cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nanoclay‐Modified Rigid Polyurethane Foam

Montmorillonite‐based organoclay was incorporated into rigid polyurethane foams. Clay was dispersed first in the isocyanate component ultrasonically. The dispersion was investigated using small angle X‐ray scattering and rheology. It was found that using toluene as common solvent enhanced dispersion significantly. The addition of 1 wt% clay resulted in reduced cell size from 0.40 to 0.28 mm and increased cell number density on 300‐index foams. Gas chromatography showed that diffusion of blowing agent out of the closed cells of the foam decreased by more than 82% with clay loading. The reduction in permeability is caused by the combined effect of smaller cell size and dispersed nanoclay acting as diffusion barrier. At 1% clay no mechanical strength improvements were observed. Higher levels of clay loading caused significant viscosity increase and a yield stress that made mixing the reactive components difficult. Dedicated to Professor John L. Stanford on the occasion of his 60th birthday.
Performance under failures of high-end computing

Modern high-end computers are unprecedentedly complex. Occurrence of faults is an inevitable fact in solving large-scale applications on future Petaflop machines. Many methods have been proposed in recent years to mask faults. These methods, however, impose various performance and production costs. A better understanding of faults' influence on application performance is necessary to use existing fault tolerant methods wisely. In this study, we first introduce some practical and effective performance models to predict the application completion time under system failures. These models separate the influence of failure rate, failure repair, checkpointing period, checkpointing cost, and parallel task allocation on parallel and sequential execution times. To benefit the end users of a given computing platform, we then develop effective fault-aware task scheduling algorithms to optimize application performance under system failures. Finally, extensive simulations and experiments are conducted to evaluate our prediction models and scheduling strategies with actual failure trace.
Wiedemann-Beckwith syndrome: Autosomal-dominant inheritance in a family

We report four additional cases of Wiedemann-Beckwith syndrome (WBS): A mother, her brother, and two of her children (half-sibs). Theories of the genetic transmission of the WBS are reviewed. The trait in this family appears to be an autosomal-dominant with variable expressivity. A theory of delayed mutation of an unstable premutated gene is discussed and an interpretation and observations are offered which could alter slightly the expected pattern of inheritance. Eighty-eight other family members were screened for evidence of WBS and noteworthy findings are presented.
Making Values Education Everyone's Business.

Adults are typically required to make values-based decisions multiple times each day.Why, then, should a discussion of values not be explicit across the college curriculum and intentionally integrated into the cocurriculum? The authors describe a place where the work of values education is widely shared.
Remembering the specific visual details of presented objects: Neuroimaging evidence for effects of emotion

Memories can be retrieved with varied amounts of visual detail, and the emotional content of information can influence the likelihood that visual detail is remembered. In the present fMRI experiment (conducted with 19 adults scanned using a 3 T magnet), we examined the neural processes that correspond with recognition of the visual details of negative and neutral items. Results revealed that a region of the left fusiform gyrus corresponded with retrieval of visual details for both negative and neutral items. Activity in the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex, in contrast, was related to retrieval of visual details only for negative items. Activity in these regions corresponded only with successful recognition, and not with false recognition, providing strong evidence that limbic engagement during retrieval does not correspond merely with a person’s belief that detail has been recognized. Rather, limbic engagement appears to relate specifically to the successful recognition of information. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Endothelial Cells Proactively Form Microvilli-Like Membrane Projections upon Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1 Engagement of Leukocyte LFA-1

