image copyright Thinkstock image caption The collaboration comes at a time of rapid advance in the area of AI
The world's biggest technology companies are joining forces to consider the future of artificial intelligence.
Amazon, Google's DeepMind, Facebook, IBM and Microsoft will work together on issues such as privacy, safety and the collaboration between people and AI.
Dubbed the Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, it will include external experts.
One said he hoped the group would address "legitimate concerns".
"We've seen a very fast development in AI over a very short period of time," said Prof Yoshua Bengio, from the University of Montreal.
"The field brings exciting opportunities for companies and public organisations. And yet, it raises legitimate questions about the way these developments will be conducted."
Bringing the key players together would be the "best way to ensure we all share the same values and overall objectives to serve the common good", he added.
One notable absentee from the consortium is Apple. It has been in discussions with the group and may join the partnership "soon", according to one member.
The group will have an equal share of corporate and non-corporate members and is in discussions with organisations such as the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence and the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence.
It stressed that it had no plans to "lobby government or other policy-making bodies".
"AI has tremendous potential to improve many aspects of life, ranging from healthcare, education and manufacturing to home automation and transport and the founding members... hope to maximise this potential and ensure it benefits as many people as possible," it said.
It will conduct research under an open licence in the following areas:
ethics, fairness and inclusivity
transparency
privacy and interoperability (how AI works with people)
trustworthiness, reliability and robustness
Microsoft's managing director of research hailed the partnership as a "historic collaboration on AI and its influences on people and society", while IBM's ethics researcher Francesca Rossi said it would provide "a vital voice in the advancement of the defining technology of this century".
image copyright Thinkstock image caption DeepMind uses data analysis of a million eye scans to find out more about problems such as macular degeneration
Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of Google's artificial intelligence division, DeepMind, said he hoped the group would be able to "break down barriers for AI teams to share best practice and research ways to maximise societal benefits and tackle ethical concerns".
And Amazon's director of machine learning, Ralf Herbrich, said the time was ripe for such a collaboration.
"We're in a golden age of machine learning and AI," he said.
"As a scientific community, we are still a long way from being able to do things the way humans do things, but we're solving unbelievably complex problems every day and making incredibly rapid progress."
Artificial intelligence is beginning to find roles in the real world - from the basic AI used in smartphone voice assistants and web chatbots to AI agents that can take on data analysis to significant breakthroughs such as DeepMind's victory over champion Go player Lee Sedol.
image copyright Thinkstock image caption Techniques such as deep learning are allowing experts to create a digital version of the human brain
The win - in one of the world's most complex board games - was hailed as a defining moment for AI, with experts saying it had come a decade earlier than anyone had predicted.
DeepMind now has 250 scientists at its King's Cross headquarters, working on a variety of projects, including several tie-ins with the NHS to analyse medical records.
In a lecture at the Royal Academy of Engineering, founder Dr Demis Hassabis revealed the team was now working on creating an artificial hippocampus, an area of the brain regarded by neuroscientists as responsible for emotion, creativity, memory and other human attributes.
But as AI has developed, so have concerns about where the technology is heading.
One of the most vocal and high-profile naysayers is Tesla's chief executive, Elon Musk, who has tweeted the technology is "potentially more dangerous than nukes [nuclear weapons]" and expressed concerns humans were "just the biological boot loader for digital super-intelligence".
Last year, Mr Musk set up his own non-profit AI group, OpenAI. |
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
} | Board games based on television or movie franchises are nothing new. Good tabletop games based on the screen, however, are a different matter.
Far too many cater primarily to fans of the franchise; they’re decent games but not unique except for their franchise-based theme. Others may look beautiful but hide questionable gameplay, even bordering on asinine.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t good games; Star Wars (at least recently) has been a prime example of translating fandom to the tabletop. I’m just wary when picking up anything that has a movie title on it, particularly when they’re costly.
Luckily for me, my latest acquisition turned out to be worth every dollar: Big Trouble in Little China: the Game.
Big Trouble in Little China is a game as epic as the movie on which it’s based, and that’s what you precisely end up playing. Players take on roles from the film as they encounter all the troubles (big or little) of Chinatown, while becoming embroiled with the henchmen of the ancient sorcerer, Lo Pan.
Each game starts with your characters in the “Dragon of the Black Pool” Chinese restaurant, but where you go from there is up to you. As you move around the board, you’ll encounter henchman, monsters, or crates of useful items (and a few traps).
More important, you’ll experience both Main and Side Quests, that help your character (and the story) develop. The trick is to defeat enemies and complete quests for both Chi (experience), Rewards (upgrades), and Audacity (group progression) before the game moves to the showdown with Lo Pan.
There are two progression tracks initially: one for the Threat of “Big Trouble” and one for the Audacity of the players. The more enemies you defeat or quests you complete, the faster the player’s Audacity track fills; not only will you get bonus Chi along the way, but you’ll also have the advantage when entering Lo Pan’s lair.
Take too long, however, or get beaten by the sorcerer’s henchman (or the Three Storms), and “Big Trouble” comes for the players sooner than later.
Big Trouble is intimidating at first, with the huge number of components, rather thick rulebook, and large “footprint” it takes on a table. The game itself, however, runs rather smooth, whether you’re playing with four players or solo.
In each round, a player rolls their Action Dice, allocates them to slots on their sheet to do things (Move, Attack, Tasks, etc.), takes various free actions (start Quests, open Crates, etc.), and then the turn moves to the next player. Once everyone is done, the enemies on the board move and attack, and then another round begins; “Big Trouble” is checked, Threat progresses, more enemies spawn, and the players rinse and repeat.
Once either the Threat or Audacity token reaches their goal, the board is cleared and flipped over from Chinatown to Lo Pan’s Lair. Some components are put away, others are kept, and various Quests will determine how the players (and enemies) start for the showdown.
If you didn’t complete quests or progress your characters, you’ll end up at a severe disadvantage and must fight your way to Lo Pan. If you did well, you might be able to rush right in (maybe through some henchmen or a couple of “minibosses”) and begin the final fight.
I usually like to go into detail about the various rules, but Big Trouble is a bit too complex for the space in this article. So, instead, I’d like to talk about the gaming styles you’ll encounter, as this game is a mix of different types.
For one, Big Trouble sets up like Arkham Horror or Star Wars: Rebellion, with many decks, dice, tokens, sheets, etc. Some setup is random (e.g., Quests) and changes depending on the number of players (e.g., Minions); this allows not only a scalable challenge, but also makes each session unique.
Similar to Zombicide or Imperial Assault, you have a character sheet that “levels up” through the course of the game. One difference is the “stats” are replaced with dice slots, which provides each character an advantage using specific dice (Body, Mind, or Spirit).
Minions and bosses also have their own cards (or sheets), like Maximum Apocalypse or Ghostbusters, which offer a target stat (to kill or damage them), rewards for defeating them, consequences for missed rolls, and their movement and attacks. Rules dictate how they move, who they target, etc., so this is an entirely coop adventure (with no GM or enemy player necessary).
Big Trouble also borrows a technique from games like Betrayal at House on the Hill; specifically a Quest Book that you read aloud when a Main Quest is activated. Similar to “Choose Your Own Adventure” books, these quests can take multiple turns, require different types of actions (from various players), and lead through good and bad consequences.
Like several of the games I’ve mentioned, all characters and enemies also have figurines to represent them on the board. When it comes to visuals, in fact, Big Trouble is one of the coolest looking games we’ve played, and I definitely want to paint my miniatures.
Despite its complexity, Big Trouble succeeds where other franchise games have failed. Although it follows the same “railroad” plot of the movie, each game is different thanks to the random setup, scalable play, numerous characters, and in-game choices.
Visually, it’s incredible, from the board’s representation of Chinatown and Lo Pan’s Lair, to the gaudy 80’s imagery, to the figurines. Much of this is thanks to the art from Boom! Studios, which also makes the Big Trouble in Little China comic book.
The box is enormous, and that’s because they provide a second level with an insert that holds all the miniatures for the game. I loved this, but was a bit disappointed they offered no baggies for the numerous tokens; luckily, I have a lot leftover from my other games.
Also, everyone should be warned about the play time and the table space necessary to get through an entire session. Like Arkham Horror or Twilight Imperium, this is a game you need to plan to play; although I finished a solo session in a little over an hour, our multiplayer games often ran 2-3 hours.
One final warning: they’ve had a problem with some faulty components. Our retail copy contained improperly printed dice, a known flaw, but Everything Epic is well aware and has set up a FAQ and contact so that they can send you the correct items.
Despite some bad franchise-based board games in the past, Big Trouble has proven its worth. Our group enjoyed the game, even more than some of the staples we’ve mentioned.
The theme, the randomness, the difficulty, and the story combine into a unique play experience that drags you into the humor of an 80’s action-comedy. As one of our players said quite succinctly, “Many rules but fun.”
Big Trouble in Little China: the Game is on shelves now. 1-4 players, 120 minutes, Ages 14+.
I give Big Trouble an audacious 5 fortune cookies out of 5. |
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | It's been awhile since I've written anything here and I'm feeling kind of rusty. I used to love this thing and couldn't wait to come home from work and write, but now it seems pointless. There are a few reasons why:
2) I love my job so much I'm kind of obsessed with it and don't really want to distract myself. This blog could potentially be a huge time burglar.
3) I no longer live in New York City during the ever-burgeoning artistic era of Lower East Side creativity that has since been completely annihilated by yada yada rich assholes yada gentrification yada.... I live an ideal life out here in boring old Los Angeles, which I'm grateful for, but it's not exactly the most inspiring city. It's no pre-9/11 Manhattan.
4) I'm happy and I can't write when I'm happy. I don't know why this is true, all I know is that whenever things are rough I am better at articulating myself.
5) No one blogs anymore. Blogging is for people in their 20's who are defining themselves, or people in their 50's who are reinventing themselves. That said, I'm definitely going to have an old lady blog someday, mostly about my all-female ragtime band, Pickleback.
Anyhow. Here is the last reason I'm not writing here anymore:**
6) I'm turning this blog into a podcast! I'm really excited about it. Stay tuned for Everything Is Annoying. |
{
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} | Angry crowds and outraged members of Brazil’s congress have demanded the impeachment of President Michel Temer following reports he was secretly recorded discussing hush money pay-offs to a jailed associate.
The tapes were presented to prosecutors as part of a plea bargain by Joesley and Wesley Batista, brothers who run the country’s biggest meat-packing firm JBS, according to O Globo newspaper.
They are said to contain conversations that incriminate several leading politicians, including the former presidential candidate Aecio Neves and the former finance minister Guido Mantega.
Temer is alleged to have talked with Joesley about cash payments to Eduardo Cunha, the former speaker of the House who has been jailed for his role in the sprawling Petrobras corruption scandal.
Cunha is in the same ruling Brazilian Democratic Movement party as Temer and initiated the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff that allowed him to take over the presidency. He has alluded to the many secrets he knows about his former colleagues.
In covert recordings made during two conversations in March, Joesley tells Temer he is paying Cunha to keep him quiet, to which the president allegedly replies: “You have to keep it going, OK?”
According to Globo, police also have audio and video evidence that Temer’s aide Rocha Loures negotiated bribes worth 500,000 reais (US$160,000) a week for 20 years in return for helping JBS overcome a problem with the fair trade office.
Planalto, the presidential palace, issued a statement denying the claims: “President Michel Temer never solicited payments to obtain the silence of former deputy Eduardo Cunha. He neither participated nor authorised any activity with the objective of preventing testimonies or cooperation with justice officials by the parliamentarian.”
No audio or transcripts were released. The supreme court has refused to comment on the validity of the alleged leak – but the news has enraged the public. Shouts and pot-banging (a traditional form of protest in Latin America) could be heard when the allegations were aired on TV. Crowds also gathered outside the presidential palace chanting “Fora Temer” (Temer out). Two congressmen submitted impeachment motions in the lower house.
Politics is likely to become more paralysed – even before the latest claims Temer’s administration was in crisis. Three of his ministers have been forced to resign and eight others are implicated in the lava jato (car wash) corruption investigation. The president’s approval ratings have fallen to single digits, the economy remains mired in recession and opponents recently organised a general strike in protest at his austerity policies and proposed changes to pension, labour and environmental laws. The possibility of Brazil unseating another president has moved closer, though the ruling coalition has a large majority in Congress.
The JBS allegations also threaten one of his most powerful allies. Joesely Batista is said to have recorded senator and former presidential candidate Aecio Neves of the centre-right Brazilian Social Democratic party requesting two million reais in bribes. According to Globo, federal police filmed the payment to the senator’s cousin. The money was then tracked to a bank account of a company belonging to Zeze Perrella, who – like Neves – is a PSDB senator from Minas Gerais.
It is not the first time Perrella has been linked to crime. In 2013 a helicopter belonging to his son Gustavo was seized by police with 445 kilograms of cocaine on board. Only the pilot was arrested.
None of the major parties looks set to emerge unscathed from the plea bargain by JBS. Guido Mantega, finance minister in the last Workers party government, has also allegedly been accused of accepting cash in return for lobbying on behalf of JBS with the Brazilian National Development Bank. |
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} | Target animacy influences gorilla handedness.
We investigated the unimanual actions of a biological family group of twelve western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) using a methodological approach designed to assess behavior within social context from a bottom-up perspective. Measures of both the lateralization of unimanual actions (left, right) and the target of the action (animate, inanimate) were assessed during dual, synchronized video observations of naturalistic behavior. This paper demonstrates a corelationship between handedness and the animate quality of the target object. Analyses demonstrated a significant interaction between lateralized unimanual actions and target animacy and a right-hand bias for actions directed toward inanimate targets. We suggest that lateralized motor preference reflects the different processing capabilities of the left and right hemispheres, as influenced by the emotive (animate) and/or functional (inanimate) characteristics of the target, respectively. |
{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} | The present invention relates to an electrical, medium voltage, switching mechanism, which includes a casing having a gaseous or liquid insulating material filling; in the casing, between a cable connection and a bus bar, a change-over switch, which can alternately switch between a phase contact and a ground contact, follows a load disconnector, which is in the form of a vacuum switching tube, and has a fixed contact piece and an axially movable cooperating contact piece which is connected via an insulator with an actuating element.
A switching mechanism of this type operates without a separate actual grounding switch, and includes the load disconnector in the grounding effect in that after the switching of the change-over switch from the phase contact to the ground contact, the two contact portions of the load disconnector are agains joined. A locking means in the actuating mechanism assures that the change-over switch can only be actuated when the load disconnector is open. The change-over switch is therefore partially a phase disconnector which switches free of load, and partially a grounding switch which in the transmitting sense similarly switches free of load. The use of a vacuum switching tube permits a particularly large number of high-energy switching cycles. By including the casing and the insulating material filling, the switching mechanism can be free of service for a protracted period of time, and has great reliability even in a moist, dusty, or otherwise aggressive or corrosive environment.
In connection with an electrical, medium voltage switching field, according to which the entire cable connection is disposed in an air-insulated understructure to which all the phases are common, German Pat. No. 28 18 905 discloses the successive arrangement in an insulating gas filled metal casing, of a vacuum switching tube and a standard disconnector between a cable connection and a bus line. Via an insulating material plate, the vacuum switching plate is centrally disposed at the lower end of a tubular container; in contrast, the disconnector is disposed in a second container which contains the bus bar. Despite the object of wanting to be able to service the switching field in an advantageous manner, and to be able to keep the insulating gas volume of the switching field casing small, for the removal and installation of the two switches into and out of the insulating gas filled casing can only be handled in stages while consuming a lot of time, and the two lateral introductions of the switch drives or controls, in addition to requiring a complicated container shape, also require a proportionately large amount of space.
It is an object of the present invention, for an electrical, medium voltage, switching mechanism of the aforementioned general type, to provide a type of construction which has a high operating reliability but requires little space, is economical to manufacture, and can be serviced in a manner which saves time. |
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | The first adventure of the Orc War-series clocks in at 25 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page SRD, leaving us with 22 pages of content, so let’s take a look!
Now, before we take a look at the adventure, let us first talk about the supplemental material herein: The pdf devotes 7 pages of its content to 1st-level pregens, all of which sport decent full-color artworks as map tokens. They come with 2 pretty generic roleplaying traits and a “negative” – a roleplaying quirk, if you will. Unfortunately, the pregens stats deviate in some ways from standard formatting: Spells are not italicized and while I like that the pdf lists abilities, making them a bit more detailed would have helped. E.g. the “helpful” half-elf traits lack the “immunity to sleep”-note, which is game-relevant. It’s a decent idea, but execution is not consequent. Same goes for the abbreviated familiar stats, which sport numerous errors, provided they’re based on the default toad stats.
