cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Levels of Ac 230 and Th 230 populated by decay of Ra 230 and Ac 230

Decay schemes, based on $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray and $\ensuremath{\beta}$-ray spectroscopy, are proposed for 93-min $^{230}\mathrm{Ra}$ and 122-sec $^{230}\mathrm{Ac}$. Of 48 observed $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ transitions following decay of $^{230}\mathrm{Ra}$, 39 are accommodated among 19 levels in $^{230}\mathrm{Ac}$. For decay of the $^{230}\mathrm{Ac}$, 135 $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ transitions were observed and 98 are accounted for among 46 levels (22 known previously) in $^{230}\mathrm{Th}$. The ground state of $_{89}^{230}\mathrm{Ac}_{141}$ is assigned ${I}^{\ensuremath{\pi}}={K}^{\ensuremath{\pi}}={1}^{+}$. A number of levels are discussed in terms of Nilsson orbital assignments. ${Q}_{{\ensuremath{\beta}}^{\ensuremath{-}}}\ensuremath{\approx}0.71$ MeV for $^{230}\mathrm{Ra}$ and ${Q}_{{\ensuremath{\beta}}^{\ensuremath{-}}}=2.70$ MeV for $^{230}\mathrm{Ac}$.RADIOACTIVITY $^{230}\mathrm{Ra}$, $^{230}\mathrm{Ac}$ from $^{232}\mathrm{Th}$($n$,$2pn$)$^{230}\mathrm{Ra}\stackrel{{\ensuremath{\beta}}^{\ensuremath{-}}}{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}^{230}\mathrm{Ac}$; radiochemistry, Ge(Li) and plastic detectors. Measured ${T}_{\frac{1}{2}}$, ${E}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$, ${I}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$, ${I}_{{\ensuremath{\beta}}^{\ensuremath{-}}}$; deduced ${I}_{{\ensuremath{\beta}}^{\ensuremath{-}}}$, $log\mathrm{ft}$, decay schemes, $J$, $\ensuremath{\pi}$, Nilsson assignments.
“The Pain of Exile”: What Social Workers Need to Know about Burmese Refugees

Refugees from Burma have comprised the largest group of refugees resettling in the United States over the past decade, with nearly 90,000 people, and 19 percent of the total refugee population. However, very little literature exists that describes the cultural context and displacement experiences of this population. This article addresses that gap in the literature by examining historical, social, political, and cultural dimensions relevant to social work practice with Burmese refugees. Practice with Burmese refugees should be informed by knowledge of refugee policy, refugee resettlement, and social services delivery systems; the Burmese historical and political context; the community's specific strengths, needs, and cultural diversity; and human rights and social justice issues. Strong community partnerships between social workers and indigenous community leaders, between resettlement agencies and ethnic community-based organizations, and between different Burmese refugee groups are important to meeting short- and long-term social services needs and fostering successful adaptation and community integration.
Vasodilator Activity of Human α-Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide in the Feline Mesenteric Vascular Bed

Human alpha-calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a substance immunohistochemically present in a number of organ systems; however, the biologic significance of this peptide is uncertain. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of CGRP in the feline mesenteric vascular bed under conditions of controlled blood flow. Bolus injections of CGRP decreased mesenteric perfusion pressure in a dose-related fashion. When compared with nitroglycerin, CGRP possesses markedly greater vasodilator activity in the intestinal vascular bed of the cat. Because circulating levels of CGRP have been identified, the present data suggest CGRP may play a role in the regulation of systemic vasomotor tone and regional hemodynamics, as well as involve altered calcium metabolism seen with other calcium-regulating hormones in hypertensive states.
Friction and Wear of Amorphous Hydrogenated Carbon

Uniform amorphous hydrogenated carbon (a-C:H) films with surface roughnesses ranging between 1 nm and 4 nm were produced by radio frequency self biased plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (rf PECVD) on > Silicon substrates using 100% methane precursor gas mixture, rf power densities ranging between 0.11 W/cm2 and 1.07 W/cm2, and pressures ranging between 0.67 Pa and 40 Pa. Reciprocating sliding friction experiments were conducted on the a-C:H films with hemispherical, silicon nitride pins in dry nitrogen and in 60% relative humidity. The coefficients of friction and the wear rates of the a-C:H were very low in dry nitrogen, ranging from 0.03 to 0.05, and from 1.1 × 108 mm3/Nm to 2.3 × 10−6 mm3/Nm, respectively. In 60% relative humidity, the initial coefficients of friction were approximately 0.30. However, the steady state coefficients of friction of the a-C:H films ranged from 0.10 and 0.30, depending on the deposition conditions. The wear rates ranged from 2.0 × 10−9 mm3/Nm to 8.9 x 10−8 mm3/Nm in 60% relative humidity. Raman microprobe spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) revealed that sliding friction was transforming the a-C:H films into a material primarily composed of sp2 bonded carbon with increasing short range order. Qualitatively, the amount of wear which occurred corresponded to the extent that the structural changes progressed. The a-C:H films were further characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and surface profilometry.
INTERFACIAL AREA TRANSPORT IN HORIZONTAL BUBBLY FLOW WITH 90-deg ELBOW