Specific leukocyte/endothelial interactions are critical for immunity and inflammation, yet the molecular details of this interaction interface remain poorly understood. Thus, we investigated, with confocal microscopy, the distribution dynamics of the central adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and LFA-1 in this context. Monolayers of activated HUVECs stained with fluorescent anti-ICAM-1 Fabs or Chinese hamster ovary-K1 cells expressing ICAM-1-green fluorescent protein were allowed to bind LFA-1-bearing monocytes, neutrophils, or K562 LFA-1 transfectants. ICAM-1 was rapidly relocalized to newly formed microvilli-like membrane projections in response to binding LFA-1 on leukocytes. These ICAM-1-enriched projections encircled the leukocytes extending up their sides and clustered LFA-1 underneath into linear tracks. Projections formed independently of VCAM-1/very late Ag 4 interactions, shear, and proactive contributions from the LFA-1-bearing cells. In the ICAM-1-bearing endothelial cells, projections were enriched in actin but not microtubules, required intracellular calcium, and intact microfilament and microtubule cytoskeletons and were independent of Rho/Rho kinase signaling. Disruption of these projections with cytochalasin D, colchicine, or BAPTA-AM had no affect on firm adhesion. These data show that in response to LFA-1 engagement the endothelium proactively forms an ICAM-1-enriched cup-like structure that surrounds adherent leukocytes but is not important for firm adhesion. This finding leaves open a possible role in leukocyte transendothelial migration, which would be consistent with the geometry and kinetics of formation of the cup-like structure.
Do Happier People Make More Money? An Empirical Study of the Effec t of a Person's Happiness on Their I ncome

Does happiness affect workers’ incomes? More specifically, do workers who are happier make more money because their happiness levels are higher? Employees who are happy are an asset to their company. Happy employees who become ill recover faster and stay home from work an average of 15 fewer days a year than unhappy employees (Achor, 2010). Happier employees can live up to 10 years longer than their unhappy counterparts. However, statistics indicate that there are a lot of unhappy employees in the work force today (The Economist, 2009). America’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that work-related suicides increased by 28% between 2007 and 2008. Between June 2007 and December 2008, the proportion of employees who professed loyalty to their employers slumped from 95% to 39%; the number voicing trust in them fell from
Library Publishing Toolkit edited by Allison P. Brown

The “library as publisher” is a hot topic right now in both public and academic libraries. From promoting open access to providing patrons with new services to meet a growing demand, libraries are rising to the challenge of moving from being consumers and providers of information to becoming publishers of information. For those libraries who are interested in learning more, or are implementing such programs at their institutions, the Library Publishing Toolkit serves as an excellent guide.
Reliable Modeling and Optimization for Chemical Engineering Applications: Interval Analysis Approach

In many applications of interest in chemical engineering it is necessary to deal with nonlinear models of complex physical phenomena, on scales ranging from the macroscopic to the molecular. Frequently these are problems that require solving a nonlinear equation system and/or finding the global optimum of a nonconvex function. Thus, the reliability with which these computations can be done is often an important issue. Interval analysis provides tools with which these reliability issues can be addressed, allowing such problems to be solved with complete certainty. This paper will focus on three types of applications: 1) parameter estimation in the modeling of phase equilibrium, including the implications of using locally vs. globally optimal parameters in subsequent computations; 2) nonlinear dynamics, in particular the location of equilibrium states and bifurcations of equilibria in ecosystem models used to assess the risk associated with the introduction of new chemicals int the environment; 3) molecular modeling, with focus on transition state analysis of the diffusion of a sorbate molecule in a zeolite.
Resonances in reactive collisions: Computational study of the H + H2 collision

Abstract Resonances in reactive collisions are demonstrated by exact numerical solution of the close-coupled quantal equations, including closed channels, for the collinear H + H2 reactive collision. The resonances are due to strong coupling terms, corresponding to vibrational non-adiabaticity. Classical calculations exhibit snarled trajectories at the resonance energies.
Down-Regulation of neu/HER-2 by Interferon-γ in Prostate Cancer Cells