The pdf introduces rules for a new skill Orc Smithy, which works sans forge to make ramshackle, makeshift weapons and armor. No precise rules are given for how much material you require to make a given item. The skill even fails to specify the governing attribute. Not usable as written. The pdf also introduces savage weaponry. These weapons have sharp stuff added – per default 4, 6 or 8 arrows, per the respective weapon-size. How exactly? No frickin clue. “To prep a weapon, it takes 4, 6 and 8 arrows for a weapon of comparatively small, medium or large, and 5 minutes.”[sic!] Rules-language this is not. A weapon thus prepared, in whatever way, inflicts +1d4 additional damage on the first two attacks with it. Misses count. The notation of the bonus damage violates PFRPG-formatting conventions and fails to specify its type. Also, RAW, bolts etc. cannot be used. Only broken arrows. Also, fails to specify how this damage behaves on crits. Non-operational.
All right, so let’s move on to the adventure and see if it fares better than the crunch. From here on out, we’ll have SPOILERS. Potential players should jump to the conclusion.
…
..
.
All right, still here? The little Jaggard Isle, setting of this module, sports one city, one village and a couple of hamlets “The West Coast holds the ruins of a long lost population.” [sic!] – I am pretty sure that’s supposed to be “civilization.” The adventure begins as the PCs are awaiting their breakfast in the Mourning Shade Valley Hamlet – which would be as well as place as any to note that the pdf sometimes capitalizes things that shouldn’t be capitalized – like races, classes, etc. The PCs are told to go to a remote farm, meet up with a deputy and secure the place…killing all orcs they encounter. While the pdf does have (useless) information to be gleaned via interrogation of defeated foes, there is no reward for not killing foes…and the bounty is on orc hands, so yeah – murderhobo-ing.
On the trail to the farm, PCs can encounter find the body of a downed deputy – and after that, the PCs can defeat a scouting troupe of orcs and catch an opportunistic looter (and sucky liar) redhanded. Consequences? well, at least here, none.
After that, tracking the orcs leads to a road block…which is a pretty cool set-up with smart behaving foes…but, alas, the tactics are a bit…oddly phrased. Orcs will charge the party after a volley of javelins in the first round? I’d love to see how that works rules-wise. The final encounter, then, would pit the PCs against a small orc outpost – on a nitpicky note, the map is labeled with the “Sub Searents Quarters”[sic!], where the PCs can free a target from the process of body harvesting…and it’s done. The adventure abruptly and suddenly just ends.
Now each of the encounters has notes on how to scale the creature opposition for 1st, 2nd and 3rd level, but this does not extend to DCs. We get 4 orc statblocks and wolf statblock and come with map tokens as well. The orcs all are warriors, so expect not tactical finesse or excitement there. Also: Wolves are Medium, their map tokens, however, are Large – which is frankly wrong.
Now, where the pdf shines would be the maps. The module comes with a 36 map booklet, with the overview maps of all encounters in player-friendly, pretty nice full-color artworks. Where applicable, roofed versions are included for buildings, so you can just “take off” the roof if a PC enters the structures. Better yet, the maps are included in tile-style versions that’d allow you to print them out – and yep, they’re pretty detailed and nice to look at.
Conclusion:
Editing and formatting are not up to par on either a formal or rules-language level. Layout adheres to a decent two-column full-color standard with brown background. This is not a printer-friendly module. The map token style artworks are nice enough. The cartography is by far the best part of the offering, in full-color and rather detailed. The pdf has no bookmarks, which constitutes a serious comfort detriment. Finally, read-aloud text is presented as italicized and with a shadow that is somewhat less than aesthetically pleasing.
Grae Hunter’s little module here…is not good. The scaling is not consequent, the encounters are generic, the opposition boring and the module is shorter than most PFS scenarios. If your PCs are halfway capable, you can crush through this module in less than 2 hours. No kidding. If it has rules, it’ll probably have some sort of minor (or major) issue. The new crunch is atrocious and non-operational. Worse for a module with this title, the encounters are bland, and their themes have been done infinitely better in various publications. The module abruptly jump-cuts to black. The foes are underpowered. The story and atmosphere are weak. I have nothing positive to say about any aspect of the module. Heck, the NPC stats managed to fail to cut copy paste the wolf’s stats accurately, missing Perception among the skills. Well, at least it’s in the first block.
That being said, this does have at least ONE thing that *MAY* be worth the asking price. The maps. Unlike the tokens, they have no issues, sport some serious detail and, overall, are well-done. HOWEVER, quite frankly, for the price-point you get potentially more and better maps as well. Still, credit where credit is due. That aspect, at least, is well-done.
Still, I can’t even come close to recommending this very brief and generic module. My final verdict will clock in at 1.5 stars, rounded up ONLY due to the maps included and the bonus that freshman offerings get.
You can get these maps (just assuming you won’t want the module…) here on OBS! |
{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
} | Narendra Kumar Kashyap
Narendra Kumar Kashyap (born 15/01/1963 Village Saravani, Ghaziabad district, Uttar Pradesh) is a politician from Bharatiya Janata Party. He was a Bahujan Samaj Party Member of the Parliament of India representing Uttar Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.
He has studied BA and LLB and is Advocate by profession.
Now currently he is on bail for his daughter in law's dowry harassment and dowry death case.
References
Category:Living people
Category:Bahujan Samaj Party politicians from Uttar Pradesh
Category:Rajya Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh
Category:1963 births
Category:People from Ghaziabad district, India
Category:Indian prisoners and detainees |
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
} | 【2月14日 AFP】ロシア海軍の黒海艦隊（Black Sea Fleet）は13日、巡航ミサイル「カリブル（Kalibr）」を搭載した艦艇を地中海（Mediterranean）に派遣したと発表した。同国の報道によると艦艇はシリアに向かっている。
黒海艦隊によると、この艦艇は同艦隊に昨年12月に配備されたばかりのミサイル艦ゼリョーヌィ・ドル（Zelyony Dol）。ロシア通信（RIA Novosti）は、黒海艦隊の基地があるクリミア（Crimea）半島の防衛当局筋の話として、ゼリョーヌィ・ドルはシリアに向かっておりロシアによるシリア政府軍支援に参加する可能性があると伝えた。
防衛当局筋は「派遣の目的は明らかにされていないが、長距離巡航ミサイルを搭載していることから軍事作戦参加の可能性は排除すべきでない」と述べたという。昨年建造されたばかりのゼリョーヌィ・ドルは先週、大規模な上陸作戦演習に参加したばかりだった。
ロシアはシリアでの空爆作戦で批判を受けている。米国は先週、シリア北部アレッポ（Aleppo）の反体制派への攻撃を支援することでシリア和平協議を妨げているとロシアを批判した。一方、ロシアのドミトリー・メドベージェフ（Dmitry Medvedev）首相は11日、米軍主導の有志国連合によるシリアへの地上部隊派遣は、新たな戦争を引き起こすと警告した。(c)AFP |
{
"pile_set_name": "DM Mathematics"
} | 2*j. What is the greatest common factor of 15 and m?
15
Let s be (162/12)/(2/4). Suppose 2*w + 7 = s. Suppose 547 = 5*v - 3*g, 5*v - 2*g + 6*g = 554. What is the highest common divisor of v and w?
10
Suppose -5*t - f + 225 = 0, -4*t + 199 = -0*t - 3*f. Calculate the greatest common divisor of 69 and t.
23
Let f(g) = -63*g**3 - g. Let x be f(-1). Let z(b) = 21*b - 5. Let t be z(1). Calculate the highest common divisor of t and x.
16
Suppose -3*h + 4*h - 1 = 0. Calculate the greatest common divisor of 19 and h.
1
Suppose -2*q - b = -6*b - 19, 0 = -3*q - 4*b + 40. Let a be (-30)/4*q/(-9). Let u = a - 0. Calculate the greatest common divisor of 2 and u.
2
Let v(j) = j**2 + 9*j + 8. Let h be v(-7). Let u = 12 + h. Let r be (-3)/u*2 + 27. What is the highest common factor of r and 39?
13
Suppose 0*s - 2*s = -4. Suppose -s*k - 18 = -2*n + 8, -5*k = -n + 9. Let h = 141 - 85. What is the greatest common factor of n and h?
14
Let n = 6 + 12. Let y = 26 + -17. What is the greatest common divisor of y and n?
9
Let z = 1 + 1. Let x be (-3)/(((-1)/z)/1). Calculate the greatest common factor of 2 and x.
2
Let m(u) = 4*u - 4. Suppose -4*j + 30 = -j. Let b be m(j). Calculate the highest common divisor of b and 12.
12
Let j = 81 - 59. What is the highest common factor of j and 55?
11
Let a(g) = -8*g + 119. Let q be a(0). Calculate the greatest common divisor of q and 7.
7
Suppose 2*f = -3*f + 80. Calculate the highest common divisor of 136 and f.
8
Suppose -4 + 1 = -w. Let z(s) = -s**3 - 3*s**2 - 3*s - 3. Let u be z(-3). What is the highest common factor of w and u?
3
Let a = 407 - 269. Let d = a + -68. Calculate the greatest common factor of 14 and d.
14
Let a = -5 - -17. Let c = 34 + -10. Calculate the greatest common factor of c and a.
12
Let h = -15 + 36. Calculate the greatest common factor of h and 3.
3
Let p = 1 + 1. Let a = 5 - 15. Let n = a - -24. Calculate the greatest common factor of n and p.
2
Suppose -612 = -5*h - 12*h. Calculate the highest common divisor of 72 and h.
36
Let g = -17 + 24. What is the highest common factor of g and 56?
7
Let f = 6 - 0. Suppose 4*u = 2*j - f, -2*u - 24 = -3*j - u. Suppose -d - 8*x + 77 = -7*x, -2*d + 174 = -3*x. What is the greatest common factor of d and j?
9
Let u(d) = -d**3 - 9*d**2 + 3*d + 6. Let n be u(-10). Let c = 32 - n. Let h = -30 - c. What is the highest common divisor of 35 and h?
7
Let k(z) = z**2 + 8*z - 3. Let s be k(-9). Calculate the greatest common factor of s and 36.
6
Suppose -4*d = 3*l + 864, 2*l = -5*d - 1696 + 616. Let h be (6/12)/((-2)/d). Calculate the highest common divisor of h and 18.
18
Let g be 1 + 2 - (2 + -5). Suppose -2*k + 63 + 48 = -3*z, -265 = -5*k + 5*z. Calculate the highest common divisor of k and g.
6
Suppose 16*v - 427 = -91. Let f be (-14)/3 - 1/3. Let b be (-4)/(-10) + (-13)/f. What is the highest common divisor of b and v?
3
Let x = 6 + 8. Let w = -254 + 171. Let m = w - -118. What is the highest common divisor of x and m?
7
Let l = 62 - 20. Calculate the greatest common divisor of l and 14.
14
Let m = -16 + 10. Let n = 10 + m. Suppose -n*q = -5*b + 107, 0*b - 4*b = q - 94. Calculate the greatest common factor of b and 115.
23
Let w be 8/3*(26/8 - 1). Calculate the greatest common divisor of w and 2.
2
Suppose 0 = 3*m - 6*m - 2*v + 1920, m = -4*v + 650. What is the highest common divisor of 58 and m?
58
Let s be (16/(-4))/4*-11. Let p = s - 0. What is the greatest common factor of p and 55?
11
Let x(m) = 4*m + 56. Let l be x(-13). What is the greatest common factor of 4 and l?
4
Let x be (1 + 0)/((-3)/(-15)). Let y be (-22)/(-8) + 1/4. Suppose 45 = y*n - 3*w, 3*n - x*w = 12 + 43. What is the greatest common factor of n and 90?
10
Let z be -9 + 74 + (-1 - 0)/1. Let a(i) = 4*i + 8. Let u be a(6). What is the greatest common factor of z and u?
32
Let z(t) = t**2 + 17. Let y be z(0). Suppose -103 = -4*c + y. Calculate the highest common divisor of 20 and c.
10
Suppose -3*l - 6 = -0*l. Let f be (l - 1)/((-1)/7). Suppose -26*t = -27*t + 168. What is the highest common divisor of t and f?
21
Suppose -15 = -c - 1. What is the greatest common divisor of 21 and c?
7
Suppose 0 = -c + 3*c - 3*k - 9, -27 = -5*c + 3*k. Let f be 2*(0 - (-9)/c). What is the greatest common factor of f and 24?
3
Let u be 1*-2*33/(-6). Suppose -w = m - 3*w - u, 0 = 2*m + 3*w - 36. Calculate the highest common factor of 3 and m.
3
Let b = 6 - 4. Suppose -d - 13 = -b*d. What is the highest common factor of d and 26?
13
Suppose 0*k + k = 176. Suppose -3 - 2 = 5*n. Let r be -2 + 18 + n + 1. Calculate the highest common divisor of r and k.
16
Let d = -175 - -319. Let i = -21 + 37. What is the greatest common factor of i and d?
16
Suppose y = -0*y - 20. Let a = -1 - y. What is the highest common factor of a and 38?
19
Let b = -154 + 259. Suppose -2 = -z + 13. Calculate the greatest common factor of b and z.
15
Let f(i) = i**3 + 11*i**2 - 12*i + 1. Let v be f(-12). Let j be -4 - -7 - (-43 + v). Calculate the highest common factor of j and 18.
9
Let b(y) = -y**3 - 4*y**2 + 5*y + 3. Let x be b(-6). Calculate the greatest common factor of x and 9.
9
Suppose 0 = -2*c + y + 116, 0*c - 3*c - 5*y = -148. Let f be (-2)/(1 + 0) - -10. Calculate the highest common factor of c and f.
8
Let a = -46 + 123. Suppose -3*y = -40 + 19. Calculate the greatest common factor of a and y.
7
Suppose 2*c = c + 16. What is the highest common factor of c and 8?
8
Let w be (-2)/7 - (-312)/14. Let m = 42 - w. Let y(g) = g - 4. Let d be y(12). What is the greatest common factor of d and m?
4
Suppose 3*s + 3*n - 54 = -0*s, s + 5*n = 6. What is the greatest common factor of s and 189?
21
Let h = -11 + 17. Let p be 112*(h/(-4) + 2). Let n be (7/(-2))/(3/(-6)). What is the highest common divisor of n and p?
7
Suppose -k - 33 = -5*u + 178, 35 = u - 2*k. What is the greatest common factor of u and 43?
43
Let a be (1 - -1 - -1) + 1. Suppose 6*j - a*j = 242. Calculate the highest common factor of j and 11.
11
Let k(h) = -7*h - 30. Let z be k(-6). What is the highest common factor of 108 and z?
12
Suppose -x + 2*u + 38 = 2*x, 4*x - 56 = 4*u. Let b = x - 8. Suppose b*h - h = 9. Calculate the greatest common divisor of 36 and h.
9
Let h(p) = -p**3 + 8*p**2 - 5*p - 10. Let w be h(7). Let d be (1 - w)*1 + 19. Calculate the highest common divisor of 64 and d.
16
Suppose 10*m - 15 = 13*m. Let w(g) = -4*g - 1 + 4*g - g. Let u be w(m). What is the greatest common divisor of 44 and u?
4
Let f be (1/(-6)*4)/((-3)/54). What is the greatest common divisor of f and 42?
6
Suppose 0 = 4*o - 9*o. Suppose -5*c + 3*r - 2*r = -960, o = 4*c + 5*r - 768. Suppose -u + c = 2*u. What is the highest common factor of 8 and u?
8
Let r = 48 + -44. What is the highest common factor of 16 and r?
4
Suppose -10 = f + 3*x - 5, -3*f + 10 = 4*x. Let t be ((-3)/(-2))/(1/f). Calculate the greatest common factor of t and 6.
3
Suppose 0 = m + 5*i - 23, 4*m - 18 = 2*m - 3*i. Suppose m*u = -u + 12. Suppose 0 = -u*j + j + 14. Calculate the greatest common factor of 7 and j.
7
Suppose 270 = 3*z - 0*z. Let w(c) = 2*c + 2. Let g be w(4). What is the greatest common divisor of z and g?
10
Suppose -5*v + 330 = 4*w, 5*w + 66 + 29 = v. Calculate the highest common divisor of 175 and v.
35
Let a be (1 - 2)*5/(-1). Suppose -a*n + 0*n = 0. Suppose -3*g + 13 = p, 5*g - 3*g - 4*p + 10 = n. Calculate the greatest common factor of 21 and g.
3
Let n(j) be the first derivative of -j**3/3 - 2*j**2 + 3*j - 3. Let a be n(-4). What is the highest common divisor of a and 24?
3
Suppose -3*o + 400 = -2*a, -5*o + 5*a = -655 - 15. Suppose 6*f - 36 = 3*f. Calculate the greatest common divisor of o and f.
12
Let m be (3 - -2*5)*1. What is the greatest common factor of m and 26?
13
Suppose 3*r - 1 - 65 = 0. What is the highest common factor of 2 and r?
2
Let n be (3/(-6))/(1/(-4)). Let q = n + 0. What is the greatest common factor of 22 and q?
2
Suppose 0*r - 4*r + 40 = 0. Calculate the highest common divisor of 10 and r.
10
Suppose 4*u = 21 + 99. Let h = 29 - 24. Calculate the greatest common divisor of h and u.