The present study develops an interfacial area transport equation applicable to an air-water horizontal bubbly flow with a flow restriction. The experiments are performed in a round glass pipe of 50.3-mm inner diameter, along which a 90-deg elbow is installed at L/D = 206.6 from the two-phase mixture inlet. In total, 15 dif ferent flow conditions in the bubbly flow regime are studied. The detailed local two-phase flow parameters are acquired by a double-sensor conductivity probe at four different axial locations. The effect of the elbow is evident in the distribution of local parameters as well as in the development of interfacial structures. The elbow clearly promotes bubble interactions resulting in signif icant changes in both the void fraction and interfacial area concentration. In the present study, the elbow is found to promote the coalescence mechanism while reducing the disintegration mechanism. These geometric effects are also reflected in the axial development of one-dimensional two-phase flow parameters. In the present analysis, the interfacial area transport equation is developed in one-dimensional form via area-averaging based on the existing model for vertical flow. In the averaging process, characteristic nonuniform distributions of the two-phase flow parameters in horizontal two-phase flow are treated mathematically by covariance calculations. Furthermore, the change in pressure due to the minor loss of the elbow is taken into consideration by using a newly developed correlation analogous to Lockhart and Martinelli's. In total, 60 area-averaged data points are employed to benchmark the present model. The present model predicts the data well with an average percent difference of approximately ±10%.
168 SELENIUM IN COMBINATION WITH PACLITAXEL AND ITS EFFECTS ON PACLITAXEL-INDUCED CORONARY ARTERY ENDOTHELIAL CELL TOXICITY.

Background Restenosis, which occurs commonly following percutaneous intervention with angioplasty or stents, has been significantly reduced with the newer drug eluting stents using paclitaxel or sirolimus. However, little is known about these drugs9 effects on human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs), particularly under pro-oxidative conditions such as ischemia or sepsis. The apoptotic effect of paclitaxel has been demonstrated in other studies. Prior blood substitute studies have demonstrated that selenium, an essential enzyme of GSH-Px, is very effective in preventing oxidative damage caused by Hgb radicals. Therefore, we investigated the effects of the potent restenosis reducing agent paclitaxel, with and without selenium, on HCAECs. Methods HCAECs were incubated with doses of 0 μM, 1 μM, 10 μM, 100 μM of paclitaxel with or without hydrogen peroxide and/or endotoxins (lipopolysacharide) (LPS) and with or without selenium. Cell lines including selenium were incubated with this agent for 1 week prior to addition of other agents. After treatment, oxidative stress was measured using intracellular levels of GSH and lipid peroxidation. Inflammation was evaluated by VCAM-1 expression. Apoptosis was visualized with annexin-V, FITC conjugate, and a propidium-iodide probe. Results Paclitaxel at a concentration of 1 μM had no effect on HCAECs. Concentrations of 10 μM and 100 μM showed extreme toxicity. Paclitaxel toxicity, even at lower concentrations, was augmented by the addition of hydrogen peroxide and LPS, which simulates conditions occurring with myocardial ischemia. Pretreatment with selenium was effective in decreasing the inflammatory response of HCAECs, measured as less depletion of intracellular GSH and lower levels of TBARS. However, selenium was not effective in preventing paclitaxel-induced apoptosis. Conclusion Selenium treatment decreases the indirect toxicity of paclitaxel on HCAECs (inflammatory response) but does not prevent the direct toxicity of paclitaxel on HCAECs (apoptosis).
Short Communication: Hyperthyroidism in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Patients on Combined Antiretroviral Therapy: Case Series and Literature Review.

Abstract We describe an HIV-infected patient initiated on combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) who subsequently developed immune restoration disease (IRD) hyperthyroidism—this case represents one of five such patients seen at our center within the past year. Similar to previous reports of hyperthyroidism due to IRD, all of our patients experienced a rapid early recovery in total CD4 count, but developed symptoms of hyperthyroidism on average 3 years (38 months) after beginning cART, which represents a longer time frame than previously reported. Awareness and recognition of this potential complication of cART, which may occur years after treatment initiation, will allow patients with immune restorative hyperthyroidism to receive timely therapy and avoid the long-term complications associated with undiagnosed thyroid disease.
Methods for Studying Neisseria meningitidis Biofilms

Neisseria meningitidisis an organism whose environmental niche is limited to the human host. It can frequently colonize the human nasopharynx and has the ability to cause severe systemic infections. These infections can be sporadic, endemic or occur in outbreaks associated with more virulent meningococcal strains. Studies have demonstrated that the meningococcus can form biofilms both in vivo and ex vivo. In this chapter, we discuss methods to establish biofilms in the laboratory for in-depth biochemical, genetic, or microscopic studies.
Reproduction in the California Red Scale, Aonidiella aurantii (Homoptera: Diaspididae). I. Discovery and Extraction of a Female Sex Pheromone