Interferons (IFNs) are known to possess potent antitumor properties. Previous studies have indicated that IFNs are capable of modulating the expression of various tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes. In this study, we looked at the effect of IFN-gamma on the neu/HER-2 proto-oncogene in the DU145, LNCaP, and PC-3 prostate cancer cell lines. IFN-gamma inhibited cell proliferation in both DU145 and PC-3 cells in a dose-dependent manner, whereas no inhibition of proliferation was seen in LNCaP cells. Correspondingly, IFN-gamma treatment of DU145 and PC-3 cells resulted in an increased production of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(WAF1), whereas no increase in p21(WAF1) was seen in LNCaP cells. In addition, IFN-gamma induced phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 1 in DU145 and PC-3 cells, but not in LNCaP cells. Consistent with these findings, we found that IFN-gamma treatment of DU145 and PC-3 cells caused a reduction in neu/HER-2 expression, with no change seen in the LNCaP cell line. Transfection and overexpression of the transcriptional coactivator p300 in PC-3 cells suppressed the reduction in neu/HER-2 expression after IFN-gamma treatment, suggesting a role for p300 in neu/HER-2 expression. The antiproliferative activity and p21(WAF1) production of these cells after IFN-gamma treatment were found to be reduced as well. We propose that the down-regulation of neu/HER-2 by IFN-gamma occurs via the interaction of phosphorylated STAT1 with p300 because IFN-gamma activities requiring phosphorylated STAT1 are reduced in cells overexpressing p300. These findings suggest that neu/HER-2 may play a role in the growth of some prostate cancers and that IFN-gamma may suppress such cancers by down-regulation of neu/HER-2.
Reliability of various size oxide aperture VCSELs

This paper presents Honeywell's most recent work on 850 nm oxide aperture vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) reliability. The VCSELs studied have a range of aperture diameters from about 5 to 20 /spl mu/m and the reliability effect of aperture diameter is of principal interest in this paper. Larger apertures generally exhibit greater reliability. Electrostatic discharge (ESD) sensitivity thresholds of the various oxide aperture VCSELs is discussed, again showing dependence on diameter, with larger being better. Results for humidity exposure are presented. Here we find no aperture size dependence, because none of the tested designs show significant susceptibility to humidity-induced degradation. It is demonstrated that, in addition to end-of-life degradation, VCSELs generally exhibit variation of performance characteristics during the early part of operating life. This often leads to a requirement for device burn-in. Honeywell's work in the area of wafer stabilization (trademarked under the name STABILAZE, patent pending) is introduced, showing how critical device parameters such as threshold and slope efficiency can be made to be unvarying over the product's life without the need for costly component or module-level burn-ins.
Self-Presentational Barriers to Resource Conservation:

Four experiments examined the attributional consequences of engaging in conservation-oriented behavior. Based on symbolic interactionist and self-presentational theory, it was hypothesized that behaviors associated with resource conservation would tend to affect the perceived status of the performer and would lead to systematic attributions regarding the performers identity. In the three initial experiments, each manipulating a different conservation behavior, subjects were asked to judge the identity of a target person based on a description of the targets activities. Results indicated that stereotypes regarding the identity of people who engaged in the manipulated conservation-oriented behaviors were widely shared. Further, the performance of these particular energy conservation behaviors was found to stigmatize the target by lowering the target's perceived status and by negatively influencing other dimensions of identity. A final study explored the perceived appropriateness of engaging in particular co...
A hybrid framework to predict influential users on social networks

Predicting influential users is one of the major research topics in social network analysis. It can be used in many applications including marketing, recommendation systems and search engines. Influence can be shown by users' attributes, strategic locations, and expertises. In this paper, we integrate both users' location in a network and attributes to quantify their influence. In order to improve the performance of influence measurement, we propose a hybrid framework to predict influential users on social networks. The users' locations can be computed using centrality analysis algorithms, while users' attributes are users' characteristics on social networks such as activeness. We employ our hybrid framework, location-based influence measurements and attributed-based influence measurements to Flickr. The experimental results show that the proposed framework outperforms other measurements in term of correlation.
New Federal Paternity Laws: Securing More Fathers at Birth for the Children of Unwed Mothers