5
Suppose 135 = -0*h + h. Let k = h + -15. Suppose 3*t + 15 = 4*t. Calculate the highest common divisor of k and t.
15
Suppose 4*t - 5 = 7. Suppose 0 = -4*o + 5 + 7. Calculate the greatest common factor of |
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | 'Kick-Ass 2' review: Who's laughing now?
“Kick-Ass 2” co-star Jim Carrey recently denounced the film due to its extreme violence. Though someone who starred in “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” and “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” hardly qualifies as a reliable judge of quality, Mr. Carrey has a point, not necessarily about the extent of the violence but its tone. Example: Before leading a band of vigilantes into a den of evil to brutally attack some gangsters, Colonel Stars and Stripes (Carrey) says, “Try to have fun; otherwise, what’s the point?”
That’s not to say that real-life, gun-related violence means action movies have to disappear. It means that people should balk at films like “Kick-Ass 2” (and last month’s “Red 2”) that treat carnage with a smirk. Sheesh, the movie opens with Mindy/Hit-Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) firing a handgun, and then a bigger gun, at Dave/Kick-Ass (Aaron Johnson) to test his bullet-proof vest. Adapting a comic book captured with more laughs and less nastiness in 2010’s original film, writer-director Jeff Wadlow plays the scene for chuckles. Yes, a few audience members obliged.
When Hit-Girl decides to return to her life as 15-year-old, non-superhero Mindy and fall in with a gang of “Mean Girls” wannabes, Kick-Ass aligns with Justice Forever, a group of powerless vigilantes led by Colonel Stars and Stripes and conveniently featuring a lovely, available girl who goes by Night Bitch (Lindy Booth). She’s one of roughly 10 characters called “bitch” throughout the film, which can’t decide what the term represents—other than lazy writing and a determination demeaning its women and/or emasculating its men. This justice league (no relation to the Justice League) becomes a target for Chris/the Mother[Bleeper] (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), formerly known as Red Mist and still wanting vengeance for Kick-Ass’ murdering Chris’ father.
In fact, “Kick-Ass 2” loses sight of the fact that when two people seek mutual revenge for similar offenses, the notion of good and evil disappears. Unlike the indifferently acted “Red 2,” “Kick-Ass 2” is never boring and works better than it should thanks to Johnson and Moretz. Yet there’s a big difference between edgy and cheap, and it should be clear which side numerous gay/racist/masturbation jokes land on.
That’s the tone here: crass and affected, preferring to snicker instead of recognize that kids wielding guns is a troubling thing and amateurs hunting down bad guys has moral and physical consequences. Chris shouts “I wish you were dead!” and kicks his mom’s tanning bed so, well, you can probably guess. Hit-Girl notes that she’d rather be waterboarded than listen to Justin Bieber (is there a third choice?) and quips while chopping off a guy’s hand “Pants on fire,” since he just lied about something. To quote Adam Scott in “Party Down,” are we having fun yet?
Watch Matt on “You & Me This Morning,” Friday at 6:55 a.m. on WCIU, the U |
{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
} | Q:
OpenGL ES 2.0 / MonoTouch: Rendering GUI Textures shows nothing
I building a simple Framework for OpenGL UI's for MonoTouch. I set up everything and also succeeded rendering 3D Models, but a simple 2D texture object fails. The texture has a size of 256x256 so it's not to large and its power of two.
Here is some rendering code( Note: I did remove the existing, and working code ):
// Render the gui objects ( flat )
Projection = Matrix4x4.Orthographic(0, WindowProperties.Width, WindowProperties.Height, 0);
View = new Matrix4x4();
GL.Disable(All.CullFace);
GL.Disable(All.DepthTest);
_Stage.RenderGui();
Stage:
public void RenderGui ()
{
Draw(this);
// Renders every child control, all of them call "DrawImage" when rendering something
}
public void DrawImage (Control caller, ITexture2D texture, PointF position, SizeF size)
{
PointF gposition = caller.GlobalPosition; // Resulting position is 0,0 in my tests
gposition.X += position.X;
gposition.Y += position.Y;
// Renders the ui model, this is done by using a existing ( and working vertex buffer )
// The shader gets some parameters ( this works too in 3d space )
_UIModel.Render(new RenderParameters() {
Model = Matrix4x4.Scale(size.Width, size.Height, 1) * Matrix4x4.Translation(gposition.X, gposition.Y, 0),
TextureParameters = new TextureParameter[] {
new TextureParameter("texture", texture)
}
});
}
The model is using a vector2 for positions, no other attributes are given to the shader.
The shader below should render the texture.
Vertex:
attribute vec2 position;
uniform mat4 modelViewMatrix;
varying mediump vec2 textureCoordinates;
void main()
{
gl_Position = modelViewMatrix * vec4(position.xy, -3.0, 1.0);
textureCoordinates = position;
}
Fragment:
varying mediump vec2 textureCoordinates;
uniform sampler2D texture;
void main()
{
gl_FragColor = texture2D(texture, textureCoordinates) + vec4(0.5, 0.5, 0.5, 0.5);
}
I found out that the drawing issue is caused by the shader. This line produces a GL_INVALID_OPERATION( It works with other shaders ):
GL.UniformMatrix4(uni.Location, 1, false, (parameters.Model * _Device.View * _Device.Projection).ToArray());
EDIT:
It turns out that the shader uniform locations changed( Yes i'm wondering about this too, because the initialization happens when the shader is completly initialized. I changed it, and now everything works.
As mentioned in the other thread the texture is wrong, but this is another issue ( OpenGL ES 2.0 / MonoTouch: Texture is colorized red )
The shader initialization with the GL.GetUniformLocation problem mentioned above:
[... Compile shaders ...]
// Attach vertex shader to program.
GL.AttachShader (_Program, vertexShader);
// Attach fragment shader to program.
GL.AttachShader (_Program, pixelShader);
// Bind attribute locations
for (int i = 0; i < _VertexAttributeList.Length; i++) {
ShaderAttribute attribute = _VertexAttributeList [i];
GL.BindAttribLocation (_Program, i, attribute.Name);
}
// Link program
if (!LinkProgram (_Program)) {
GL.DeleteShader (vertexShader);
GL.DeleteShader (pixelShader);
GL.DeleteProgram (_Program);
throw new Exception ("Shader could not be linked");
}
// Get uniform locations
for (int i = 0; i < _UniformList.Length; i++) {
ShaderUniform uniform = _UniformList [i];
uniform.Location = GL.GetUniformLocation (_Program, uniform.Name);
Console.WriteLine ("Uniform: {0} Location: {1}", uniform.Name, uniform.Location);
}
// Detach shaders
GL.DetachShader (_Program, vertexShader);
GL.DetachShader (_Program, pixelShader);
GL.DeleteShader (vertexShader);
GL.DeleteShader (pixelShader);
// Shader is initialized add it to the device
_Device.AddResource (this);
A:
I don't know what Matrix4x4.Orthographic uses as near-far range, but if it's something simple like [-1,1], the object may just be out of the near-far-interval, since you set its z value explicitly to -3.0 in the vertex shader (and neither the scale nor the translation of the model matrix will change that). Try to use a z of 0.0 instead. Why is it -3, anyway?
EDIT: So if GL.UniformMatrix4 function throws a GL_INVALID_OPERATION, it seems you didn't retrieve the corresponding unfiorm location successfully. So the code where you do this might also help to find the issue.
Or it may also be that you call GL.UniformMatrix4 before the corresponding shader program is used. Keep in mind that uniforms can only be set once the program is active (GL.UseProgram or something similar was called with the shader program).
And by the way, you're multiplying the matrices in the wrong order, anyway (given your shader and matrix setting code). If it really works this way for other renderings, then you either were just lucky or you have some severe conceptual and mathemtical inconsistency in your matrix library.
A:
It turns out that the shader uniforms change at a unknown time. Everything is created and initialized when i ask OpenGL ES for the uniform location, so it must be a bug in OpenGL.
Calling GL.GetUniformLocation(..) each time i set the shader uniforms solves the problem.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
} | The provincial government has announced smoking cannabis will be allowed wherever it is legal to smoke tobacco and Chatham-Kent’s medical officer of health has said they should be treated alike.
“Smoke is smoke and I have always advocated that all types of that kind of personal use smoke be regulated the same way,” said Dr. David Colby, who added he can’t comment on any specific policy.
Under Chatham-Kent’s 2014 smoking bylaw, smoking is not prohibited on streets, including sidewalks. However, it is prohibited in several other areas, including municipal property like parklands, playgrounds, beaches, boardwalks and certain pedestrian pathways.
The announcement came Wednesday from Attorney General Caroline Mulroney, who said the Progressive Conservative government intends to amend the Smoke Free Ontario Act to have cannabis smoke treated the same as smoke from tobacco and e-cigarettes.
“In addition, the legislation would prohibit the consumption of cannabis in vehicles and boats that are being driven or under a person’s care or control, recognizing that in these circumstances cannabis poses risks similar to alcohol,” Mulroney said.
Colby said he doesn’t think anyone should smoke cigarettes and further said it is much safer to use cannabis by ingestion or vaping.
“I think the hazards of second-hand smoke are due to smoke and it doesn’t matter if it’s tobacco, hashish, cannabis or anything else,” he said. “It’s not that I’m lenient with cannabis. It’s rather I’m just as stringent with tobacco smoke.”
The previous Liberal provincial government had passed legislation which would have allowed smoking of recreational cannabis only inside private residences or outside on private property.
According to Colby, second-hand smoke is more hazardous inside closed spaces compared to outside areas.
“The dilution factor of outside air really minimizes the potential to get second-hand smoke exposure at significant levels,” he said. “You might catch a scent of it or something like that, whether it’s tobacco or cannabis, but it’s really the hazard for second-hand smoke is an indoor phenomenon.”
Recreational cannabis will be legal in Canada Oct. 17. In Ontario, those 19 years or older will be able to purchase it through an online retailer. Private stores are expected to open in April.
– With files from Postmedia Network |
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} | Choosing an Advanced Therapy in Parkinson's Disease; is it an Evidence-Based Decision in Current Practice?
In advanced Parkinson's disease (PD), neurologists and patients face a complex decision for an advanced therapy. When choosing a treatment, the best available evidence should be combined with the professional's expertise and the patient's preferences. The objective of this study was to explore current decision-making in advanced PD. We conducted focus group discussions and individual interviews with patients (N = 20) who had received deep brain stimulation, Levodopa-Carbidopa intestinal gel, or subcutaneous apomorphine infusion, and with their caregivers (N = 16). Furthermore, we conducted semi-structured interviews with neurologists (N = 7) and PD nurse specialists (N = 3) to include the perspectives of all key players in this decision-making process. Data were analyzed by two researchers using a qualitative thematic analysis approach. Four themes representing current experiences with the decision-making process were identified: 1) information and information needs, 2) factors influencing treatment choice and individual decision strategies, 3) decision-making roles, and 4) barriers and facilitators to shared decision-making (SDM). Patient preferences were taken into account, however patients were not always provided with adequate information. The professional's expertise influenced the decision-making process in both positive and negative ways. Although professionals and patients considered SDM essential for the decision of an advanced treatment, they mentioned several barriers for the implementation in current practice. In this study we found several factors explaining why in current practice, evidence-based decision-making in advanced PD is not optimal. An important first step would be to develop objective information on all treatment options. |
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | MS + Yahoo! = Microhoo! - Official!
Poll result It's official: the unholy spawn of the Microsoft-Yahoo! coupling shall forthwith be known as Microhoo!, following a resounding victory for the neologism in our recent reader poll.
In the end, Microhoo! secured no less than 30! per! cent! of the 4,249 votes cast, soundly thrashing YaMicrohoosoft! into second spot.
The results were:
Microhoo! - 30 per cent (1282 votes)
YaMicrohoosoft! - 20 per cent (840)
Microshoo! - 17 per cent (722)
YahSoft! - 12 per cent (530)
Mahoo! - 10 per cent (424)
Mihoo! - 7 per cent (296)
MiYahoo! - 4 per cent (155)
Naturally, this historic decision requires a suitable logo and corporate mantra to best express the core values of the Microhoo! paradigm, and our Strategy Boutique has brainstormed without respite to offer Microhoo! shareholders this ultimate embodiment of its commitment to the end-user demographic:
So there you have it: the glorious dawn on a new era of peace on Earth, an end to world hunger and a better future for our children and our children's children in the warm embrace of Microhoo! ®
Bootnote
Oh alright then - it was one of you lot who came up with the Microhoo! Cares! slogan. We can't remember who, but he or she is cordially invited to fire up the joss-sticks, stick on the whalesong CD and partake of a large line of Bolivian marching powder, washed down with one of those bloody Mexican beers with a slice of lime wedged into the top of the bottle. |
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | What If We Weren’t so Focused on Price?
January 1, 2011
Would quality get better? Would service get better? Would there be jobs in the manufacturing sector again her in the U.S.? Would we, as consumers, then be more inclined to direct our taste to other attributes, like longevity? Would we, as retailers and retail designers, then be allowed to make things that could be appreciated purely for how they move us vs. what they cost? Would we all then be able to compete with Apple? |
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | In addition, you may want to customize the indentation,
capitalization, and other things; See Other customization.
Finally, for large Ada projects, you will want to set up an Emacs
Ada mode project file for each project; See Project files. Note
that these are different from the GNAT project files used by gnatmake
and other GNAT commands.
See the Emacs info manual, section 'Running Debuggers Under Emacs',
for general information on debugging. |
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
} | Arrangement
8 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in 2 rows for a total of 8 riders per car. |
{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
} | Q:
Tracing Wireless Card
Let's say that hypothetically someone had broken into a WiFi connection. We can't find any evidence of whom it is via sniffing the traffic or anything of the sort.
Is there any way to triangulate where the connection is coming from and find the general location of the wireless signal?
A:
It is theoretically feasible, although normally used in the other direction by portable devices like the iPad: the device works out its own position with regards to WiFi access points which are in range. In your case, you would have to triangulate for the signals of all systems which emit packets on your WiFi, since you do not know which one is the culprit.
I don't know of any off-the-shelf software or tool which would work in your context (localization of a WiFi user, not of an access point) -- but that does not mean that such tools do not exist.
Of course, nothing can be done for a passive only attacker. To find someone based on the WiFi signal that person emits, well, a WiFi signal has to be emitted by that person.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | Users
Let us pass to the configuration of accounts of users. On the menu we run against Other, and then we choose the option Users. On the page is the available button adding the user and their list. In the table available are options ID – the identification number contains in the base of data, Login – the address the e-mail by means of whose user will log in to the system, the Full name of the user and from the right the button intended to his removal.
Important
Every user has such themselves rights, in this a right of the addition of new users to the system.
Important
The User possessing ID equal 1 is a main user and his account cannot be removed. |
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
} | Michael Coudrey: This is the Vogue editor that claims our beloved Melania Trump is a fashion disaster.
View Reddit by MichaelCoudrey – View Source |
{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
} | Doors and People
Doors and People is a neuropsychological test of memory developed as a memory battery (Baddeley, Emslie and Nimmo-Smith, 1994). The test takes about 35–45 minutes to complete and can be administered on individuals aged between 18 and 80 years old. It consists of four main categories: doors, people, shapes and names. The doors category tests visual recognition by showing the participant a variety of different coloured doors which they must remember and later recognise from a selection of similar doors. The people category tests verbal recall where the participant must remember and recall four names of different people both immediately and after a delay. The shapes category tests visual recall by asking the participant to copy four different patterns and then recall them from memory. Finally, the name category tests verbal recognition by asking the participant to read a collection of different names and then recognise them amongst a collection of four name items.
Generally, the Doors and People test has been shown as a good standardised test of memory which is both enjoyable and easy to complete. Also, it had good face validity, and normative data is available. However, the test is limited because it has no parallel form. Furthermore, it is time-consuming, is culturally biased, has low ecological validity and has a complex scoring system.
References
External links
Doors and People Test
Category:Memory tests |
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | As featured on p. 218 of "Bloggers on the Bus," under the name "a MyDD blogger."
Monday, January 12, 2009
So You Won An Election; Now Keep Us Out Of Bankruptcy
Congratulations to those brave souls who managed to win Assembly delegate elections over the weekend. Your first state Convention, scheduled for Sacramento in April, should coincide nicely with the mass protests from folks who got IOUs instead of their expected tax refunds, the first double-digit employment numbers in the state in a generation, and essentially the near-total shutdown of state government, by design, from a working conservative majority that uses outdated and anti-majoritarian rules to destroy the state for their own ends.
I have a hard time arguing with the deep pessimism from Dan Walters today.
What, if anything, will come next to pull us out of recession and return California to prosperity? Some think it will be biotechnology, services to baby boomer retirees or solving global warming.
Lurking in the background, however, is a nagging worry that there won't be anything, that the state's endemically high costs, political dysfunction and long list of unresolved dilemmas, from transportation to water to education, have made us uncompetitive in a global economy. Just last week, a new federal survey found that California has the nation's highest adult illiteracy rate.