A pheromone (or pheromones) that attracts males and elicits copulatory behavior is present in sexually mature females of the California red scale, Aonidiella aurantii (Maskell). Its release is not continuous and may be controlled. It was extracted from females in several organic solvents. An ether extract absorbed into drops of paraffin (dummy females) was attractive to males for several hours, longer than when the extract was absorbed by filter paper. Male response to the pheromone preparations was similar to that toward intact females. Three preparations that attracted the most males were comparable in activity: a condensate accumulated in a Dewar flask by aeration of live females and concentrated to contain 7200 female-day equivalents; an ether extract of the condensate containing 360 female-day equivalents; and an ether extract of homogenized mature females containing 100 female equivalents. An ascending thin-layer chromatogram of an ether extract developed with n -hexane-diethyl ether-ethanol contained a spot with an R t of 0.9 that was attractive to males and elicited copulatory behavior.
SMAP L-Band Microwave Radiometer: RFI Mitigation Prelaunch Analysis and First Year On-Orbit Observations

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Soil Moisture Active and Passive (SMAP) mission, which was launched on January 31, 2015, is providing global measurements of soil moisture and freeze/thaw state. The SMAP radiometer operates within the protected Earth Exploration Satellite Service passive frequency allocation of 1400-1427 MHz. However, unauthorized in-band transmitters and out-of-band emissions from transmitters operating at frequencies adjacent to this allocated spectrum are known to cause interference to microwave radiometry in this band. Because measurement corruption by these terrestrial transmissions, which is referred to as radio-frequency interference (RFI), threatens mission success, the SMAP radiometer includes special flight hardware to enable the detection and filtering of RFI. Results from the first year of SMAP data show the presence of RFI with frequent occurrence over Asia and Europe. During the calibration/validation stage of the mission, the RFI detection and mitigation algorithms were modified to provide enhanced performance. Analysis of the L1B_TB products indicates good algorithmic performance with respect to RFI detection and removal. However, some regions of the globe (e.g., Japan) continue to experience complete data loss. This paper summarizes updates to the SMAP RFI processing algorithms based on prelaunch tests and on-orbit measurements, as well as RFI information obtained in SMAP's first year on orbit.
Advanced MR Techniques in Pediatric Neuroradiology: What Is Ready for Clinical Prime Time?

For an advanced MR technique to be ready for clinical prime time, (1) it must reliably detect abnormalities in individuals, not just provide statistical group differences; (2) processed images must be available rapidly; (3) acquisition times must be reasonable; and (4) time required by professional or supporting staff to create relevant images must be financially sustainable. Also ideally individual differences are visible on an image for the most rapid adaption in clinical practice. In this chapter diffusion imaging, MR spectroscopy, arterial spin labeling, fetal triplane reconstruction, and quantitative T1 and T2 imaging will be discussed, and examples where these sequences have clinical utility in individual pediatric patients will be provided.
Basic Techniques to Prove If/Then Statements

This chapter examines the importance of the logic connectives “if” and “then,” which allow the separation of the hypothesis (sufficient condition) and the conclusion (necessary condition) of a mathematical statement to be proved. Then, the first proof technique, direct proof, is introduced and several examples are used to show its construction. After the introduction of quantifiers, the construction of the negation of a statement is introduced. The interaction between the negation and the logic connectives “and” and “or” is established using the truth tables. These concepts are used to introduce two additional proof techniques: proof by contrapositive and proof by contradiction.
Supply Chain Network Competition in Prices and Quality

In this chapter, we develop static and dynamic competitive supply chain network models with multiple manufacturers and freight service providers. The manufacturers compete with one another in terms of price and quality of the product manufactured, whereas the freight service providers compete on price and quality of the transportation service that they provide for multiple modes. In contrast to the models in preceding chapters in which either demand price functions or fixed demands were utilized, here we use direct demand functions. In addition, in this chapter, we consider both product quality as well as freight service quality in consumer decision-making. Manufacturers and freight service providers maximize their profits while considering the consequences of the competitors’ prices and quality levels. Bounds on prices and quality levels are included that have relevant policy-related implications. The governing equilibrium conditions of the static model are formulated as a variational inequality problem. The underlying dynamics are then described, with the stationary point corresponding to the variational inequality solution. An algorithm, which provides a discrete-time adjustment process and tracks the evolution of the quality levels and prices over time is proposed, and convergence results given. Numerical examples illustrate how such a supply chain network framework, which is relevant to products ranging from high value to low value ones, can be applied in practice.
Electric Field-Induced Decrease of Excition Lifetimes in GaAs Quantum Wells

Previously[1], the c.w. photoluminescence (PL) at helium temperatures for excitons confined in quantum wells has been seen to decrease sharply (i.e. is quenched) when an electric field is applied perpendicular to the layers. It was suggested there that the decrease might be due to spatial separation of the electrons and holes under the influence of the electric field. The electron-hole spatial overlap is reduced by the separation, thus increasing the exciton radiative lifetime. We have measured the exciton PL decay directly in order to examine the luminescence quenching in more detail.
Influence of disruption of the acromioclavicular and coracoclavicular ligaments on glenohumeral motion: a kinematic evaluation