Public policy demands that American lawmakers, both federal and state, more vigorously promote the early, accurate, informed, and conclusive designations of fathers in law around the time children are born. There is, in particular, an urgent need today to develop legal standards that better promote more birth certificate designations of paternity for children born to unwed mothers. Public policy also demands that where paternity designations do not accurately reflect the requisite genetic ties with children, paternity laws should be more fair and just in allowing paternity disestablishment. This Article reviews the federal mandates within the Social Security Act both on maternal good faith cooperation in naming biological fathers and on voluntary paternity acknowledgments for children born to unwed mothers. It illustrates the nationwide confusion and uncertainties about these mandates. The Article concludes with suggested reforms of both federal and state laws aimed at securing more fathers in law at birth for children born out of wedlock in the United States.
Alternative Programming Models Involving Uncertainty

A multiperiod linear programming model, a stochastic programming model, and a "linear team" programming model are investigated to determine how they can be applied to a farm planning problem and how widely the optimal farm plans obtained from these models differ when actual data are used. Each model takes into account both time and uncertainty. Using data for an average farm in Yolo County, California, it is found that the optimal solutions obtained from these three models are not greatly different. The differences which do exist between optimal solutions can generally be traced to cash shortages. This result is partly due to the degree of diversification "forced" on the farmer by government production controls and recommended conservation practices as well as the wide differences that exist among the profitability of the activities considered.
Age-Related Changes in Brain Protein Kinase C and Serotonin Release

Maintenance of controlled synaptic concentrations of neurotransmitters in the central and peripheral nervous systems is essential for the survival of the organism. Aging in mammals is associated with change in neurotransmission that may underlie some of the age-related deficits, such as those in psychomotor performance, cognitive function, and other physiological functions subserved by the peripheral autonomic systems. The mechanisms involved in neurotransmitter release and its regulation in response to a changing internal and external environment are not well understood (Cooper and Meyer, 1984). Recent work has demonstrated a role for the enzyme protein kinase C (PKC) in modulating the release of various neurotransmitter substances in the brain and in the periphery (Nishizuka, 1984; Wakade et al., 1985; Zurgel and Zisapel, 1985; Nichols et al., 1987; Wang and Friedman, 1987).
I Understand Your Frustration

The use of emotional intelligence in a conversation has a significant positive effect on customer satisfaction and can help resolve difficult conflicts. Many enterprises use virtual agents that automatically interact with customers across a variety of interaction channels. However, these agents have no emotional intelligence and cannot express themselves in an empathic manner. This demo demonstrates the use of emotional intelligence in a technical conversation with a customer. The agent is augmented with emotion sensing capabilities, which allow him to detect expressed emotions, and reply in an appropriate manner by expressing empathy, for example.
An Investigation of the Viscous Flow Problem Associated with the Heating of the Glass Preform During Optical Fiber Processing

A thermal study of the optical fiber manufacturing process involves some of the most challenging, and in some cases, unsolved fundamental problems in heat transfer and fluid mechanics. The heating stage of the process, where the glass cylinder (preform) is heated radiantly by the cylindrical muffle furnace, greatly influences the resultant quality of the fiber. During the process a neckdown region is formed that is characterized by the stretching of the glass. The two-dimensional transient equations of motion and mass conservation, with viscosity dependent on temperature, were solved to obtain the velocity profiles in the glass and the shape of the neckdown region. Axial velocity contours and the neckdown profiles were examined for various drawing conditions. Differences between the new method presented here and existing one-dimensional method were examined. The analysis can be used for drawing of other materials such as metals and polymers, and the modeling is applicable to other viscous liquids.
Drug development in rheumatoid arthritis

In the United States, therapies to treat rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis are approved and regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article explores certain aspects of the current Food and Drug Administration guidance for drugs, devices, and biologic products intended to treat these diseases (in this article, the term "drug" refers to any therapy in rheumatoid arthritis). Newer therapeutics are targeting not only important molecular pathways but also new labeling claims intended to represent clinically relevant outcomes. Questions regarding whether the risks of these new therapies are balanced by their effectiveness will evolve. The process of improvement in clinical trial design and metrics, along with improved therapies, will undoubtedly present both familiar and new challenges in the future.
Wave Transmission through Porous Structures