We have tended to take the future for granted. No matter how moribund the economy may be at the moment, we think, we have the weather, the entrepreneurial spirit and the strategic location to regroup and prosper.
We may have. But then again, maybe we aren't so special. Maybe we're not immune to the societal afflictions that have beset other states. Maybe we are a rust-belt-to-be on the left coast, a Michigan with winter sunshine.
This is not a failure of entrepreneurship or a lack of a desirable consumer base. It's quite simply a failure of politics, a series of compromises and capitulations that have led the state into a blind alley. Because legislative Democrats have never effectively rid the process of the constraints of the past, they have made the future impossible.
The biggest burst of meaningful political activism in recent history was the crusade to defeat Arnold's special election in 2005. That happened outside the party structure because labor felt threatened and needed to lead an effort, working together with the grassroots and the party establishment to fight back. There was a singular mission and nobody brought their own single-issue buckets to the table. Their public relations strategy and the activism they encouraged was nothing short of brilliant. But it was primarily a defensive maneuver. Now the CTA is trying to add a penny to the sales tax in a more offensive maneuver to secure funding for schools. This is precisely the wrong way to go. It carves out another dedicated funding source for one area while imposing a regressive tax on the state's most burdened citizens. Single-issue money grabs will not do the job. Unity is the great need of the hour.
At one of the AD meetings I attended this weekend, my Assemblywoman, Julia Brownley, got up to speak. I would call her a pretty mild-mannered woman. She practically pleaded with everyone in attendance, saying "We need your help... the Governor is breaking this state... we need you to throw your shoes at Arnold." She was sending out an urgent call for the kind of unified activism that broke Arnold's back in 2005. It's a heavier lift because it requires something proactive rather than reactive. But without labor, grassroots activists and the party establishment working in concert, this is going to be the worst 2 years of all these newly-elected delegates' lives.
There are going to be two Democratic legislative initiatives this week: a request for a federal government loan to ensure our unemployment insurance fund doesn't go broke, and legislation putting a moratorium on foreclosures, which cost roughly $250,000 each to the greater economy in opportunity costs and property value reductions. There is help coming in the form of hopefully $5-7 billion dollars from the federal recovery package, earmarked for state and local government relief. But eventually, we're going to turn to the ballot. In June of this year, there's going to be a host of initiatives, and we need there to be more than simply signing off on the bad budget of last year, but real structural reform, whether to do with 2/3 or expanding the budget cycle to 2 years or even the tax increases in the Democratic budget (The LAO thinks that election should happen earlier to relieve this crisis of confusion). These MUST get on the ballot, and they MUST pass, with a coalition of every progressive in the state working toward that passage. The survival of the state hangs in the balance.
So good for you, winners. Now make sure you don't get picketed during your first convention. Because if you don't, I'll be the first one out there with a sign. |
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} | Prodromal dementia with Lewy bodies.
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is the second most common neurodegenerative dementing disorder after Alzheimer's disease (AD), but there is limited information regarding the prodromal DLB state compared with that of AD. Parkinson's disease (PD) and DLB share common prodromal symptoms with Lewy body disease (LBD), allowing us to use a common strategy for identifying the individuals with an underlying pathophysiology of LBD. Dysautonomia, olfactory dysfunction, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and psychiatric symptoms antedate the onset of dementia by years or even decades in patients with DLB. Although RBD is the most potentially accurate prodromal predictor of DLB, disease progression before the onset of dementia could differ between the prodromal DLB state with and without RBD. Experts who specialize in idiopathic RBD and DLB might need communication in order to clarify the clinical relevance of RBD with the disease progression of DLB. The presence of prodromal LBD symptoms or findings of occipital hypoperfusion/hypometabolism helps us to predict the possible pathophysiological process of LBD in non-demented patients. This approach might provide the opportunity for additional neuroimaging, including cardiac (123) I-metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy and dopamine transporter imaging. Although limited radiological findings in patients with prodromal DLB states have been reported, there is now a need for larger clinical multisite studies with pathological verification. The long prodromal phase of DLB provides a critical opportunity for potential intervention with disease-modifying therapy, but only if we are able to clearly identify the diversity in the clinical courses of DLB. In the present article, we reviewed the limited literature regarding the clinical profiles of prodromal DLB. |
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenSubtitles"
} | "(kissing noises)" "Burt." "What?" "Don't." "Why?" "Come back up here, I want to kiss you." "No, come on." "I want to do this." "I'm staying down here." "Okay." "Just don't blow." "What?" "Don't blow." "Why would I blow?" "I don't know why you do anything you do, Burt." "Just don't blow." "Okay." "Just stop moving." "Okay?" "Okay." "You'll love it." "All right, no more talking." "(kissing noises)" "(BOTH moaning)" "What's wrong?" "Nothing." "Why'd you stop?" "I'm just trying to figure out how to say what I'm about to say." "Why do you have to say anything?" "You taste different." "Did you know that?" "No, Burt." "How would I know that?" "Just get up here." "Okay?" "I don't want to keep talking to the top of your head." "Do you want me to shower?" "No, no." "You don't taste dirty." "You just taste different." "Like, kind of fruity." "God." "Wait." "Did you know a woman can taste different depending on various co-factors?" "I don't want to hear that." "And I thought that we agreed you wouldn't use the word "co-factors."" "No, I said I wouldn't misuse it." "All I'm saying is, from what I've read about vaginal flavor..." "Jesus!" "...from what I've read, abrupt changes can happen when a woman's either menopausal or... (SNlCKERS)" "(tapping)" "Burt?" "Oh!" "Good, you're awake." "What are you doing?" "Cobbling." "(VERONA LAUGHS) I really want to be that dad that knows how to make stuff out of wood." "You know?" "I just want our kid to wake up in the morning and walk out on the back porch and find me cobbling." "You know, that's not what it's called." "Yeah, it is." "Burt, cobbling is shoes." "That's why the people that make shoes are called cobblers." "You're not cobbling, you're carving." "Or possibly whittling." "Good morning." "Morning." "BURT:" "I got this great book on knots." "300 knots, and I'm gonna learn them all." "And I still have to build that kiln." "Man, you gotta be ready." "You remember, we go to your parents' house this afternoon?" "Yeah, you know, I pushed that because I have Family Defense class today." "Yeah." "Does everybody there dress like that?" "Hey, where are those goggles you had?" "My airbrush ones?" "Yeah." "You can't use them." "Got them." "Burt." "All right." "I will be back at 3:00." "Maybe a little later if I get into some hand-to-hand combat." "Okay, bye." "Bye." "VERONA:" "They look like the California Raisins, remember?" "The big bodies, the little legs and the sunglasses." "GRACE ON PHONE Lovely lt's so bad. I really wish you could see this." "(LAUGHING)" "You want to hear the pregnancy rap?" "It's even worse." "(singing) You get much more from your pelvic floor" "When you pass on the bagel and do one more Kegel" "(GRACE LAUGHING)" "Jesus Christ." "Tell me, do I have to be this uncool for the rest of my life?" "What are you doing?" "You're talking to me while you're exercising?" "No, I'm just watching it." "I have this subdural hematoma thing due Friday." "I'm trying to finish it before we go out tonight." "Out?" "You two?" "Where?" "Dinner at Burt's parents'." "Ooh!" "They must be out-of-their-minds excited" "Yeah, you know them." "I think they're probably happy to be the only set of grandparents and have the baby to themselves." "Don't say that You're lucky to have them so close I know, I know." "We're gonna lean pretty hard on them." "You know I'd be there if I could" "I hate that I'll be so far away I know." "Who do you think she'll look like?" "God, I hope she doesn't have Burt's..." "What, facial hair?" "Feet." "(EXCLAIMS IN DISGUST) Those feet Square feet" "(laughing) Like seal flippers." "(GRACE LAUGHING)" "Oh!" "Shit, I just gave this guy's brain a vulva." "BURT:" "I really want her to have an epic kind of childhood." "I want her to run along streams and know how to work a canoe, be able to entertain herself outside." "I want her childhood to be Huck Finn-y." "You know?" "Yeah. I had that." "Yeah, exactly." "(CELL PHONE ringing)" "(lN HUSKY voice) Burt Farlander." "Oh!" "Oh!" "Oh!" "You old so-and-so." "I'm sorry about your Pacers, my friend." "Hey, if you think Mike Dunleavy can carry more than a bucket of water, I got some Florida swampland you might be interested in." "Yeah." "That's loud." "No, real good price." "(laughing)" "Yeah." "Yeah." "Oh!" "That one gets me every time." "Yeah." "Well, I'm glad you called." "Yeah." "(sighs)" "(laughing)" "You're too much." "All right, I will." "Bye." "They expect that from me." "They expect you to sound like Casey Kasem." "Verona, most of these guys are in their 50s and 60s." "We're talking about millions of dollars in insurance futures." "They don't want to be dealing with some 33-year-old that didn't finish college." "So, Casey Kasem finished college?" "Yeah." "(SCOFFS)" "(lN HUSKY voice) This next long-distance dedication..." "No." "...goes out to a really special girl." "The letter reads," ""Dear Casey, my name is Burt, and my girlfriend's pregnant and frustrated." ""Could you play a song that will make her smile?" "Thanks." "Signed, Burt Farlander."" "Your pregnant girlfriend's gonna kill you." "Go away." "Thanks, Casey." "Oh!" "Look at you!" "You look so big!" "Good for you!" "Hi." "Wow, look at your hair." "I freed it!" "I don't think it makes you look crazy at all." "I know, I know." "Get inside." "Your father's just finishing up a call." "Sit, Verona." "Sit next to me and let me hear the heartbeat." "You can't hear the heartbeat 'cause her placenta is on..." "Okay." "JERRY:" "Well, Bill, if you believe that, I've got a bridge in New York you might be interested in." "Yep, okay." "That is really sweet." "JERRY:" "Au revoir" "Hey, Jerry." "You're looking so much better." "You can barely tell." "Oh!" "Thank you, my dear." "Verona, you look beautific." "Thank you." "gloria:" "Hey, did you bring the pictures from the sonogram?" "I did." "Here you go, Dad." "These are fabulous." "You haven't opened the envelope yet." "I can just tell he's a beauty." "She's a girl." "Did you..." "Yes. I did tell you that, Dad." "She's a beauty." "Wow." "Spectacular." "Exquisite. I mean, talk about perfection." "Verona, do you think she's gonna look like you?" "Well, I hope so." "I think I'm the mom." "I just want a little Verona." "After two boys, I want a little Verona in a leotard." "Can you do that for me?" "I will definitely work on it." "Okay, and just how black do you think she'll be?" "Mom..." "Wow. I don't know." "Maybe we can leave her out in the sun for a couple of days, expedite things?" "Verona, are you on schedule?" "Oh!" "Jerry!" "You don't ask her that!" "But I'll tell you what scares me, it's that tilted uterus of yours." "Does it really?" "Do you think that's gonna make the delivery hell?" "I don't know." "You know how I had this one?" "Yes." "Yeah." "Thank you." "In the tub." "Uh-huh." "Yep." "I had to call the fire department, it happened so fast." "The water broke, I make the call." "Ten minutes later, three firemen burst in the bathroom." "You've got to picture me." "No, we don't." "I'm 23, gorgeous, alone, the skirt's hiked up to the waist, the legs are apart, I'm huffing and puffing, and bang!" "I'm surrounded by the three men in the uniforms." "(sighs) lt's August, so humid." "My blouse is soaked, I'm engorged with milk..." "Did they bring their hoses, Gloria?" "They were all over me." "Very capable men, knew exactly what they were doing." "Almighty food gatherer, father of the earth, sky, water and ice and food, we give you thanks." "(gloria SPEAKS gibberish)" "Thank you." "So, we've been reading a bunch of books, trying to decide what kind of birthing experience we want to have." "That's terrific." "And we think that we want to limit the amount of people in the room, or near the room." "Well, you don't have to worry about that." "Right." "No sweat." "And we decided that we don't want any videotaping." "Sorry, Jerry." "JERRY:" "Right, I won't." "Fabulous." "But we really want to share this with you." "Your presence is really, really important to us." "Definitely." "Yeah, yeah." "You're so right." "We so are looking forward to it." "We will definitely be there." "The only reason we won't be there is if we're living in Belgium." "gloria:" "Okay, we have news." "It's big." "What is it?" "We're leaving in June." "We're finally doing it." "You're leaving in June?" "gloria:" "Mmm-hmm." "The baby's due in July." "Right." "To Antwerp." "City of light." "Well, that's not..." "No, you're not." "Yeah, we are." "It's gonna be superb." "No." "And don't say that word." "We thought you'd be proud of us." "We've been talking about this for 15 years." "And now we can finally do it." "You're leaving a month before the baby's born?" "You're moving 3,000 miles away from your grandchild." "I think it's more than 3,000, isn't it, Jerry?" "I think so." "I can't believe this!" "There are planes, Burt." "We've been planning this forever, folks." "You know that." "I didn't know that." "Wait, hold on a second." "How long are you gonna live there?" "gloria:" "Just two years." "Okay?" ""Just two years"?" "You guys." "Wait." "Are you selling the house?" "See, that's the best part." "We were going to rent the house out with the help of a very elegant gentleman named Fareed, but no one's come forward yet." "So..." "Wait." "How long have you been planning this?" "Hold on. lf we don't find a renter in the next month, you two can stay here while we're gone." "You can have the house for the next two years." "Outstanding." "(PHONE ringing)" "gloria:" "Were your ears burning?" "Your ears must have been on fire, sir." "What is that?" "Oh!" "Magnificent, isn't it?" "I didn't think you'd notice. $1 2,000." "I cannot believe it." "I know." "She's a Choctaw princess, I'm told." "I think it's important that we honor our Indian... indigent people..." "Our ingenious... ln-de-gentious people." "Who was it?" "Nobody." "(CLEARS THROAT)" "Was it..." "Was it Fareed?" "Later." "Later." "Hmm." "If it was Fareed, did he..." "Yeah." "He did?" "He..." "Mmm-hmm." "(screaming)" "When?" "The day we leave." "The day we leave." "Oh, my God!" "I guess we've got some more news for you two." "We could get someone else to be the grandparents." "Those old people, across the street, what are their names?" "I mean, we moved here for them." "And now, they're gonna miss the baby's first two years." "It just really takes selfishness to a whole new level." "It's not like your parents are doing anything." "My parents are dead, Burt." "Still." "I can see my breath." "Hold on, I'll get the thing." "Make it nice and toasty." "There you go." "(electricity SURGES)" "God damn it." "Great." "All I did was turn it on." "I even said to the guy at the store, I said, "Could I have a red fuse?"" "He said, "You want a blue fuse."" "I said, "No, I already had the blue fuse." ""Didn't work out great." "So I'll take a red one."" "He's like, "Trust me, it's the blue one." "Okay."" "Now we know who will be getting a red fuse next time." "Burt." "You know, we don't have to stay here." "What?" "I'm saying we could leave, too." "But we live here." "I know, but the only reason that we're here is because your parents are here." "Or were here." "Well, where would we go?" "I don't know." "We could go anywhere we want." "Anywhere anywhere?" "Yeah." "I can do my job from anywhere." "And all you need's a phone, right?" "Well, we don't want to go back to Chicago, do we?" "No, we did Chicago." "I used to picture myself in Alaska." "God, I love that landscape." "Alaska?" "Yeah." "You've never mentioned Alaska." "Wow, they pay people to live in Alaska." "Oh!" "Phoenix." "We could live near my sister." "She could be Auntie Grace all the time." "Think of that, Burt." "That would make me so happy." "And Lily and Lowell live there." "Who are Lily and Lowell?" "Lily, my old boss in Chicago." "Right." "What do you think of that?" "Yeah, they could be our friends in Phoenix." "They weren't really our friends in Chicago." "I know, but they could be when we live in Phoenix." "They could be our new good friends when we live in Phoenix." "Well, we wouldn't need a space heater in Phoenix." "Burt, are we fuck-ups?" "No." "What do you mean?" "I mean, we're 34." "33." "We don't even have this basic stuff figured out." "Basic, like how?" "Basic, like how to live." "We're not fuck-ups." "We have a cardboard window." "We're not fuck-ups." "(whispering) I think we might be fuck-ups." "(whispering) We're not fuck-ups." "Are we nuts?" "Well, look around." "We both agree we need to be near some kind of family." "Some friends, something." "Some connection, someone we know, so..." "We'll look at Phoenix, see my sister." "Your closest friends." "Lily and Lowell." "And then to Madison for your job interview." "My what?" "God." "Your interview." "Your interview with Mutual Choice." "To see if they'll give you a better commission?" "You