Changes to the integrity of the acromioclavicular (AC) joint impact scapulothoracic and clavicular kinematics. AC ligaments provide anterior-posterior stability, while the coracoclavicular (CC) ligaments provide superior-inferior stability and a restraint to scapular internal rotation. The purpose of this cadaveric study was to describe the effect of sequential AC and CC sectioning on glenohumeral (GH) kinematics during abduction (ABD) of the arm. We hypothesized that complete AC ligament insult would result in altered GH translation in the anterior-posterior plane during abduction, while subsequent sectioning of both CC ligaments would result in an increasing inferior shift in GH translation. Six cadaveric shoulders were studied to evaluate the impact of sequential sectioning of AC and CC ligaments on GH kinematics throughout an abduction motion in the coronal plane. Following an examination of the baseline, uninjured kinematics, the AC ligaments were then sectioned sequentially: (1) Anterior, (2) Inferior, (3) Posterior, and (4) Superior. Continued sectioning of CC ligamentous structures followed: the (5) trapezoid and then the (6) conoid ligaments. For each group, the GH translation and the area under the curve (AUC) were measured during abduction using an intact cadaveric shoulder. Total translation was calculated for each condition between ABD 30° and ABD 150° using the distance formula, and a univariate analysis was used to compare total translation for each axis during the different conditions. GH kinematics were not altered following sequential resection of the AC ligaments. Disruption of the trapezoid resulted in significant anterior and lateral displacement of the center of GH rotation. Sectioning the conoid ligament further increased the inferior shift in GH displacement. A combined injury of the AC and CC ligaments significantly alters GH kinematics during abduction. Type III AC separations, result in a significant change in the shoulder’s motion and may warrant surgical reconstruction to restore normal function.
Confronting fraud in science

Scientists have a macabre fascination with fraud. Some of the most famous recent cases – including those of the physicists Victor Ninov and Jan Hendrick Schon, who falsified results in nuclear physics and nanotechnology, respectively – have remained hot topics for years, continually generating investigations, articles and invited talks at scientific conferences.
Global Concern and Local Practice: an Interdisciplinary, Empowerment Collection of Immigrant/Migrant Hispanic Voices Used to Implement Community-University Collaborative Actions in Suburban Settings

Utilizing a community-based participatory research mode (CBPR), a local university completed a needs assessment study of an emerging immigrant population’s service needs and perceived barriers for accessing services in their suburban community settings. The study participants included: (1) one hundred and fourteen Hispanic immigrant residents participating in twelve bi-lingual facilitator-led focus-group sessions, (2) eighteen community service providers, and (3) nine Hispanic community leaders. All three groups identified common unmet service needs in the areas of health care, ESL education, and social services as well as the lack of bi-lingual social workers/mental health staff and bilingual interpreter staff in service agencies as major barriers to service provision and access. The study findings point to the benefits of university-community collaborations when advocating for the creation of community intra- and inter-structures that support the development of services in suburban and small city settings for the influx of Hispanic immigrant/migrant populations.
Abstract IA07: Adherence to oral chemotherapy in children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

There is persuasive evidence that poor adherence to oral 6MP in children with ALL is prevalent and is associated with relapse. Carefully conducted studies using objective methods to monitor adherence (MEMS Caps) have yielded a critical level of adherence associated with an increased risk of relapse (~95%). These studies have demonstrated that the prevalence of non-adherence (adherence rate Citation Format: Smita Bhatia. Adherence to oral chemotherapy in children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Ninth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2016 Sep 25-28; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(2 Suppl):Abstract nr IA07.
The Concept of Krisis in Husserl’s The Crisis of the European Sciences and Transcendental Phenomenology

In The Crisis of the European Sciences and Transcendental Phenomenology, Husserl argues that the only way to respond to the scientific Krisis of which he speaks is with phenomenological reflections on the history, method, and task of philosophy. On the assumption that an accurate diagnosis of a malady is a necessary condition for an effective remedy, this paper aims to formulate a precise concept of the Krisis of the European sciences with which Husserl operates in this work. Thus it seeks an answer to the question: What exactly, according to Husserl, is “the ‘crisis’ [Krisis] of the European sciences”? There are two different tendencies in the literature on this question. According to the traditional interpretation, the Krisis of the European sciences lies not in the inadequacy of their scientificity but in the loss of their meaningfulness for life. According to an innovative suggestion, the Krisis lies not in the loss of their meaningfulness for life but in the inadequacy of their scientificity. These readings are mutually exclusive because each claims that the other misidentifies the Krisis as something that it is not. The argument of this paper, however, is that, given the many different senses of Krisis in The Crisis, an adequate understanding of the Krisis that Husserl identifies requires not a disjunctive but an inclusive approach. Therefore the paper proposes that Husserl’s Krisis of the European sciences is both a crisis of their scientificity and a crisis of their meaningfulness for life. The relevance of this result to Husserl’s philosophical and historical sense-investigations in The Crisis—as well as to the present critical situation of philosophy—is self-evident.
K-Anonymity Based Privacy Risk Budgeting System for Interactive Record Linkage: IJPDS (2017) Issue 1, Vol 1:221 Proceedings of the IPDLN Conference (August 2016)