Assuming long, normally incident waves on a homogeneous porous structure of rectangular cross section, a simple explicit solution for the transmission and reflection coefficients are obtained from a linearized theory. The relationship between the nonlinear flow resistance in the porous medium and its equivalent linear form is obtained in explicit form. Empirical relationships for the nonlinear flow resistance are reviewed and are shown to lead to acceptable estimates of the hydraulic properties of a porous medium. Using the empirical relationships for the hydraulic properties of a porous material in conjunction with the explicit simple solution for the reflection and transmission coefficients leads to results comparable to the results of other more time-consuming procedures.
Performance of a dual Fabry–Perot cavity refractometer

We have built and characterized a refractometer that utilizes two Fabry-Perot cavities formed on a dimensionally stable spacer. In the typical mode of operation, one cavity is held at vacuum, and the other cavity is filled with nitrogen gas. The differential change in length between the cavities is measured as the difference in frequency between two helium-neon lasers, one locked to the resonance of each cavity. This differential change in optical length is a measure of the gas refractivity. Using the known values for the molar refractivity and virial coefficients of nitrogen, and accounting for cavity length distortions, the device can be used as a high-resolution, multi-decade pressure sensor. We define a reference value for nitrogen refractivity as n-1=(26485.28±0.3)×10(-8) at p=100.0000 kPa, T=302.9190 K, and λ(vac)=632.9908 nm. We compare pressure determinations via the refractometer and the reference value to a mercury manometer.
Keats, Hopkins, and the Landscapes of Desire

The lives of Hopkins and the writers who follow him in this book — John Addington Symonds and Walter Pater — overlapped physically and educationally, as they all shared an Oxonian context of classical study whose homoeroticism Linda Dowling has detailed. And all three, as I am in the process of showing, were deeply involved in conceiving languages for their sexuality with reference to the work of Keats. Reading Symonds after Hopkins is instructive: the two were born and died only four years apart (Symonds before as well as after Hopkins), and Symonds illustrates the ways in which a man could use his readings of Keats in order to begin to create a vocabulary for the expression, however ambivalent, of same-sex desire. Symonds’s Keatsian and homoerotic verse has received little critical attention, but in the context of this study it has a crucial place.
Low Complexity Radius Reduction Method for List Sphere Decoders

Sphere decoding has been used for maximum likelihood (ML) detection of multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) communication systems. In order to combine the sphere decoder with the outer channel code decoder, researchers have proposed to include a candidate list in the sphere decoder to provide soft information to the channel code decoder. This algorithm is called list sphere decoder (LSD). With the LSD, due to the introduction of the candidate list, the decoding speed is around 10 times lower than that of the conventional sphere decoder (SD) if the LSD uses the largest Euclidean distance (ED) in the list for the radius reduction. At the same time, if the candidate list is divided into multiple sublists to reduce the complexity of the list updating circuit, the average number of cycles required becomes even larger. Meanwhile, in real applications, the maximal number of cycles in the sphere decoder is usually bounded to guarantee a certain data throughput. This bound will also affect the performance of the LSD. In this paper, we propose a radius reduction method which uses either the mean value or the median value of the Euclidean distances (ED) of the candidates in the list. This algorithm leads to a faster decoding speed with little or no performance loss. If the idea of using sublists is applied, this radius reduction method reduces the amount of increase in the average number of cycles. Furthermore, if a bound is set on the maximal number of cycles, this method can provide better performance than the original LSD. We also propose a simple performance evaluation method for comparing different radius reduction methods without involving a real soft-input-soft-output channel code decoder.
Design of Sensor System to Detect Presence of Anomalous Water in Air Lines in the Extravehicular Mobility Unit

ABSTRACT The behaviour of fluids in microgravity imposes a risk to an Extravehicular Activity (EVA) crewmember. The intrusion of water into air conduits used for pressurization and breathing would flow with minimum resistance in the direction of pressure differential. Such an intrusion would cause water to enter into the helmet breathing space and could cause suffocation and drowning in addition to loss of vision and loss of communication. It is hence prudent to detect this water intrusion before it accumulates undetected to a dangerous level. This paper offers a design to address this risk. A sensor system is described that detects the water intrusion into the air lines that are part of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) life support system. Upon detection, the EVA can be terminated before a harmful state is reached.
'They Shall See His Face': Blindness in British India, 1850-1950.