set it up." "Okay." "So then from Madison, we go home." "No." "Did you look at the itinerary?" "I stapled it to the inside of your jacket." "See?" "From Madison, we go to Montreal." "Montreal is where l think we should live if we don't live in Phoenix." "Okay, Montreal." "See?" "This is exciting, if you think about it." "We're completely untethered, Burt." "This is a dream scenario." "What are you doing?" "lily:" "Honey, let me tuck you in." "(screaming)" "God, look at you!" "You're only six months in!" "Jesus, you're huge!" "And your face, it's so fat!" "Come here, give us a hug!" "Lowell, come and give a hug to the most beautiful woman in the world." "Look at that." "Nice to see you, Lowell." "Come on, don't be such a pill." "He's upset 'cause we didn't get into the club." "Hey, how are you?" "Good, I was almost out." "I'll get an opener." "Verona and I were desk buddies in Chicago." "I hired her at the agency." "That was before she broke out on her own." "I still have no idea where you learned how to paint the insides of dead people." "So fucking disgusting, girlfriend!" "Come on, let's get a drink." "She's so talented, our little artiste." "(SINGING) For the land" "Of the free" "(imitating operatic singing)" "And the home of the brave" "(audience cheering)" "Play ball." "Wow." "So, you're in Arizona now." "Cheers." "Cheers." "To the Arizonans." "You got it." "God. I can't believe it." "I can't believe how big the kids are now." "Right?" "And Taylor's so handsome." "Well, thanks." "We're gonna do something about those ears." "Do you see them?" "He looks like a trophy." "You know what I mean?" "One of those trophies with the arms on it." "Oh, my God." "And this one has that dyke look." "She walks like a teamster, doesn't she?" "I mean, it's weird." "She's only 1 2, and I know she's a dyke." "Ashley!" "Ashley!" "Show Verona your tough-girl walk." "Come on." "Go butch on us." "Come on!" "Come on!" "Oh!" "Now she's shy." "Did you see her ass?" "She's got like..." "What is it?" "What is it?" "What?" "Junk in the trunk." "(lN DEEP voice) She's got junk in her trunk!" "(laughing) Oh, my God!" "It looks like a duffel bag full of bricks." "I don't know if dykes go for that or not." "Do they?" "Burt, you worked with a lesbian, didn't you?" "Oh!" "Yes." "Yes, I did." "I can't hear you!" "I just don't think we should be talking about it right in front of the children." "Please." "Burt, it's just white noise to them." "Listen, watch this." "Taylor?" "Taylor?" "Taylor?" "Taylor?" "Taylor?" "Taylor?" "Taylor?" "I can keep going on and on." "They don't hear us." "Seriously." "So tell me about the dyke." "ANNOUNCER The greyhounds have reached the starting box for this afternoon's first race" "They are ready to go over the 550-yard course" "What's your line again, Burt?" "Insurance." "Like life insurance?" "Sometimes." "But it's mostly insurance futures." "It's pretty cool, actually." "Similar to how an individual or a family might get insurance, insurance companies need insurance themselves." "It's sort of this hedge against..." "Goddamn." "Of course it would come to this." "Yeah." "What?" "They made us afraid of everything." "Insurance for insurance, for insurance." "(LAUGHS)" "This country is just such a..." "ANNOUNCER Ladies and gentlemen, it is now race time" "Well, anyway, if this country is shit, everyone else is just the flies on our shit." "Am I right?" "ANNOUNCER And away they go and to the inside 157 powers out to the front, followed by the" "Go!" "Go!" "now on the inside turn" "MAN:" "Pick it up, pal!" "Pick it up!" "lily:" "Hey, Lowell!" "I used to have nice tits, right?" "Verona doesn't seem to remember, I don't think." "I had nice jugs, right?" "They sucked me dry." "I don't even need a bra." "Now I just tuck them into my socks." "You ready for that, Burt?" "They'll look like an old man's nut sack." "They even grow hair on them." "A hairy old man's nut sack." "(laughing)" "ANNOUNCER In Some Time and Queen Anne" "In Some Time!" "Queen Anne is second" "MAN:" "Look at them go!" "Pathetic." "So, Burt, you excited about all this?" "Yeah." "This might be the best one I've ever seen." "No, the baby, dummy." "Does this mean you guys will finally get married?" "They're not married?" "I told you that." "Burt wants to, Verona doesn't see the point." "Insurance, for one." "If anyone, you should understand that, Bart." "Anyone ever call you Bart?" "It'd be kind of funny." "We didn't have insurance when Ashley was born." "Well, we thought we did, and then we didn't." "And then I couldn't get it." "Pre-existing condition." "I'm crazy!" "Look, whatever." "I don't know. I... I guess I just never gave that much thought to "marriage" marriage." "Well, at the very least, it'll keep you from taking off in the middle of the night when there's trouble." "I almost left Lowell about a dozen times." "Kids don't know that." "And then you start thinking about the wedding and all that money... $46,000 for ours." "(sighs) lt was worth maybe $31,000, $31,500." "I hope you guys move here." "We're having a hell of a time breaking into the social world here." "Really?" "It seems very cliquish." "I don't know what it is." "We didn't get into the good golf club." "There's no water left, anyway." "The drought's coming." "Like the biblical flood, but in reverse." "The golf course will be the first to go." "Then the fountains." "All the water fountains." "The restaurants." "Basic services." "Large mammals." "Then regular-size mammals." "Reptiles." "Birds." "Then people." "You done?" "Thanks for treating." "This was wonderful." "I so hope you move down here." "This is the place for you guys." "It's so obvious." "Don't listen to anyone else." "And I'm sorry I said anything about the marriage stuff." "No!" "No, you guys do what you need to do." "Your baby won't care." "Kids are resilient." "And they're genetically predetermined anyway." "They're screwed up out of the womb." "So what?" "They'll have cell phones, they'll be fine." "Okay." "It was so great to see you." "Bye, honey." "Bye." "Bye." "Okay." "(sighs)" "Lowell!" "You don't agree with them, do you?" "No." "About what?" "That thing they said earlier, about how you can't make a good family." "Everything's destined for failure." "No, I don't." "You know that I don't agree, Burt. I just... I really hate that attitude, you know?" ""Everything's already broken," ""so why don't we just keep on breaking it again and again?"" "Hey, did you..." "Did you hear what Lily said about her boobs?" "Mmm." "Did you know Lily when she had her boobs?" "Man, she was huge." "Really?" "Enormous." "But as long as the baby's healthy, right?" "(whispering) You awake?" "Mmm-hmm." "(BURT sighs)" "You're my light, Verona." "My sky." "I can't wait to see you as a mom." "(SNlFFLlNG)" "Her little hand in yours." "And your smile on her face." "What?" "What are we gonna do?" "What?" "What are we gonna do?" "How do you mean?" "No one's in love like us, right?" "It's so weird." "What are we gonna do?" "I think we just gotta ride it out." "VERONA:" "Hey, listen, I need you to concentrate for a second, okay?" "BURT:" "Okay." "VERONA:" "My sister's been dating this guy named Rob, who seems nice, but she thinks he's boring." "He likes going to steakhouses, that kind of thing." "Good afternoon, madam." "Hi." "Wait, is that a good thing or a bad thing, steakhouses?" "Bad." "Anyway..." "Like an Outback Steakhouse?" "I'm not sure." "Ruth's Chris Steakhouse?" "I honestly don't know." "But we need to make him seem cool." "She loves you, Burt." "She'll value your endorsement of this guy." "I got it." "And don't look at her boobs." "BURT:" "No, I'm over it." "I was better last time." "Yeah, but she's bigger now." "She went on the pill and she's been complaining about getting new bras and everything." "Wait a minute." "Why don't you go on the pill?" "VERONA:" "Huh!" "Let me think." "Beckett, what is that?" "That's a fern." "That's right, this is a fern." "What's that?" "That's a cactus." "That's a cactus, that's right." "And what is the plural of cactus, huh?" "Cacti." "That's right!" "What is that?" "What is that?" "Baby." "That's right, that's a baby." "This lady is about to have a baby, huh?" "Any day now." "Or in three months." "Thank you." "Beckett." "Hey, tell the nice lady what you know about babies." "No." "Go on, tell the nice people what..." "Beckett, you're being rude." "Babies like to breathe, and they're good at hiding it." "I put a pillow over a baby." "I thought she wasn't breathing, but she was." "She was sneaky, but I'll try again." "Okay." "(GASPS)" "Holy shit, you're actually showing!" "I know!" "I love that dress!" "Look what you did to my sister, Burt." "So, you want to get a drink here or go out?" "Do you need to eat?" "We don't want to go out there." "Not right now." "No, it's like an oven." "Yeah, it's pretty hot." "No, no, I mean, literally, like an oven." "Like if you were in an oven, that's what it would be like." "It's almost like God's trying to melt us all down and make something better." "Wow, Burt." "That is so stoney." "Well, it's just the Bible." "QED." "Two days ago, he asked me if I liked music." "Like music is something people don't like?" "You know, he posed the question like it was some great conversation-starter." ""Grace, do you like music?" lt was painful." "I don't know, I wish somebody would ask me that sometime, you know?" "'Cause that's a probing sort of intelligence, I think." "Really?" "Yeah." "I mean, he doesn't assume the obvious." "He's a lawyer, right?" "A tax attorney." "Tax attorney, that's what I mean." "So he's gotta be smart, he's gotta be wily." "He drives a cabriolet." "A cabriolet, that's good design." "Good mileage." "He uses the word "robust."" "That's because a lot of things are robust." "He took me to Long John Silver's." "I thought you said it was a steakhouse." "When I told him I didn't want to go to the steakhouse, he took me to Long John Silver's." "That's being attentive to your needs and your desires." "Who is this guy?" "Grace, this guy sounds like a goddamn champ." "He sounds awesome." "I need you to know something." "I really think you guys should get married." "(CELL PHONE ringing)" "Gotta take this." "(lN HUSKY voice) Ned!" "Yeah." "Surprised you aren't hiding under a rock, the way your Padres played last night." "Sorry." "Yeah." "Well, what was it?" "Yeah." "Yeah." "I thought so." "(SCOFFS) Look at him." "I'm about to have a baby that might have three hands or a shovel for a head, and the thing he is most concerned about is whether or not I'm gonna keep my boobs." "I think that's sexy." "(SNlCKERS)" "Yeah." "Yeah." "You got lucky, sister." "Yeah, I know." "(laughing)" "(ALL GASP)" "Yeah." "No, I did." "What is it?" "I'd put a wager on it." "So what are you looking for?" "A Jacuzzi-type thing?" "Or a "tub" tub?" "Jacuzzi." "So how do you feel?" "Do you feel different?" "No." "No, I feel the same." "Maybe I should feel different." "Maybe it's just late coming to me." "Like everything else." "(CHUCKLES) Join the club." "Can you believe Mom was just 25 when she had you?" "Hmm." "Get in." "I don't need to get in." "It's a nice tub." "Come on." "I'll wash your hair." "If I can get in." "It's nice. I like it." "(sighs)" "So when was the last time you went back home?" "You know it's been a long time." "When are you gonna sell that place, anyway?" "You mean, when are we gonna sell it?" "I don't know." "Not yet." "We've had good luck with renters." "Selling it just seems like the last thing." "Can you imagine how excited Mom and Dad would be if they could see you now?" "Stop." "You're doing it again." "What?" "You're just getting all..." "Trying to get me to talk about them." "It's only because you never do." "I do." "You know I do." "I just did." "I just want to talk more." "You're the big sister." "You remember more." "Fine." "What do you want to know?" "You know that baby's gonna have something of them in her." "I mean, what if she's got Mom's crazy green eyes or something?" "What if it's one of those features that skipped you and me and jumps onto the face of that little baby?" "You're bringing them back, you know." "In a little way." "I know." "Are you trying to make me cry in a bathtub?" "In a bathtub showroom?" "You're gonna be a great mom." "Like our mom." "Hi." "Hello." "You know you can't fly after eight months." "Airline policy." "Oh!" "I'm only six months." "Dana, come here for a second." "Do you have a note from the doctor?" "What?" "Really?" "It's okay." "You're supposed to have a note from the doctor if you want to fly after eight months." "But I'm only six months, so..." "Uh-huh." "Carrie?" "You got a minute?" "She says she's only six months." "(sighs) Can you turn to the side?" "BURT:" "I think this is better, actually." "This is the railroad." "The romance of the rails." "'Rona, it's like Casey Jones or Thomas the Train." "Hey, you know what?" "We might see some buffalo." "I'm so tired of being big." "I'm tired of not having sex." "BURT:" "Do you want to have sex?" "No." "We haven't done it in a month." "And you don't want to now?" "VERONA:" "No." "I just..." "I feel so ugly." "No, no, no." "Don't be sad." "You're not that big." "You're still super-sexy." "Hot, even." "Oh!" "No." "Honey..." "Hey." "I'll always love you." "Even if you're enormous." "Even if it takes you months to lose this weight." "A year." "Even if you gain weight after having the baby." "Even if you gain so much weight that I can't find your vagina." "(screaming)" "You go ahead and write that in stone in your heart." "I will love you." "(whispering) Even if I can't find your vagina." "Her heart rate's pretty slow." "What is it?" "It's like 1 15." "That seems normal enough, right?" "Well, it's supposed to be between 1 20 and 160." "She's just mellow." "Mellow's good." "I don't want mellow now." "I want lively now, mellow later." "I think it's fine." "That's 'cause you don't want to fight." "We should fight more, just get riled up." "Didn't we fight last night?" "No, we discussed." "We need to fight." "You never raise your voice." "Okay." "You've done something wrong, and I'm really bothered by it." "Man, am I cross." "Real mad." "(LAUGHS) No, it has to be convincing." "Like, should I swear?" "No, just raise your voice." "(SHOUTS) You cuntsucker!" "I didn't mean now." "But the element of surprise is so crucial." "You've never heard me say "cuntsucker" before, have you?" "No." "See?" "And I will get that heart rate up." "I know what I'm doing." "VERONA:" "Wow, look at this." "This is really nice." "BURT:" "Yeah, it is." "So, is Ellen a full professor or an associate?" "And wait, which side is she on?" "She's a first cousin, right?" "She's not technically my cousin, actually." "Her mom was an old friend of my dad's." "I've no idea how." "Anyway, they started calling us cousins when we were kids." "BURT:" "She always used to make me take pictures of her." "Excuse me." "Yes?" "Do you know where Ellen Fisher-Herrin's office is?" "Ellen Fisher-Herrin." "Yes, I do know." "As a matter of fact, she's in William Stone Hall." "Room 340, about halfway down." "Thanks." "Yeah." "She'll be the mom without the stroller." "She doesn't have a stroller?" "I thought you said she got some sort of big trust fund." "She did." "Oh!" "Here it is." "I thought her name was Ellen." "What does "L-N" stand for?" "(GASPS) No!" "Don't say anything." "Please." "(knocking AT DOOR)" "LN:" "It's open." "LN:" "Here we go." "Hello." "Welcome." "LN:" "Come on in." "Come on in." "Come on in." "Okay." "Okay." "Mama's gonna put her booby back in." "(whispering) All right." "I'll give it right back." "I'll give it right back." "So great to have you." "It's good to see you." "Hi." "How are you?" "I'm good. I'm good." "You remember Verona?" "Hi." "Of course." "How can I forget such a gorgeous woman?" "Oh!" "Verona, you just look beautiful." "Thanks." "Look at your hair." "Yeah." "And, well, it's a boy." "A girl." "No." "Really?" "With those hips and that shape?" "Who told you it was a girl?" "Well, the doctor and the sonogram..." "Well, we'll see." "Right." "LN:" "Should we go?" "Yes." "Yes." "BURT:" "Sorry we're late." "I tried to call." "Oh!" "Right." "Yeah, I don't answer the phone when I'm nursing." "It's not fair to the children." "I gotta get this one to crafting." "We got directions from this really nice lady who seemed to know you." "She was..." "Had brown hair, wearing a blazer and glasses." "She had a baby." "LN:" "Ruby." "Oh!" "Poor Ruby." "She hates me." "I breastfed her baby." "Pardon?" "Can you do that?" "Well, I was baby-sitting and the child was fussing." "Starving." "Wouldn't take the bottle." "So I fed him, and he took to me right away." "But, you know, I think my mistake was..." "I shouldn't have told her." "She's got lactation problems, and she couldn't appreciate it." "And now she won't let me baby-sit, she won't let me near her husband, and I think there's something strangely paranoid about that, right?" "So, dinner." "Should we go out, or do you want to eat in?" "Let's eat in." "We've had train food all day." "(GROANS) Train food." "Okay, let me think." "What do I have?" "Let us get the food." "We have a car." "We can get the groceries." "I mean, it's the least that we can do." "Look at you, so helpful." "Oh, Burtie." "I'm really proud of you, babe." "And I have to say I'm so glad you guys got pregnant so easily." "I was concerned when I heard about your tilted uterus." "VERONA:" "You told her I have a tilted uterus?" "I don't know." "Maybe it was my mom." "is your tilted uterus a secret?" "Yeah, my tilted uterus is a fucking secret." "Oh, really, you fucking bitch!" "(shouting) Your fucking uterus is a motherfucking secret?" "Well, fuck you!" "VERONA:" "You know, it was really nice of you to think of getting them a stroller." "BURT:" "Yeah." "I had no idea how expensive it would be." "VERONA:" "I told you." "No, like, really expensive." "I know." "Well, let me just hide this." "There we go." "You ready?" "Yeah." "(DOORBELL BUZZES)" "You think we got them a good one?" "Hi." "Hi." "(greeting in hindi)" "(VERONA greeting in hindi)" "You, too." "Oh, fabulous." "Great." "If you don't mind, there are slippers just there." "Just any of these?" "LN:" "Uh-huh." "I like those." "(whispering) Go get the stroller." "(whispering) Okay." "We brought you something." "Oh, my God." "How..." "Oh, my God." "(EXHALES) Okay, all right, I'm sorry." "Why don't we just put