ABSTRACTObjectiveInformation privacy theory demonstrates mathematically that privacy is a budget constrained problem and that privacy preserving algorithms(e.g., differential privacy) must rely on a budgeting system. Thus, we design a privacy measure as a function of information disclosed to support incremental information disclosure required for safe interactive record linkage. The privacy measure will determine the increase in the privacy risk for any given information disclosed during record linkage. ApproachMathematically, the identity disclosure risk is inversely proportional to the number of entities in the population that share the information disclosed. If the information refers to one and only one person in the population, then the identity of the person has been fully disclosed by the information revealed. On the other hand, if the information disclosed is identical for multiple people(say n), then the information is less revealing as it could refer to any one of the n people. The larger the n, the lower the privacy risk. Thus, the anonymity-set size is defined as the number of people in the population that share the same identifying information. The privacy risk measure has one prespecified parameter k, which represents the minimum anonymity-set size to guarantee no privacy risk. That is, for any disclosed information, if the anonymity-set size is less than k, then a privacy risk is present and the risk score will be calculated. A commonly accepted threshold for k is 5 or 10. On the one hand, when all entities have anonymity-set size less than k, the privacy risk would be 100%. On the other hand, if all entities have anonymity-set size greater than or equal to k, the privacy risk would be 0%. ResultsThe budgeting system contributes to the much-needed methods for protecting privacy while still supporting high quality interactive record linkage by allowing safer manual resolution of uncertain linkages. The budgeting system supports refining effective visual encoding techniques for incrementally revealing only the required information on an as-needed basis during manual resolution of uncertain linkages as well as refining the design for a visual interface to facilitate privacy preserving data standardization, cleaning, and conflict resolution for interactive record linkage. We evaluate the budgeting system with the NC voter registry data. ConclusionThe k-anonymity based privacy risk budgeting system provides a mechanism where we can concretely reason about the tradeoff between the privacy risks due to information disclosed, accuracy gained, and biases reduced during interactive record linkage.
Prosecuting Chinese 'Spies'

The primary question this study seeks to answer is: “Are people of Chinese descent disproportionately falsely prosecuted as spies?” The answer, this study finds, is yes. It uses PACER court filings from a random sampling of Economic Espionage Act cases to identify disparities in prosecutions. It finds that around a third of EEA prosecutions include Chinese defendants and that the average sentence for convicted Chinese defendants is over twice as long as that for Western defendants. Whether these findings reflect improper bias against Chinese defendants or simply reflect the magnitude of the problem of Chinese espionage is a question for further study. This study next finds that the DOJ likely is filing charges under the EEA against innocent Chinese in gross disproportion to other groups. When federal prosecutors file Economic Espionage Act charges against defendants with Western names, they prove their guilt with a conviction for espionage or similarly serious crimes in 95% of cases. When prosecutors file EEA charges against defendants with Chinese names, they only prove their guilt of espionage in 70% of cases. In 30% of cases, the defendant is acquitted at trial, prosecutors dismiss all charges, or the defendant is convicted only of minor, non-espionage charges such as false statements made to officials the course of the investigation. There are many reasons that prosecutors might not convict an accused spy of espionage charges other than their innocence. Nonetheless, given the stark disparities of these numbers, it appears that the Department of Justice is, as many suspect, disproportionately prosecuting innocent Chinese and innocent Chinese-Americans of being spies.
Imaging features of hepatocellular carcinoma compared to intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and combined tumor on MRI using liver imaging and data system (LI-RADS) version 2014

To evaluate the prevalence of major and ancillary imaging features from liver imaging reporting and data systems (LI-RADS) version 2014 and their interreader agreement when comparing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and combined tumor (cHCC-CC). The Institutional Review Board approved this HIPAA-compliant retrospective study and waived the requirement for patients’ informed consent. Patients with resected HCC (n = 51), ICC (n = 40), and cHCC-CC (n = 11) and available pre-operative contrast-enhanced MRI were included from 2000 to 2015. Imaging features and final LI-RADS category were evaluated by four radiologists. Imaging features were compared by Fisher’s exact test and interreader agreements were assessed by κ statistics. None of the features were unique to either HCC or non-HCC. Imaging features that were significantly more common among HCC compared to ICC and cHCC-CC included washout (76%–78% vs. 10%–35%, p < 0.001), capsule (55%–71% vs. 16%–49%, p < 0.05), and intralesional fat (27%–52% vs. 2%–12%, p < 0.002). Features that were more common among ICC and cHCC-CC included peripheral arterial phase hyperenhancement (40%–64% vs. 10%–14%, p < 0.001) and progressive central enhancement (65%–82% vs. 14%–25%, p < 0.001). The interreader agreement was moderate for each of these imaging features (κ = 0.41–0.55). Moderate agreement was also achieved in the assignment of LR-M (κ = 0.53), with an overall sensitivity and specificity for non-HCC malignancy of 86.3% and 78.4%, respectively. HCC and non-HCC show significant differences in the prevalence of imaging features defined by LI-RADS, and are identified by radiologists with moderate interreader agreement. Using LI-RADS, radiologists also achieved moderate interreader agreement in the assignment of the LR-M category.
Interactions of reservoir microbiota: eutrophication — related environmental problems