This paper explores the social, medical, institutional and enumerative histories of blindness in British India from 1850 to 1950. It begins by tracing the contours and causes of blindness using census records, and then outlines how colonial physicians and observers ascribed both infectious aetiologies and social pathologies to blindness. Blindness was often interpreted as the inevitable consequence of South Asian ignorance, superstition and backwardness. This paper also explores the social worlds of the Blind, with a particular focus on the figure of the blind beggar. This paper further interrogates missionary discourse on ‘Indian’ blindness and outlines how blindness was a metaphor for the perceived civilisational inferiority and religious failings of South Asian peoples. This paper also describes the introduction of institutions for the Blind in addition to the introduction of Braille and Moon technologies.
Analysis of MCDM methods output coherence in oil and gas portfolio prioritization

This research paper aims at developing a triplex multi-criteria decision model to achieve an optimum allocation of resources to a portfolio of oilfields based on a number of criteria that pertain to the oilfields’ technical and contextual characteristics. It also offers an approach for validating the prioritization results generated by the methods used through a two-dimensional test that compares the internal and external prioritization stability of three multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methods against a conventional Intuitive approach. The MCDM methods used include Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enriched Evaluation (PROMETHEE), and Technique of Order Preference Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The internal and external consistency testing results are outlined in nine possible scenarios through which a conclusion is derived confirming the competitive advantage of MCDM methods.
Is More Agency Better? The Impact of Student Agency on Game-Based Learning

Student agency has long been viewed as a critical element in game-based learning. Agency refers to the degree of freedom and control that a student has to perform meaningful actions in a learning environment. While long postulated to be central to student self-regulation, there is limited evidence on the design of game-based learning environments that promote student agency and its effect on learning. This paper reports on an experiment to investigate the impact of student agency on learning and problem-solving behavior in a game-based learning environment for microbiology. Students interacted with one of three versions of the system. In the High Agency condition, students could freely navigate the game’s 3D open-world environment and perform problem-solving actions in any order they chose. In the Low Agency condition, students were required to traverse the environment and solve the mystery in a prescribed partially ordered sequence. In the No Agency condition, students watched a video of an expert playing the game by following an “ideal path” for solving the problem scenario. Results indicate that students in the Low Agency condition achieved greater learning gains than students in both the High Agency and No Agency conditions, but exhibited more unproductive behaviors, suggesting that artfully striking a balance between high and low agency best supports learning.
A micro-Raman study of exfoliated few-layered n -type Bi 2 Te 2.7 Se 0.3

Previously we showed that the thermoelectric (TE) performance of bulk n-type Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 can be enhanced by subjecting it to a combined process of chemical or mechanical exfoliation (C/ME) followed by a rapid densification and restacking of the exfoliated layers via the spark-plasma-sintering technique (SPS). Here, we present a systematic micro-Raman study of two-dimensional flakes of n-type Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 produced by the C/ME process, as a function of the flake thickness. We found Raman evidence for flakes with: (i) integer number of quintuples which exhibited a strong electron-phonon coupling, and (ii) non-integer number of quintuples, or sub-quintuples which exhibited the forbidden IR active mode due to symmetry lowering. Detailed atomic force microscopy was used to confirm the number of quintuples in all flakes examined in this study. The restacking and densification of these flakes by SPS promoted the formation of charged grain boundaries, which led to the enhanced TE properties via the energy filtering process.
Impact of Genomics on Personalization of Breast Cancer Care