it on the porch?" "Okay." "They had it in blue." "But... (LAUGHS)" "Just a little further away." "LN:" "Okay." "All right, come on." "Okay." "Let's go upstairs and meet Roderick." "Okay." "Hello." "(SHUSHlNG)" "Honey." "Hi." "Hey." "I don't think we've met." "Oh, yes, we have." "Burning Man, '97." "This is a big bed." "We are a Continuum home." "VERONA:" "What is that?" "Continuum?" "Continuum?" "VERONA:" "Yes." "Continuum." "Yes." "(SOFTLY) The Continuum movement recognizes that the world will give your baby plenty of alienation and despair in good time, so while we can, we should hold them close." "So, it's the three "S's," no separation, no sugar, no strollers." "They gave us a stroller." "Oh!" "(SNlCKERlNG)" "What is wrong with strollers?" "Burts, I love my babies." "Why would I want to push them away from me?" "And you wonder why this country is so dysfunctional." "Because of strollers?" "Mama, in this house we carry our babies." "We hold them close." "What about sleeping?" "This is where they sleep." "We practice family bed." "So what if the two of you want to, you know?" "Be alone?" "Do you go out to the car?" "No, Verona." "We don't go out to the car." "Are you planning on hiding your lovemaking from your kids?" "Are you guys making love?" "It can be so great in the sixth month." "Hmm." "And it is so important to expose your kids to sexuality, especially in utero." "Do you know what it does to a child to have their parents' expression of love kept a secret?" "No." "Oh!" "Well, that's why I have an Electra complex." "Oh, babe." "It is okay." "It's okay." "(whispering) Which one's that, again?" "I think that is when a woman wants to do her father." "Do you mean "Oedipal complex"?" "Don't..." "Don't try and diagnose me, Verona." "Why the seahorses, Rod?" "In the seahorse community, the males give birth." "The female inserts her ovipositor into the male's brood pouch." "That's where she deposits her eggs." "If I could, I would lay my eggs in your brood pouch." "I know you would." "Don't..." "Don't, don't, don't." "So, have you chosen a doula?" "I already had one." "A little weird, but good." "A doula, Burtie, not a dolma." "(ALL LAUGH)" "We are not using a doula." "Really?" "Who is your midwife?" "Oh, no, no." "Midwives and doulas are for when the husband is clueless or doesn't want to be involved." "And I'm neither of those things." "I'm really looking forward to being involved." "That's great, Burtie." "I totally understand, and I think that's great, but don't you think Verona might want someone there who really understands the female experience?" "Oh!" "There's this great Simone de Beauvoir quote." "I can't remember the book, but I'll find it for you." "It's something like, "One is not born, but becomes, a woman."" "What does that have to do with..." "But it is worth it." "The pain is so enlightening." "And now, having experienced childbirth, I watch CNN and I really feel like I understand war." "On top of which, when I had Wolfie, I had the most enormous orgasm." "It was so beautiful." "This soup is delicious." "Alice Walker said, "There's nothing more important than how we enter this world."" "And I agree with her." "And my mom had a hospital birth." "The stirrups, the machines, the drugs." "(CHUCKLES) And she wonders why I can't walk into a dry cleaner's without vomiting." "Okay, can that maybe be the last bit of parental advice we get tonight?" "Just a..." "Just a thought." "Honey?" "Are you counting on this job interview tomorrow?" "Where is it?" "Mutual Choice." "No, not really." "Because I'm already doing fine." "This would just be a better commission rate." "(SNlCKERS) Commission rate." "What is it again, exactly, that you do, Rod?" "What do you mean?" "How do I "make my living"?" "Yes." "That's exactly what I mean." "Don't worry, Wolf." "You won't ever have to do anything like that." "Like... "Anything like that"?" "Roderick..." "Like fearmongering." "Fearmongering?" "Or skimming." "Roderick, honey?" "Cajoling?" "Billing?" "Roderick..." "Are you being serious?" "Roderick, Roderick." "It's so easy to forget how great the economic divide is these days." "These guys have nothing." "How should we expect them to know anything about anything?" "And Verona lost her parents." "Honey, how old were you when they died?" "Twenty-two." "Why?" "Oh, you poor thing." "I was just wondering how much your mama was able to pass on to you about motherhood before she died." "Your people have such a wonderful oral tradition." "Okay, that's it!" "That's it!" "You are a terrible person." "Did you know that?" "You are terrible people." "And Verona?" "She is twice the woman that you'll ever be!" "Because this whole thing..." "I just..." "I never..." "I'm sorry because..." "And this guy!" "Look at him!" "(laughing)" "LN:" "Oh, honey." "Burt." "We are leaving." "And I hate these slippers!" "What is going on?" "You know what?" "If I have to explain it to you Looney Tunes, just forget it." "All right." "Just fly away, Burtie." "Fly away." "And take that shitty stroller with you." "Gladly!" "You fucking lunatic!" "BURT:" "Actually, I forgot something!" "Burt, honey." "Honey, what are you doing?" "Hey, Wolfie." "Want to get in the stroller?" "Wolfie, you..." "No..." "Just take a little ride." "LN:" "Wolfie, don't listen to him." "It's okay." "BURT:" "It will be really fun, like a tiny sports car." "Do not get out of that chair." "Honey, you do exactly as you like." "Sweetheart." "Sweetheart!" "Listen to your heart!" "Listen to your heart..." "There we go!" "LN:" "Not in this house!" "No!" "I'm gonna go in the stroller!" "No!" "I will not let you do that in my house!" "(whooping)" "(laughing) That's good!" "And there he goes!" "Burt, Burt..." "I reject your aggression." "I reject your unbelievable bullshit!" "LN:" "No!" "Wolfie!" "BURT:" "Yes!" "Wolfie, did you have fun?" "Because you won't have that much fun until you discover oral pleasure!" "This was great!" "What a horse's ass." "That was cool." "Oh, my God." "Thank you." "(sighs)" "Hi." "Hey." "So, how did it go?" "Good." "Yeah?" "Really good." "So, did they offer you the job?" "Yeah." "Yeah?" "They probably will." "I just need some time to think about it a little bit." "(sighs)" "So, they're probably going to offer you the job?" "They are ready to." "They just need a couple of days for arrangements and formalities." "So, they didn't offer you the job?" "No." "I'm really sorry I brought you here, Verona." "I don't know what I was thinking." "Burt." "It is not your fault." "So, this place isn't for us." "So, now we know." "I think Montreal is going to be way better. lt will." "You know what I hear they have in Montreal?" "You know what they put on their French fries there?" "Mayonnaise?" "Nope." "Better." "(whispering) Gravy." "You know, I had a dream about Montreal last week?" "Really?" "Yeah." "What was it about?" "Well, it was a bunch of things." "Was I topless in it?" "Yes." "(screaming)" "Sorry." "We did it." "Sorry." "We're just having a baby." "It's okay." "VERONA:" "Holy shit!" "BURT:" "is this their house?" "VERONA:" "We went to college with these guys." "How can they be so grown up?" "While we are so..." "Stunted?" "(SCOFFS)" "Confused?" "lmmature?" "American?" "(DOORBELL BUZZES)" "(MAN SCREAMS)" "Do it again." "(DOORBELL BUZZES)" "(MAN SCREAMS)" "That's awesome." "Wow!" "Hey, Camille." "Cammie." "Remember us?" "Should we come in?" "Okay." "They are in their room." "Mom's going to wear a little skirt." "Okay." "(MUSIC PLAYING ON TV)" "(singing) The sun has gone to bed" "And so must I" "So long, farewell" "Auf wiedersehen, goodbye" "Goodbye" "There she is." "Verona, you look amazing." "Thanks." "Perfect." "Perfect." "Hey." "Good to see you." "It's great to see you." "Here, watch this." "(ALL singing) Goodbye" "(ALL laughing)" "All right." "Yeah." "TOM:" "Hey, great job." "Hey, everybody." "This is Verona and Burt." "Your mom and I went to school with them." "Say hi." "Hi." "Hi." "TOM:" "Get yourselves some pizza." "Ooh!" "Pizza." "Pizza." "What's up, James?" "girl:" "You're in the middle." "Hey, so, the movie ends when the von Trapps go to sleep?" "(SOFTLY) Yeah, we sort of skipped it." "You skipped the Nazis?" "We kind of figured, "What's the point?"" "It is just that we think they could live a few more happy years before, you know, Juicy Couture and Hitler." "Excuse me." "Do you know the way to San Jose?" "Where did you get that?" "She has never done this before." "You are seeing this for the first time." "Who's underneath?" "Who's underneath?" "(SCREAMS)" "Come here." "Tie him up." "(GROANS) Verona!" "Verona!" "Help!" "Isn't that cute?" "Mama!" "Mama!" "Now what's..." "Hi!" "Hi, Munch." "Oh, Verona." "Look at you!" "You look so good!" "Thanks." "I can't believe you are six months in." "I know." "You look amazing." "Where's Burt?" "You do, too." "I think he's been taken hostage over here." "BURT:" "Oh, hi." "Are you okay?" "Yeah, I have all this gear at home." "I do this to relax." "This is the family I want." "Every part of it." "All those kids." "All those ages." "Everyone draped over each other, just taking care of each other." "So, you want to adopt?" "Yeah." "All right." "So we will just trade this one in and we will get whatever we want." "No, I want her and them, too." "This is a family." "Yeah, it works." "It's real." "We should move here." "Montreal." "Think of that." "(TOM EXCLAlMlNG in disgust)" "(JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING)" "Do you still find time to go out?" "We're out a lot, I guess." "I mean, it depends." "You have to find the balance because the kids want you there, but not all the time." "They need air as much as you do." "Should we tell them?" "I think we're moving here." "To Montreal?" "Yeah." "We already won the competition." "Over Madison." "Over Phoenix." "Hell, yeah!" "(whooping)" "You guys!" "That is wonderful!" "Let us toast." "Does anyone know a toast?" "Okay." "So, yay for Burt and Verona moving here, probably, if they are not stupid." "Yay!" "Yay!" "Oh!" "Two more of these?" "I love this..." "Trombone, man." "I love the trombone." "I was just about to say that!" "It is amazing, right?" "The 'bone!" "We don't know, actually." "We weren't 100% trying." "I mean, we wanted to have a baby." "It just sort of came ahead of schedule." "Have you had any problems so far?" "No." "No." "Not so far." "It's been great." "Yeah." "Yeah." "That's wonderful." "That's..." "Ladies, I have an announcement." "(laughing)" "We need real food." "She said, "Mrs. Farlander, your husband requests..."" "What do you mean, "Mrs. Farlander"?" "You're still not married?" "No." "We talked about this." "We talked about this." "No." "Why don't you propose?" "When are you going to propose?" "Propose?" "All I do is propose." "Are you kidding?" "Watch this." "Watch." "Watch this." "Verona." "Yeah?" "You really are the love of my life." "Thanks, honey." "Will you marry me?" "No." "Wow." "What?" "That actually stings." "is this true?" "It's you who's behind this." "I can't see the point." "That's romantic." "MUNCH:" "Well, there isn't any, really. I mean..." "Well, not unless you have parents who care one way or the other." "Which you don't." "But your wedding was so good." "Really good." "Yeah, it was." "It was really good." "The wedding was good." "Marriage is great." "But what you need to be happy, and sane, is this." "What is that?" "This?" "Okay, watch this." "Here is you two guys." "VERONA:" "Really?" "No..." "Okay, here is you two guys." "Stop." "Okay, so you kiss, you do other things and then you make a baby." "The baby comes in there and he nestles in." "And you guys hug and get real tight." "And then we do this." "And this." "There..." "And this..." "Are those the bedposts?" "It's your house." "Now what is this?" "is that a home?" "is that a family?" "BURT:" "Yeah." "No." "No, of course not." "That's just the raw material." "The people, the walls, the furniture." "Okay, so that's the basics." "But that's not a home." "That's not a family." "What binds it all together is this." "Awesome." "That's awesome." "This is love." "BURT:" "I knew it." "Yes, here we go." "This is your love, guys." "Here it comes." "The patience, your consideration, your better selves." "Man, you just have no idea how good you can be." "But you have to use all of it." "All of it." "It's not like simple masonry, where you use a little layer of mortar between each row of bricks." "No." "With this, you have to use tons of it." "For every brick, there's a half-ton of mortar." "I thought we were doing syrup." "Mortar, syrup." "Syrup, mortar. lt is all the same. lt's the glue." "It's all those good things you have in you." "The love, the wisdom, the generosity." "The selflessness." "The patience." "Patience." "At 3:00 a.m., when everyone's awake because Ibrahim is sick and he can't find the bathroom and he just puked in Katya's bed." "Patience when you blink..." "It was awful." "When you blink and it's 5:30 and it is time to get up again, and you know you're going to be tired all day, all week, all your fucking life." "And you are thinking, "What happened to Greece?" ""What happened to swimming naked off the coast of Greece?"" "And you have to be willing to make the family out of whatever you have." "You have to be so much better than you ever thought." "Right?" "(DANCE MUSIC PLAYING)" "Wow, I've never done this before." "It's like dance karaoke?" "It's Montreal." "World capital of this kind of shit." "Montreal, baby." "Oh!" "Now listen, are there going to be any..." "is this just dudes?" "No, no, no." "It's not that those guys weren't enjoyable." "No, plenty of girls coming." "I swear." "Okay." "I hope so." "No, there's girls coming." "Where's 'Rona?" "BURT:" "I think she's in the bathroom." "Where's Munch?" "I have no fucking idea." "(SLOW MUSIC PLAYING)" "BURT:" "Uh-oh." "She had another miscarriage." "What?" "When?" "TOM:" "Thursday." "This Thursday?" "Yeah." "This is her fifth." "I know she loves all those kids like they were her own blood," "but I wonder if we have been selfish." "People like us, we wait until our 30s, and then we are surprised when the babies aren't so easy to make anymore." "And every day another million 1 4-year-olds get pregnant without trying." "It's terrible feeling this helpless, man." "You just watch these babies grow, and then..." "Then fade." "And you don't know if you're supposed to name them or bury them, or... I'm sorry." "(CROWD whooping)" "(DANCE MUSIC PLAYING)" "BURT:" "Well, you have every right to be pissed." "Or worse." "Yeah..." "Damn right, I'll be there." "You're my brother, for God's sake." "Come on." "This afternoon." "Yeah, well, we're leaving as soon as 'Rona wakes up." "No, will you stop?" "Hey, you're always paying, all right?" "I'll pay. I can swing it." "Wait, hold on a second." "I think she is up." "What's going on?" "It's my brother." "I'm telling her right now." "Helena left him." "What?" "We're going to Miami." "What happened?" "I spy with my little eye something that is blue." "You..." "You didn't see this coming, did you?" "I mean, she was normal, right?" "Oh, yeah." "Definitely." "Yeah." "Do you have any idea how many times I've checked my messages?" "It's a tick now." "It's, like, 10 times an hour." "I've got all the lines bouncing to my cell." "The weird thing is, part of me is so angry, I never want to hear her name again." "But if she came back tomorrow and said she was sorry, I would be so fucking relieved." "(sighs)" "Well, Annabelle seems to be doing great." "COURTNEY:" "I know." "It's even weirder." "BURT:" "Well, what did you tell her?" "COURTNEY:" "I told her it was a business trip." "I made the mistake of telling her she'd be five days." "I actually thought that was a conservative estimate." "I thought I would have it figured out by then." "(sighs) But then five days go by and she wants to know where her mom is." "So I told her that Grandpa died." "You told her Dad died?" "No, no, no, Helena's father." "Oh!" "Listen, Burt, I really need your help." "I mean, if she's really gone for good, I gotta know what to tell Belle." "And it is wrong to say that her mom was murdered, right?" "Yes. I think that would be traumatic." "Yeah, but there's finality there." "(lN FUNNY voice) "Where is my crown?" "I simply cannot find my crown." "(lMlTATES hiccups)" ""Oh, brother, I just swallowed another fly."" "And to that the crab replied... (lN FUNNY voice) "You will never find your crown, Frog," ""because I have hid it under the ocean."" "(ANNABELLA laughing)" "And then they fought." ""Give me your tongue." "Give me your tongue, Frog."" ""That's my tongue." "l have your tongue."" "And then they made up." "BURT: "Bullfrog, I have to admit something." ""You're my best friend." VERONA: "l still love you."" "BURT: "l'm really sorry about that, Frog." "I've always loved your eyes."" "VERONA: "Don't worry about it."" "(kissing SOUND)" ""Thank you very much." "Thank you." "Thank you very much."" ""Thank you." "Be sure to tip your waitress."" "COURTNEY:" "Say good night to Uncle Burp and Verona." "Good night, Bella." "Good night, Daddy." "BURT:" "Good night, Bella." "Good night." "Good night, chicken." "Could you stay a little longer?" "Sure." "I'll stay with you." "VERONA: (singing) Hey!" "Mr Tambourine Man play a song for me" "I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to" "Hey!" "Mr Tambourine Man" "Thank you." "Cheers." "Cheers." "In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you" "Did you see this?" "What's that?" "Oh, wow!" "Look at that." "Man, she is so cute." "COURTNEY:" "Yeah." "She just took that on Monday." "Remember when we had to wait weeks for the school pictures?" "Oh, yeah. lt was..." "Hey." "What's that on her lip?" "Carrot juice." "Carrot juice." "Yeah, so that's the picture." "(sighs) Oh!" "Yeah, I didn't see the carrot juice on her mouth when she left the house." "I'm never going to see stuff like that." "Moms see the carrot juice on their daughters' mouths." "Moms know when they aren't dressed right." "Moms go shopping with them, and make sure their hair doesn't look all spazzy." "In one fell swoop, Helena has changed this girl's life from a normal one, where she can be popular and all that, to the distinct likelihood that she's going to be introverted." "A poor dresser." "One of those kids that looks all longingly at the girls with the new shoes and the right backpack." "Well, at least it's just carrot juice, right?" "I