Reservoir ecosystems provide diverse and variable habitats for microbial assemblages. Fossil evidence of microbial assemblages date back 3400–3500 million years and highlight the important historical role of microbial interactions in the evolution of aquatic communities. Simple mathematical representations help to conceptualize the interaction of microbial species; however, they are too simplified and assumption-based to accurately describe interactions in reservoirs. Experimental observations of dominant reservoir species remain the best tool for deciphering microbial interactions.
Sun Exposure, Sunscreens, and Skin Cancer Prevention: A Year-Round Concern:

OBJECTIF : Reviser le role de la lumiere solaire sur le vieillissement et le developpement du cancer de la peau et fournir des lignes directrices concernant l'utilisation des ecrans solaires pour minimiser les effets dommageables du soleil sur la peau. REVUE DE LITTERATURE : On a recherche a l'aide de MEDLINE des articles en rapport avec les radiations ultraviolettes, les melanomes, les ecrans solaires, et le cancer de la peau. Les etudes realisees chez les humains et chez les animaux ont ete evaluees. Des recherches originales publiees ou non, de meme que l'experience clinique, ont aussi ete utilisees. RESUME : L'effet des radiations ultraviolettes sur les differents types de peau joue un role important dans le developpement du melanome. La mortalite occasionnee par les melanomes est plus elevee dans les regions situees pres de l'equateur, ou l'intensite des ultraviolets est plus grande. L'incidence du melanome chez les individus dont le teint est pâle (type de peau I-III) est definitivement plus elevee que les individus dont le teint est fonce (type de peau IV-VI), et ce, meme dans des sites geographiques similaires. Les ultraviolets B semblent etre principalement responsables du developpement du cancer et du vieillissement de la peau, bien que les ultraviolets A jouent aussi un role important. L'utilisation reguliere d'un ecran solaire diminue de 36% la formation de lesions actiniques et keratosiques pre-cancereuses. Une relation dose-reponse a aussi ete etablie entre la quantite d'ecran solaire utilisee et la formation de ces lesions. CONCLUSIONS : Il est maintenant demontre que les ecrans solaires diminuent les effets carcinogenes de la lumiere solaire chez les humains. Les patients doivent donc etre informes des consequences a long terme de l'exposition au soleil et des avantages de l'utilisation reguliere d'un ecran solaire.
Shareholder Engagement and Firm Value Creating Outcomes in Kenya

Purpose: The objective of the study was to determine the firm value creating outcomes arising from institutional shareholder engagement in Kenya. Methodology: The study used data from a sample of 117 institutional investors in the Nairobi Securities Exchange, Kenya, selected using stratified simple random sampling technique. Findings: The study established that the shareholder engagement outcome that significantly explains firm value creation is improvement of a firm’s system of governance, which includes boards of directors that have independent, equitable and minority representation. Implications: The study contributes to literature on shareholder engagement from a Kenyan perspective and adds an impetus to investors, management and policymakers to address issues that are impeding shareholder engagement given its effect on governance and value of the firm. The study recommends that firms invest in improvement in governance structures, and policymakers are advised to maintain an updated register of all the institutional investors, including their current contacts, and a Kenya-specific central depository of data on engagement actions and outcomes across listed companies.
Striking differences in virulence, transmission and sporocyst growth dynamics between two schistosome populations

Parasite traits associated with transmission success, such as the number of infective stages released from the host, are expected to be optimized by natural selection. However, in the trematode parasite Schistosoma mansoni, a key transmission trait, i.e. the number of cercariae larvae shed from infected Biomphalaria spp. snails, varies significantly within and between different parasite populations and selection experiments demonstrate that this variation has a strong genetic basis. In this study, we compared the transmission strategies of two laboratory schistosome population and their consequences for their snail host. We infected inbred Biomphalaria glabrata snails using two S. mansoni parasite populations (SmBRE and SmLE), both isolated from Brazil and maintained in the laboratory for decades. We compared life history traits of these two parasite populations by quantifying sporocyst growth within infected snails (assayed using qPCR), output of cercaria larvae and impact on snail host physiological response (i.e. hemoglobin rate, laccase-like activity) and survival. We identified striking differences in virulence and transmission between the two studied parasite populations. SmBRE (low shedder (LS) parasite population) sheds very low numbers of cercariae and causes minimal impact on the snail physiological response (i.e. laccase-like activity, hemoglobin rate and snail survival). In contrast, SmLE (high shedder (HS) parasite population) sheds 8-fold more cercariae (mean ± SE cercariae per shedding: 284 ± 19 vs 2352 ± 113), causes high snail mortality and has strong impact on snail physiology. We found that HS sporocysts grow more rapidly inside the snail host, comprising up to 60% of cells within infected snails, compared to LS sporocysts, which comprised up to 31%. Cercarial production is strongly correlated to the number of S. mansoni sporocyst cells present within the snail host tissue, although the proportion of sporocyst cells alone does not explain the low cercarial shedding of SmBRE. We demonstrated the existence of alternative transmission strategies in the S. mansoni parasite consistent with trade-offs between parasite transmission and host survival: a “boom-bust” strategy characterized by high virulence, high transmission and short duration infections and a “slow and steady” strategy with low virulence, low transmission but long duration of snail host infections.
Differences in binarity between gluon and graviton scattering amplitudes