Over the past 50 years, progress on multiple fronts has dramatically altered the nature of the disease known as breast cancer. The initiation of randomized prospective clinical trials in 1959, a novel concept at the time, by the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) under the guidance of Bernard Fisher established a scientific philosophy as the guiding force in breast cancer treatment. Since 1975, multiple innovations have increased the therapeutic options and improved the outcomes available to women with breast cancer. Increased awareness of breast cancer, improvements in breast imaging, and the development of screening programs have made early diagnosis commonplace. The de-radicalization of surgical techniques used to obtain local control and the application of plastic surgical techniques for breast reconstruction have dramatically reduced the morbidity associated with mastectomy and axillary dissection. The development of pharmacologic hormonal therapy, more effective cytotoxic chemotherapy, and targeted HER2 therapy has improved survival for women with the most common types of breast cancer as well as less common but highly aggressive cancers. The development of predictive assays for response to chemotherapy has spared many patients from unnecessary toxicity and improved their quality of life. Critical to these advances has been the recognition that all breast cancers are not the same and the belief that treatment should be tailored so that every patient receives the best chance of survival with the least morbidity. New insights into the genomic heterogeneity of breast cancer offer the prospect for improved outcomes for patients with breast cancer by further personalization of breast cancer care.
Review of Ali Riaz, Islam and Identity Politics among British-Bangladeshis: A Leap of Faith

Islam and Identity Politics among British-Bangladeshis opens with descriptions of several public demonstrations, organized by British-Bangladeshis, that occurred in the summer of 2006. These included protests against the film ‘Brick Lane’ (based on the novel by Monica Ali) due to its allegedly unfavorable depictions of BritishBangladeshis. There were also rallies against the visit of Delwar Hossain Saidee, a well-known preacher and leader of the Jamaati-i-Islami party of Bangladesh. He was charged with war crimes in 1971 during the Bangladesh independence struggle. For the author, Ali Riaz, these events symbolize the shifting and multifaceted political culture of this largely understudied community. The Bangladeshi origin community in Britain is a majority Muslim one, estimated (in 2011) to number just under a half million. Along with a demographic profile and overview of British-Bangladeshi history, the book offers several chapters on community dynamics and identity politics. There is much useful information on the Bangladeshi diaspora in Britain compiled here, making it a valuable resource for those who are interested in this topic. A central goal of Islam and Identity Politics among British-Bangladeshis is to account for the growing significance of Islam as a basis of identity and community among British-Bangladeshis, especially members of the younger generation. This trend, widely noted across Muslim immigrant communities in Europe and North America, has spurred a growing body of scholarship in which the identity dynamics of these communities are explored in relation to larger questions of minority integration and multiculturalism, as well as terrorism and national security. Islam and Identity Politics among British-Bangladeshis contributes to this literature by offering a detailed case-study of a Muslim ethnic community that is grappling with the growing visibility Cont Islam (2015) 9:369–370 DOI 10.1007/s11562-014-0298-7
Cerebrosides and Sulfatides

Cerebrosides contain three moieties: a fatty amine, a fatty acid, and a hexose. The fatty amine is usually sphingosine, an 18-carbon straight-chain primary amine characterized by 2 hydroxyls (one of them allylic) and 1 amine group. A small amount of dihydrosphingosine occurs also. The fatty acid is of the straight-chain type and may have a hydroxyl group in the 2-position. If the cerebroside contains a hydroxy fatty acid, it is referred to as a hydroxy cerebroside. The sugar moiety is galactose or glucose. Since the occurrence of the latter in brain has only recently been soundly established, the older literature refers to the galactocerebroside as cerebroside; however, it is becoming increasingly important to mention the hexose in the name, as in glucocerebroside.
Numerical Modeling of Casting Processes

Recent progress on work related to numerical modeling of casting processes at the Industrial Materials Institute (IMI) is presented. Depending on the type of casting process involved, two different modeling approaches are used. The first, applied to simulate laminar or turbulent flow in the cavity of thin wall castings, is based on a 2D shell element model. This has the advantage of being computationally efficient from the CPU standpoint while, at the same time, provides a reasonably accurate solution to the problem. In the second approach, a 3D finite element method is used for parts that are thick (such as in low pressure or gravity casting), or where the problem is associated with both the part and mold (such as in heat transfer calculations). Whatever the technique chosen, in performing numerical modeling, the foundry hopes to use the results to optimize die and part design, as well as to reduce manufacturing costs. By being able to predict filing, solidification, stresses and shrinkage, a good idea of product quality and performance can often be obtained at the initial stage of the product development cycle.
Treatment of Hepatic Metastases from Gastrointestinal Primaries with Split Course Radiation Therapy and Concomitant Infusion 5-Fluorouracil