mean, it's not whiskey or glue." "It's just the beginning, though." "I'm going to be spending every waking moment trying to reconstruct a normal life." "But that little girl in there will always be the girl without a mom." "VERONA: (singing) Into my own parade cast your dancing spell my way" "I promise to go under it" "Hey!" "Mr Tambourine Man play a song for me" "I'm not sleepy and there's no place I'm going to" "Hey!" "Mr Tambourine Man play a song for me" "In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you" "BURT:" "Yeah?" "Well, the fact that I'm even calling this late means it's important, doesn't it?" "I think so." "What's your name?" "I already know, 'cause I..." "Listen, you know what?" "Well, I think you know more than you're letting on." "How about that?" "Burt?" "So..." "Hello?" "Burt." "Damn it!" "Burt, what are you doing?" "Calling everyone she knew." "Her old company." "Her friends." "VERONA:" "At midnight?" "Right." "The element of surprise." "Well, can you stop, please?" "I mean, what kind of goddamned person leaves her daughter?" "I don't know." "Maybe not such a strong person." "Please stop." "And you know what the worst of it is?" "There is nothing we can do about it." "Because she is gone." "And this family can't be fixed." "And that is it." "And what if one of us freaks out like that?" "We won't." "It can be fixed." "And you know it." "Thank you." "(GRUNTS)" "Burt." "It's okay." "Look at me, please." "But really?" "I mean, what if something happens to one of us and just makes us go crazy?" "I mean, what if I'm walking by a construction site and something falls, and then my frontal lobe gets chopped off and my personality's altered and then I'm not a good dad?" "What happens then?" "Well, be careful walking near construction sites." "What about Munch?" "She'll be careful walking near construction sites, too." "No, really." "I mean, don't you just look at her and want to give her everything that she's ever wanted?" "It is so incredibly unfair that she can't..." "Yeah, you're right." "It's unfair that she can't have a baby and that bad parents still get to be parents" "and good parents die when their daughters are in college." "So what?" "I'm sorry, 'Rona." "Look, all we can do is be good for this one baby." "We don't have control over much else." "Will you marry me?" "At least." "Never." "I will never leave you." "Yeah." "I promise." "No, I know." "You..." "You promised never to marry me because you don't want to get married without your parents there." "I get that." "You promise never to leave me." "Do you promise to never leave this baby that we are having?" "I promise." "I do." "Do you promise to stop talking about your ability to find or not find my vagina after I give birth?" "I do." "Do you promise to let me cobble..." "Carve." "...to carve in my spare time, and teach our daughter the lore of the great Mississippi?" "I do." "Do you promise never to develop a thing for seahorses?" "I do." "Good." "(EXHALES)" "Do you promise to let our daughter be fat or skinny or any weight at all?" "Because we want her to be happy, no matter what." "Being obsessed with weight is just too cliche for our daughter." "Yes, I do." "Do you promise, when she talks, you'll listen?" "Like, really listen, especially when she's scared?" "And that her fights will be your fights?" "I do." "And do you promise that if I die some embarrassing and boring death that you're gonna tell our daughter that her father was killed by Russian soldiers in this intense hand-to-hand combat in an attempt to save the lives of 850 Chechnyan orphans?" "I do." "Chechnyan orphans. I do." "I do." "We had an orange tree." "Who?" "When we were kids." "My dad was really proud of it." "He planted it one spring, and he used to go out there first thing every morning, see if any oranges had grown." "But nothing ever grew." "The thing was sickly or something, or the soil wasn't right." "One morning, my mom woke Grace and me up really early, like, at 5:00," "and she led us out to the tree with these two grocery bags filled with oranges, and pineapples and grapes and melons, for some reason." "And we just hung all the fruit from the tree using tape and string." "It worked, actually." "And then we all ran into the truck and we slouched down and we just waited for my dad to come out." "What did he say?" "Well, he stared at it for a full minute, just staring at it." "I think at first he thought they were real, like the tree had burst into fruit overnight," "and then, I guess he saw the pineapples or something, and he just started laughing harder than we'd ever heard him laugh." "And Grace and I just ran out of the truck, squealing." "And my mom just..." "And from then on, every once in a while one of us would hang fruit from there." "Usually something plastic, like pears or strawberries or bananas." "BURT:" "is this starting to look familiar?" "VERONA:" "I think so." "God, I want it to." "But I want it to be new." "You know?" "New for us." "New enough to feel like we found it." "Does that make sense?" "Yeah." "You ready?" "I am." "Are you?" "Yes, I am." "(sighing) God, I forgot how beautiful it is." "This place is perfect for us." "Don't you think?" "I hope so." "I really fucking hope so." |
{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
} | Wallace Davenport
Wallace Foster Davenport (30 June 1925 – 18 March 2004) was an American jazz trumpeter. Davenport has been one of the few traditional jazz musicians of the 1930s who later branched out into swing and bop styles, as well as backing gospel and R&B vocalists during an extensive career in eight different decades.
Davenport was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He started on trumpet at age 13 with The Young Tuxedo Brass Band. He played with Papa Celestin in 1941 before leaving New Orleans to serve in the U. S. Navy. Davenport returned there after the World War II, making an easy transition to swing and bop with various bands. He recorded with Roy Brown in 1947. During the 1950s he toured the US and Europe playing with Lionel Hampton, and recorded in Paris in the mid-'50 with Mezz Mezzrow.
Davenport played and recorded with the Count Basie jazz orchestra (1964–1966), and also toured with singers Ray Charles and Lloyd Price. In 1969 he went back to doing traditional jazz in New Orleans, and issued recordings of his groups playing this style from on his own label My Jazz (1971–1976); recorded again in Europe with George Wein in 1974, with Panama Francis and Arnett Cobb in 1976, and also reunited with Hampton and recorded with Earl Hines this same year. In the eighties, Davenport worked with both traditional units as The Alliance Hall Dixieland Band and gospel groups like The Zion Harmonizers and Aline White, and backed the vocalists Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. However, he routinely went on impromptu tours in Asia and Europe, and once played expressly for the king Olav V of Norway.
A cultural icon of New Orleans, Davenport played regularly at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and the French Quarter Festival. He received numerous awards and recognitions for his musical contributions from the city government and local arts groups.
Wallace Davenport died in New Orleans, Louisiana, at 78 years of age.
Discography
With Count Basie
Pop Goes the Basie (Reprise, 1965)
Basie Meets Bond (United Artists, 1966)
Live at the Sands (Before Frank) (Reprise, 1966 [1998])
Sinatra at the Sands (Reprise, 1966) with Frank Sinatra
Basie's Beatle Bag (Verve, 1966)
Basie's Beat (Verve, 1967)
With Phil Upchurch
Feeling Blue (Milestone, 1967)
Category:1925 births
Category:2004 deaths
Category:Jazz musicians from New Orleans
Category:American jazz trumpeters
Category:American male trumpeters
Category:Big band bandleaders
Category:Dixieland trumpeters
Category:Swing trumpeters
Category:20th-century trumpeters
Category:20th-century American male musicians
Category:Male jazz musicians
Category:Verve Records artists
Category:Reprise Records artists |
{
"pile_set_name": "Github"
} | // Copyright (c) 2012 Ecma International. All rights reserved.
// Ecma International makes this code available under the terms and conditions set
// forth on http://hg.ecmascript.org/tests/test262/raw-file/tip/LICENSE (the
// "Use Terms"). Any redistribution of this code must retain the above
// copyright and this notice and otherwise comply with the Use Terms.
/*---
es5id: 15.2.3.6-4-171
description: >
Object.defineProperty - 'O' is an Array, 'name' is the length
property of 'O', the [[Value]] field of 'desc' is less than value
of the length property, test the [[Configurable]] attribute of an
inherited data property with large index named in 'O' can't stop
deleting index named properties (15.4.5.1 step 3.l.ii)
includes: [runTestCase.js]
---*/
function testcase() {
var arrObj = [0, 1];
try {
Array.prototype[1] = 2; // Not setting the [[Configurable]] attribute of property "1" to false here, since Array.prototype is a global object, and non-configurbale property can't revert to configurable
Object.defineProperty(arrObj, "length", {
value: 1
});
return arrObj.length === 1 && !arrObj.hasOwnProperty("1");
} finally {
delete Array.prototype[1];
}
}
runTestCase(testcase);
|
{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
} | Q:
Difference-in-difference-in-differences estimator
Two towns, $X$ and $Y$. In each town:
Pool cross-sections of male and female hourly wages, one from the year before a wage-discrimination policy took effect and one from the year after.
Consider the following model:
$wage_i=\beta_0+\beta_1after_i+\beta_2female_i+\beta_3X_i +\beta_4after_iX_i +\beta_5after_ifemale_i +\beta_6X_ifemale_i +\beta_7after_ifemale_iX_i+u_i$
where
$after_i=1$ if date after gender-wage discrimination policy; $0$ if date before gender-wage discrimination policy. The gender wage discrimination policy only applies to females in town $X$.
$female_i=1$ if female; $0$ if male.
$X_i=1$ if town $X$; $0$ if town $Y$.
The treatment group is females from town $X$.
Does this model measure the effect of a gender-wage discrimination policy on the average wage of women relative to men in town $X$ compared to the average wage of women relative to men in town $Y$?
In this model, the affect of the policy is captured by $\beta_7$:the 'difference-in-difference-in-differences' estimator.
For $\hat{\beta_7}$ to be interpreted as the causal effect of the policy on wages in town $X$, $E(u_i|female_i, after_i, X_i)=0$ has to be assumed.
Does this mean that once gender, date of policy, and town have been controlled for, there exist no unobserved factors which change over both town and time that affect wages?
A:
What you propose here is actually difference in difference in differences (DDD) instead of the usual difference in differences (see these lecture notes by Imbens and Wooldridge (2007) on the first two pages). This method can potentially account for the unobserved trends in wages of women across your two towns and the wage changes of both male and female workers in the treatment town. In this sense DDD is a more robust approach to the DD approach you had in mind previously.
Let $\overline{y}$ be average income and index periods $1,2$, females and men $F,M$, and towns $X,Y$, then your DDD coefficient gives you
$$
\begin{align}
\widehat{\beta}_7 &= (\overline{y}_{X,F,2} - \overline{y}_{X,F,1}) \enspace\quad \text{the time change in $\overline{y}$ for women in town X} \newline
&- (\overline{y}_{Y,F,2}-\overline{y}_{Y,F,1}) \qquad \text{the time change in $\overline{y}$ for women in town Y} \newline
&-(\overline{y}_{X,M,2}-\overline{y}_{X,M,1}) \enspace\quad \text{the time change in $\overline{y}$ for men in town X}
\end{align}
$$
so your treatment effect will still be the effect of the policy on female wages relative to male wages in town $X$. The second term subtracts the potential wage trend of females that has nothing to do with the policy. This relates to what I mentioned in my response to your other question that you would need to know the common trends between male and female wages. This was to exclude the possibility that male and female wages are subject to systematically different changes that have nothing to do with the policy. Having untreated females in another town allows to you take out this potential female wage trend that might be different from the male wage trend.
Read the Imbens and Wooldridge lecure very carefully because they do a great job on explaining this (especially see page 2 after equation 1.4).
Even though this method is more robust, it does not mean that there is nothing left which can bias your estimates. If there is another policy at the same time, for instance a law for mothercare that affects female wages, this might still be picked up by your regression. In your work it will be your job to show that nothing else is going on in town $X$ besides your discrimination policy.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | We are Louisville's Code for America Brigade, called the Civic Data Alliance (CDA). Our mission is: Making Public Data Truly Public.
We are the public's voice for open data, interested in liberating, improving, gathering, defining, and reporting on public data. We help coordinate volunteers, push open data policy, host meetups and hackathons, host and format open data, and provide tech support for local citizens. |
{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
} | Q:
but other ladies carried such things, so she also **would have one
Next she selected a parasol from a large and varied assortment in the rear of the store. Not that she had any idea what it was used for; but other ladies carried such things, so she also would have one.
Source: http://www.classicreader.com/book/2953/1/
I am not sure what "would" means in my sentence. From the context of the paragraph I undestand it that she wants to behave according to the the other ladies. So I would await the form "had to have one".
A:
According to Macmillan Dictionary, definition #1:
would:
used for talking about what was going to happen in the past
a
used for showing what someone expected, intended, promised etc when they were thinking or talking about the future:
James said he would never forgive her.
Most analysts expected that there would be a change in policy.
Consequently, if the context has the reference point in the past, as in your example, we would use would when we were thinking or talking about the future and the sentence reads as:
but other ladies carried such things, so she also would have to carry one.
On the other hand, if we use had to have one as you suggested, the sentence reads:
but other ladies carried such things, so she also had to have one.
To me, both versions imply that she's obliged, bound or under the necessity of carrying one, that is, two different ways of saying the same thing.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
} | Q:
If your table has more selects than inserts, are indexes always beneficial?
I have a mysql innodb table where I'm performing a lot of selects using different columns. I thought that adding an index on each of those fields could help performance, but after reading a bit on indexes I'm not sure if adding an index on a column you select on always helps.
I have far more selects than inserts/updates happening in my case.
My table 'students' looks like:
id | student_name | nickname | team | time_joined_school | honor_roll
and I have the following queries:
# The team column is varchar(32), and only has about 20 different values.
# The honor_roll field is a smallint and is only either 0 or 1.
1. select from students where team = '?' and honor_roll = ?;
# The student_name field is varchar(32).
2. select from students where student_name = '?';
# The nickname field is varchar(64).
3. select from students where nickname like '%?%';
all the results are ordered by time_joined_school, which is a bigint(20).
So I was just going to add an index on each of the columns, does that make sense in this scenario?
Thanks
A:
Indexes help the database more efficiently find the data you're looking for. Which is to say you don't need an index simply because you're selecting a given column, but instead you (generally) need an index for columns you're selecting based on - i.e. using a WHERE clause (even if you don't end up including the searched column in your result).
Broadly, this means you should have indexes on columns that segregate your data in logical ways, and not on extraneous, simply informative columns. Before looking at your specific queries, all of these columns seem like reasonable candidates for indexing, since you could reasonably construct queries around these columns. Examples of columns that would make less sense would be things phone_number, address, or student_notes - you could index such columns, but generally you don't need or want to.
Specifically based on your queries, you'll want student_name, team, and honor_roll to be indexed, since you're defining WHERE conditions based on the values of these columns. You'll also benefit from indexing time_joined_school if, as you suggest, you're ORDER BYing your queries based on that column. Your LIKE query is not actually easy for most RDBs to handle, and indexing nickname won't help. Check out How to speed up SELECT .. LIKE queries in MySQL on multiple columns? for more.
Note also that the ratio of SELECT to INSERT is not terribly relevant for deciding whether to use an index or not. Even if you only populate the table once, and it's read-only from that point on, SELECTs will run faster if you index the correct columns.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
} | Fact checks
Donald Trump offers graphic description of later-term abortion, but such procedures are extremely rare
Using graphic terms, Donald Trump during Wednesday night’s debate described one of the most controversial, and exceedingly rare, abortion procedures: those that happen at the very end of pregnancies.
Trump said these terminations involve “rip[ping] the baby out of the womb of the mother just prior to the birth of the baby.”
He is most likely referring to the procedure known as “intact dilation and extraction,” which is sometimes called partial-birth abortion. This procedure, which is used for abortions in the third term of pregnancy as well as later-term miscarriages, involves dilating the woman’s cervix and pulling the entire fetus through the birth canal.