Both 3- and 4-point scattering amplitudes for spin-1 massless particles (gluons) and spin-2 massless particles (gravitons) are reviewed through self-contained step-by-step derivation. Gluon and graviton interactions are computed from on-shell diagrams by starting from complex momenta and introducing spinor-helicity formalism. By Fourier transforming spinor variables in momentum space, binarity is revealed in pure Yang-Mills scattering amplitudes while absent to a certain extent for gravity indicating fundamental differences in the probability spaces spanned by the two interactions.
Rethinking Consumer Protection: Escaping Death by Regulation

Many people want the government to protect the consumer. A much more important problem is to protect the consumer from the government.Milton Friedman, Nobel Prize winner in EconomicsThe central pre...
Background-free imaging of chemical bonds by a simple and robust frequency-modulated stimulated Raman scattering microscopy

Being able to image chemical bonds with high sensitivity and speed, stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy has made a major impact in biomedical optics. However, it is well known that the standard SRS microscopy suffers from various backgrounds, limiting the achievable contrast, quantification and sensitivity. While many frequency-modulation (FM) SRS schemes have been demonstrated to retrieve the sharp vibrational contrast, they often require customized laser systems and/or complicated laser pulse shaping or introduce additional noise, thereby hindering wide adoption. Herein we report a simple but robust strategy for FM-SRS microscopy based on a popular commercial laser system and regular optics. Harnessing self-phase modulation induced self-balanced spectral splitting of picosecond Stokes beam propagating in standard single-mode silica fibers, a high-performance FM-SRS system is constructed without introducing any additional signal noise. Our strategy enables adaptive spectral resolution for background-free SRS imaging of Raman modes with different linewidths. The generality of our method is demonstrated on a variety of Raman modes with effective suppressing of backgrounds including non-resonant cross phase modulation and electronic background from two-photon absorption or pump-probe process. As such, our method is promising to be adopted by the SRS microscopy community for background-free chemical imaging.
Use of Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair in Patients with Concomitant Blunt Aortic and Traumatic Brain Injury.

Background Blunt aortic injury (BAI) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) represent the 2 leading causes of death after blunt trauma. The goal of this study was to examine the impact of TBI and use of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) on patients with BAI, using a large, national dataset. Study Design Patients with BAI were identified from the Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) database over 10 years, ending in 2016. Patients with BAI were stratified by the presence of concomitant TBI and compared. Multivariable logistic regression (MLR) analysis was performed to determine independent predictors of mortality in BAI patients with and without TBI. Youden’s index was used to identify the optimal time to TEVAR in these patients. Results 17,040 patients with BAI were identified, with 4,748 (28%) having a TBI. Patients with BAI and TBI were predominantly male, with a higher injury burden and greater severity of shock at presentation, underwent fewer TEVAR procedures, and had increased mortality compared with BAI patients without TBI. The optimal time for TEVAR was 9 hours. Mortality was significantly increased in patients undergoing TEVAR before 9 hours (12.9% vs 6.5%, p = 0.003). For BAI patients with and without TBI, MLR identified use of TEVAR as the only modifiable risk factor significantly associated with reduced mortality (odds ratio [OR] 0.41; 95%CI 0.32–0.54, p Conclusions TBI significantly increases mortality in BAI patients. TEVAR and delayed repair both significantly reduced mortality. So, for patients with both BAI and TBI, an endovascular repair performed in a delayed fashion should be the preferred approach.
Bullying Case Study #6 - Albatross Community College (Presentation Slides)

There are numerous examples throughout American history that affirm the existence of some basic facets higher education institutions encounter: When human beings interact from a variety of social, psychological, educational levels, and ideological and philosophical backgrounds, you will have differences that may lead to discourse; Laws, regulations, policies, and procedures have been created through the years in an effort to circumvent when societal and campus discourse leads to unethical, uncivil, bullying, and harmful behaviors; Recommendations and suggestions have exalted institutions of higher education, especially community colleges, to make every effort to lead by example in helping to create and cultivate forthright models of civility in their ranks. This case scenario entitled “Albatross Community College” (ACC) from "The Coercive Community College: Bullying and its Costly Impact on the Mission to Serve Underrepresented Populations," Diversity in Higher Education, Volume 18, 137-160 Copyright r 2016 by Emerald Group Publishing Limited All rights of reproduction in any form reserved ISSN: 1479-3644/doi:10.1108/S1479-364420160000018017, revolves around a new Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Yung, and his experiences, analyses, and evaluations of the campus' environment and culture when he accepted the position. ACC had been plagued for years with bullying and unprofessional behaviors throughout the campus. Some of the adverse effects of bullying in higher education such as power differentials, loss of productivity, costs to the organization, physical and behavioral health problems, and various forms of abuse are examined. Recommendations based on current and new best practices that support the creation of an Anti-Bullying policy are discussed.
Composing Modular Ontologies with Distributed Description Logics

This chapter demonstrates the use of the Distributed Description Logics framework (DDL) and the distributed reasoner DRAGO as formal and practical tools for composing modular ontologies from purely terminological ${\mathcal SHIQ}$ ontology modules. According to DDL vision, a modular ontology can be formally represented by a distributed T-box, comprising a set of separate T-boxes (one for each ontological module), which are pairwise interrelated by "bridge rules" (inter-module connectives allowing to access and import knowledge contained in modules). The chapter gives the semantic explanations of knowledge import via bridge rules as well as presents the distributed tableaux reasoning technique for its computation. Practically, the implementation of the distributed tableaux in DRAGO reasoner and its use for modular ontology composition is described and experimentally evaluated.
An Isolated, Recently Shocked ISM Cloud in the Cygnus Loop Supernova Remnant

Spatially resolved ROSAT X-ray and ground-based optical data for the southwestern region of the Cygnus Loop supernova remnant (SNR) reveal in unprecedented detail the very early stages of a blast-wave interaction with an isolated interstellar cloud. Numerous internal cloud shock fronts near the upstream flow and along the cloud edges are visible optically as sharp filaments of enhanced Hα emission. Faint X-ray emission is seen along a line of Balmer-dominated shock filaments north and south of the cloud with an estimated X-ray gas temperature of 1.2 × 106 K (0.11 keV), corresponding to a shock velocity of 290 km s-1. The main cloud body itself exhibits little or no X-ray flux. Instead, X-ray emission is confined along the northern and southernmost cloud edges, with the emission brightest in the downstream regions farthest from the shock front's current position. We estimate an interaction age of ~1200 yr, based on the observed shock-cloud morphology. Overall, the optical and X-ray properties of this shocked interstellar medium (ISM) cloud show many of the principal features predicted for a young SNR shock–ISM cloud interaction. In particular, one sees shocklet formation and diffraction inside the inhomogenous cloud, along with partial main blast-wave engulfment. However, several significant differences from model predictions are also present, including no evidence for turbulence along cloud edges, diffuse rather than filamentary [O III] emission within the main body of the cloud, unusually strong downstream [S II] emission in the postshock cloud regions, and confinement of X-ray emission to the cloud's outer boundaries.
Power and Expertise: Student-Faculty Collaboration in Course Design and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

This essay describes the process of using a team of faculty and undergraduate students to redesign a university course, and outlines the research we conducted on student and faculty learning from the redesign process. We focus particular attention on power relations and issues of expertise, raising questions with implications for faculty who wish to engage students in similar course design projects, regardless of academic discipline, and who partner with undergraduates in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning research.
Multi-Stage Programming: Axiomatization and Type Safety

Multi-staged programming provides a new paradigm for constructing efficient solutions to complex problems. Techniques such as program generation, multi-level partial evaluation, and run-time code generation respond to the need for general purpose solutions which do not pay run-time interpretive overheads. This paper provides a foundation for the formal analysis of one such system. We introduce a multi-stage language and present its axiomatic, reduction, and natural semantics. Our axiomatic semantics is an extension of the call-by-value $\lambda$-calculus with staging constructs. We demonstrate the soundness of the axiomatic semantics with respect to the natural semantics. We show that staged-languages can ``go Wrong'''' in new ways, and devise a type system that screens out such programs. Finally, we present a proof of the soundness of this type system with respect to the reduction semantics, and show how to extend this result to the natural semantics.
Laryngeal hibernoma: case series of a rare tumor.

Background Hibernomas are rare, benign tumors of brown adipose tissue uncommonly found in the head and neck. Methods A review of the English-language literature was conducted for this study. We present a series of 2 laryngeal hibernomas treated with transoral laser microsurgical resection at a tertiary referral center over a period of 18 years. Results Only 2 cases of laryngeal hibernoma have been previously described in the literature. Two additional cases were encountered at our institution. Preoperative imaging demonstrated a well-circumscribed neoplasm with fat density compatible with lipoma, but internal heterogeneity and vascularity seen in the context of liposarcoma. Transoral laser microsurgical resection was successfully performed in each case. Conclusion Despite unique radiographic features, hibernomas are difficult to distinguish from well-differentiated liposarcoma and lipoma variants without pathologic correlation. Complete surgical resection is indicated. In our experience, transoral laser microsurgical excision of laryngeal hibernomas is a safe, effective treatment modality with little associated morbidity. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 36: E39–E43, 2014