The procedure became a hot political topic during George W. Bush’s presidency, when Congress passed a bill banning “partial-birth abortions,” except for when the woman’s life is in danger. The Supreme Court upheld the ban in 2007.
Forty-three states impose certain restrictions on some abortions after a certain point in pregnancy.
Only 1.3% of abortions performed in the United States occur after the 21st week of pregnancy, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a think thank that supports abortion rights. The vast majority — 91% of abortions performed in 2012 — occur in the first 13 weeks.
Although Trump has asserted his antiabortion beliefs in this campaign, he used to be in favor of abortion rights. When asked in 1999 by Tim Russert about the procedure, he said he was “pro-choice in every respect” and would not ban partial-birth abortions. |
{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
} | No Guidance
"No Guidance" is a song by American singer Chris Brown featuring vocals from Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on June 8, 2019 as the fourth single from Brown's ninth studio album, Indigo (2019). The song was produced by American producers Vinylz, J-Louis, Teddy Walton, and Canadian producer 40. The track contains uncredited samples from "Before I Die", written and performed by Che Ecru.
Background
Brown and Drake have had a history of feuds dating back to 2012 over singer Rihanna, which escalated in June of that year after friends of the musicians started throwing bottles at each other in a New York City nightclub. In 2013 Brown even dissed Drake on Young Jeezy's song "R.I.P. (Remix) " by rapping "Dearly departed, I bought a plane I departed/ And if you started from the bottom, go on and come out the closet," rhyming that on the song's final verse, making a clear reference to Drake and his "Started from the Bottom" single. However, on October 12, 2018, Drake brought out the singer on his Aubrey & the Three Migos Tour date in Los Angeles and publicly ended their feud. The performance sparked rumors about a possible collaboration and Drake later teased a possible collaboration with Brown on Instagram in early 2019.
A snippet of the song was leaked online on May 5, 2019 from Brown's 30th birthday party. On June 5, 2019, Brown teased the song on his social media and two days later announced that the song would be released that night. Even before release, various news outlets called the song a contender for 2019's "Song of the Summer".
Music video
The "No Guidance" music video was released on July 26, 2019. With a total run-time of 9 minutes and 7 seconds, it depicts a confrontation between Chris Brown and Drake surrounded by their crews in a Miami carpark, which ends up being a dance battle, after which the two artists resolve their beef. Tory Lanez and Sevyn Streeter made cameo appearances.
Drake's reaction to Brown's dance during the dance battle, in which he quips "Ooo wow", has since garnered meme popularity.
Commercial performance
In the United Kingdom, "No Guidance" debuted at number eight on the UK Singles Chart on the chart dated June 14, 2019, and moved up to number 6 in its second week charting. It serves as Brown's 16th top-ten song and Drake's 17th top ten on the chart.
In the United States, the song debuted at number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it Chris Brown's 15th top-ten song and Drake's 34th top ten on the chart. It later peaked at number five, making it Brown's first top five since "Forever" (2008).
In Canada the song debuted at number 7.
The single is nominated for Best R&B Song at the 2020 Grammy Awards.
Personnel
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.
Chris Brown – lead vocals
Drake – featured vocals
Vinylz – production
J-Louis – production
40 – production
Teddy Walton – production
Patrizio Pigliapoco – recording
Noel Cadastre – recording
Ben Magikz – recording
Noah "40" Shebib – mixing engineer
Chris Athens – mastering engineer
Eazy $ign - vocal engineer
Awards and nominations
The single won Best Collaboration Performance, Best Dance Performance and Song of the Year at the 2019 Soul Train Music Awards and received a nomination for Best R&B Song at the 62nd Grammy Awards.
Other versions
Tinashe released a remix of "No Guidance" on June 11, 2019.
Fetty Wap released a freestyle of "No Guidance" on August 3, 2019.
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
Category:2019 songs
Category:Chris Brown songs
Category:Drake (musician) songs
Category:Songs written by Nija Charles
Category:Songs written by Chris Brown
Category:Songs written by Drake (musician)
Category:Songs written by Teddy Walton
Category:Songs written by 40 (record producer)
Category:Songs written by Vinylz
Category:Song recordings produced by 40 (record producer)
Category:Music memes |
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} | Complication and reoperation rates after apical vaginal prolapse surgical repair: a systematic review.
To compare postoperative complication and reoperation rates for surgical procedures correcting apical vaginal prolapse. Eligible studies were selected through an electronic literature search covering January 1985 to January 2008 using PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the Database of Abstracts of Reviews and Effects. Only clinical trials and observational studies addressing apical prolapse repair and recurrence or complication rates were included. The search was restricted to original articles published in English with 50 or more participants and a follow-up period of 3 months or longer. Oral platform and poster presentations from the American Urogynecological Society, the Society for Gynecologic Surgeons, the International Urogynecological Association, and the International Continence Society from January 2005 to December 2007 were hand searched to determine whether they were eligible for inclusion. Procedures were separated into three groups: traditional vaginal surgery, sacral colpopexy, and vaginal mesh kits. Complications were classified using the Dindo grading system. Weighted averages were calculated for each Dindo grade, complication, and reoperation. Dindo grade IIIa (433/3,425 women) and IIIb (245/3,425) rates were highest in the mesh kit group owing to higher rates of mesh erosion (198/3,425) and fistulae (8/3,425). Reoperation rates for prolapse recurrence were highest in the traditional vaginal surgery group (308/7,827). The total reoperation rate was greatest in the mesh kit group (291/3, 425, 8.5%). The rate of complications requiring reoperation and the total reoperation rate was highest for vaginal mesh kits despite a lower reoperation rate for prolapse recurrence and shorter overall follow-up. |
{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} | 1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to consumer product packages which incorporate spray devices; and more particularly, to such consumer product packages with spray devices which utilize air to aid small particle spray formation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has long been desirable to provide consumer product packages with spray devices which produce excellent spray qualities. Characteristics of spray quality include mean droplet size (e.g., as measured by the Sauter mean diameter); droplet size distribution width; spray velocity and clean starting and stopping (i.e., no spitting or dripping). Historically, aerosol spray packages have utilized partially dissolved propellants to pressurize the package. Atomization is primarily driven by the propellant dissolved in the product "boiling off" upon exiting the spray device. Unfortunately, traditional dissolved propellants have been the subject of environmental concerns for many years now.
Spray devices have also utilized vapor tap valves which mix propellant vapor with the liquid. This improves atomization quality. It is believed that the vapor provides bubbles which function as nucleation sites for the dissolved propellant. Exemplary vapor tap valves are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,746,796 issued to St. Germain on Aug. 5, 1953; U.S. Pat. No. 3,544,258 issued on Aug. 19, 1963 to Presant et. al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,631 issued on Oct. 14, 1980 to Schneider; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,674 issued to Giuffredi on Nov. 29, 1983. One disadvantage of vapor taps is they utilize, and therefore, release even more of the propellants of environmental concern.
Spray devices have also included passages which pass the liquid through a swirl chamber immediately prior to its exiting the discharge orifice. The swirl chamber causes the liquid to exit the discharge orifice in a thin walled-expanding cone configuration which aids atomization. Swirl chambers are often found on standard aerosol packages and are usually found on mechanical pumps. Disadvantages of swirl chambers include manufacturing complexities; the requirement of relatively high pressures due to the energy losses caused by the small channels of the swirl chamber; and difficulties atomizing relatively viscous fluids.
Several spray device designs combine more than one atomization mechanism. For example, many spray devices combine the vapor tap approach and the swirl chamber approach. Exemplary combination designs include U.S. Pat. No. 4,247,025 which issued to Gailitis on Jan. 27, 1981; U.S. Pat. No. 4,260,110 which issued on Apr. 7, 1981 to Werding; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,396,152 which issued on Aug. 2, 1983 to Abplanalp. Of course, these combination designs have the disadvantages of each of the features they incorporate.
One other approach which has been tried with consumer product packages involves mixing air with the liquid in such a manner as to reduce the velocity at which choke flow occurs. Then the two phase (i.e., air and liquid) mixture is passed through one or more restrictions such that choke flow occurs, thereby providing a shock wave to help atomize the liquid. One such example is illustrated in a PCT patent application published under number WO 90/05580 on May 31, 1990. One major disadvantage to utilization of the choked flow phenomenon is the large amount of energy required. This means the driving pressure in the package must be relatively high for flow rates applicable to consumer product packages.
Outside the area of consumer packages, air has been utilized (sometimes in conjunction with swirl or turbulence generating geometries) at great velocity and/or in great quantities to provide kinetic energy to the liquid to aid in atomization. Examples include the devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,130,914 issued to Catkin et. al. on Apr. 28, 1964; U.S. Pat. No. 3,764,069 issued on Oct. 9, 1973 to Runstadler, Jr. et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,239 issued to Ikeuchi on Aug. 18, 1981; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,314 issued to Smith et al. on Dec. 30, 1986. However, the relatively high pressures necessary to provide high velocity air and/or the relatively large quantities of air necessary, inhibit utilization of these techniques in consumer product packages; particularly when low container pressure and/or low air-to-liquid ratio is desired.
Additional work has also been performed outside the area of consumer product packages with spray devices which mix air and liquid prior to the final exit orifice. Much of this work, for example, has been done by the faculty and students of Purdue University. This work was typically performed at much higher pressures, flow rates and at air-to-liquid ratios greater than those desirable for consumer product applications. In fact, most of this work was done at combinations of such high flow rates and air-to-liquid ratios that choked flow occurred resulting in shock waves. Although some of this work was done at either low pressure or low air-to-liquid ratios, none of the work was done here both were simultaneously low and consumer product flow rates were utilized.
None of the spray devices discussed above provide all of the advantages of the present invention. For example, consumer product spray packages of the present invention does not depend upon mechanisms like swirl chambers and choked flow. Consequently, excellent spray qualities are provided at consumer product flow rates while simultaneously maintaining relatively low air-to-liquid ratios and relatively low pressures.
In conjunction with the advantages discussed above, the spray device of the present invention offers significant environmental advantages. The product being sprayed with the spray device of the present invention does not have propellant dissolved therein. Consequently, the viscosity of the propellantless liquid are typically higher and the spray device of the present invention produces excellent spray qualities with higher viscosity liquids; e.g., above about 10 cP. Furthermore, products are typically formulated to include volatile solvents to reduce the viscosity of the product. Like the propellants discussed above, these volatile solvents are of concern from environmental and safety standpoints. The present invention permits at least partial replacement of these volatile solvents with water to reduce viscosity. One reason water has not been utilized extensively in the past to reduce viscosity is because it typically increases the surface tension of the product which is generally thought to produce poorer spray qualities. However, spray devices of the present invention actually produce better spray qualities with higher surface tension liquids. |
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} | Main menu
Tag Archives: Twitter
Post navigation
I’ve been preparing myself for my Volunteer trip to Kenya where I’ll be teaching in Children’s Centres in Mombasa for 6 weeks. To do this I’ve been doing the pre-departure course work from Global Vision International on Teaching English as a Foreign Language and I’ve picked up a few resource books myself. One in particular, “The ESL/ELL Teacher’s Survival Guide,” seemed appropriate not only for my trip but for my own career at home as ELL students are numerous in the schools that I have worked at.
The authors of this book, Larry Ferlazzo and Katie Hull Sypnieski, start off this guide by outlining the three R’s that make up a positive and effective learning environment. Relationships, Resources and Routines. What I failed to notice, and what these authors pointed out to me, was that blogging is an easy and effective way to show students you care about them inside and outside the classroom.
“In today’s world, many teachers already blog and write about their teaching experiences. However, they may not take the extra step of sharing this writing with their students. This can be powerful on a number of levels, but in terms of relationship building, it shows students that the teacher things of them outside of the classroom.”
They are so right. Whenever students would ask me about Twitter I would usually say, “Yes I have Twitter and even a blog, feel free to follow me but I tweet and write about education/teacher stuff – you might not be interested.” But, students should see you on Twitter and your blog posts because it shows students how methodological you are in how, what, where and why you teach and how you learn.
I did have students come up to me one day and say they found me on Twitter and that I tweeted a picture of my water bottle from class (students put a post it note on it reminding me to drink more water and not just coffee). I explained to them how happy that post it made me, because even within our short two weeks together we had a community started where we took care of each other and got to know each other. I thought it was wonderful.
I now realize that this twitter-verse and blog-overse is not just for me to develop and network with other teaching professionals. But is also a way to show how connected we are with our students and that we are very focused on doing our very best to provide our students with classrooms we feel they deserve.
“Taking a few minutes to write about the class (whether it is a simple reflection on how a lesson went, how a student demonstrated an exceptional insight, or sharing a few success and challenges from the week) and then sharing this writing with the class can increase trust and respect between the teacher and the students.”
So I’m urging teachers! Please, if you don’t have time to blog – because yes, it does become something of another job on its own, please tweet! Share your thoughts, your learning moments, things that inspire you and ways to change our classrooms for the better! Use hashtags to join the conversation!
Here’s a reminder though, Hashtags are only as effective if they are being used! They can be great promotional tools for an upcoming school wide event, a district initiative, or if theres a topic you want to really learn/chat about with other professionals about. This is why some districts, like Surrey, can be so connected on Twitter because they seem to have agreed upon hashtags for their district that they use: #sd36learn #surreylearns #sd36 #edcamp36
So, If you can’t blog, tweet! Even 150 characters can go a long way to show that you are connected, learning, and caring about your students and your school. Adding a hashtag in between those 150 characters will help your thoughts be found and connected with in a much more efficient way too! |
{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
} | A. G. S. Ram Babu
A. G. S. Ram Babu is an Indian politician and former Member of Parliament elected from Tamil Nadu. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Madurai constituency as an Indian National Congress candidate in 1989 and 1991 elections, and as a Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) candidate in 1996 election.
References
Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Tamil Nadu
Category:Living people
Category:9th Lok Sabha members
Category:10th Lok Sabha members
Category:11th Lok Sabha members
Category:Lok Sabha members from Tamil Nadu
Category:Tamil Maanila Congress politicians
Category:Politicians from Madurai
Category:Year of birth missing (living people) |
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} | [Intrapulmonary laceration revealed by computed tomography in a patient with pneumomediastinum].
An 18-year-old man had bronchial asthma and a pneumomediastinum. A computed tomographic scan of the chest revealed the pneumomediastinum, intrapulmonary laceration of the S1b, and a small amount of air in the perivascular space from V1a to V1. Increased pressure in intrapulmonary airways may have resulted in ruptured S1b alveoli and air leakage into the interstitium between the surrounding secondary lobules. The air may have moved along the perivascular space (pulmonary vein) toward the hilum, and eventually into the mediastinum. We know of no previous report of pneumomediastinum in which images of intrapulmonary lesions are presented. In this case computed tomography revealed the mechanism by which the pneumomediastinum probably developed. |
{
"pile_set_name": "NIH ExPorter"
} | Assessing the Safety of Biologic Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have shorter life expectancy compared to the general population and they are at increased risk for serious infections, early cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and lymphoproliferative neoplasias. Current treatment of RA is based on disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), including novel biologic antagonists of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFa) and interleukin 1 (IL-1). Through the blockade of key inflammatory mediators, these drugs control RA activity;however, these same mechanisms could also impair immune responses, rendering patients more susceptible to infectious agents or abnormal cell proliferation. Whether or not therapy with biologic DMARDs increases the risk of serious infections and neoplasias among patients with RA remains controversial. TNFa antagonists have been evaluated for the treatment of congestive heart failure in patients without rheumatic diseases. No benefits were shown and paradoxically, high doses of these DMARDs were deleterious in some patients. Nevertheless, the cardiac effects of biologic DMARDs in patients with RA but without preexisting congestive heart failure remain unclear. RA imparts an increased risk for coronary heart disease that is not fully explained by traditional risk factors. Chronic inflammation is postulated to play an integral role in the pathogenesis of this accelerated atherosclerosis. Although previous studies suggested that DMARD therapy could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in RA, the effect of specific DMARDs on the risk of myocardial infarction is unknown. Chronic inflammation is also associated with the metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, known risk factors for atherosclerosis and highly prevalent conditions among patients with RA. Glucocorticoid therapy paradoxically improved insulin sensitivity in patients with RA, suggesting that inflammation and insulin resistance may be closely related. Furthermore, anakinra, the IL-1 receptor antagonist, improved glucose control in patients with diabetes, and infliximab improved insulin resistance in patients with RA. Whether this benefit extends to other DMARDs or whether DMARD therapy can delay the onset of diabetes in patients with RA is currently unknown. To evaluate the safety of biologic DMARDs in patients with RA, we propose a sequence of studies with three specific aims: 1) To test the hypothesis that use of biologic DMARDs increases the risk of serious infections compared with traditional DMARDs. 2) To test the hypothesis that use of biologic DMARDs increases the risk of developing lymphoproliferative neoplasias compared with traditional DMARDs. 3) To test the hypothesis that use of biologic DMARDs increases the risk of congestive heart failure and decreases the risk of myocardial infarction and diabetes compared with traditional DMARDs. |
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