Metastases are detected in the liver in almost one third of cancer patients autopsied16and a 60–70% incidence3 is not unusual for metastatic large bowel cancer, Taylor21 reported progressive hepatic insufficiency as a cause of death in 25% patients who had radical resection for colorectal cancer.
Improving response to an establishment survey through the use of web-push data collection methods

The web-push method has been shown to increase web response rates in general public surveys. Response rates from two waves of the Emergency Medical Services for Children Program’s Performance Measu...
Confocal Microscopy and Digital Volume Correlation Methods for Intergranular Force Transmission Experiments

In this work we develop an experimental method to study interparticle force transmission in 3D. An initial 2D study of volumetric data for commercially available polyethylene fluorescent microspheres shows that three-dimensional effects play a significant role in deformation of real granular assemblies. This highlights the need for more experimental work to validate existing numerical models and motivate further development of theory and models describing real 3D granular media. A full 3D analysis method is described where volumetric images are captured via confocal microscopy and the displacement fields for each particle are determined using digital volume correlation (DVC). This data is then used to determine the average strain in each particle as well as the assembly’s fabric (geometric descriptors of particles and contacts) which are in turn used for the Granular Element Method (GEM) to determine interparticle forces. Additionally, we perform a DVC analysis for an in-house produced polyacrylamide copolymer grain with a volumetric fluorescent speckle pattern. This demonstrates that with sufficiently small particles, it is possible to use our imaging and analysis methodology to determine intergranular force transmission in 3D experiments.
Virtual evaluation of selected cervical lymph nodes with three-dimensional ultrasound in thyroid cancer patients after thyroidectomy.

BACKGROUND We evaluated the usefulness of three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound of cervical lymph nodes (LN), when two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound evaluation is not sufficient to clearly evaluate lymph node characteristics, in thyroid cancer patients being followed after thyroidectomy. METHODS Two readers retrospectively analyzed 2D and 3D images of 147 LNs; LNs were categorized as normal, reactive, suspicious, or indeterminate, and confidence level was rated. Results were compared to cytological/clinical data. Inter-reader agreement was calculated. RESULTS Addition of 3D ultrasound significantly increased specificity (0.787 with 2D ultrasound vs 0.905 with 2D + 3D ultrasound for reader 1, P = .009; 0.701 with 2D ultrasound vs 0.898 with 2D + 3D ultrasound for reader 2, P = .01). Addition of 3D ultrasound significantly increased confidence level of readers (P < .001). Inter-reader agreement in LN categorization was almost perfect with 2D + 3D ultrasound. CONCLUSION 3D ultrasound of cervical LNs enables better demonstration of imaging features that are important in differentiating benign and malignant LNs. These improvements can potentially obviate the need for FNA in post thyroidectomy cancer patients.
Vocabulary in Educational Media for Preschoolers: A Content Analysis of Word Selection and Screen-Based Pedagogical Supports

Children are spending an increasing amount of time in front of screens. However, little is known about the content of educational media, particularly in relation to vocabulary instruction. Since vo...
Preface to the National Lawyers Guild Review, 68-1

Introduces: 1. Legalizing the Immigration Posse by Cara Tonucci; 2. National Lawyers Guild International Committee Presentation to the United Nations Decolonization Committee Hearings on Puerto Rico June 20, 2011 by Jan Susler; 3. Book Review: The Color of Law by Arnold Kawano; 4. A Free Pass for Torturers by Marjorie Cohn; 5. Prisoners Strike against Torture in California Prisons by Majrorie Cohn; 6. Letter to Greek Embassy by David Gespass.
Novel MRGPRX2 antagonists inhibit IgE-independent activation of human umbilical cord blood-derived mast cells

Human MCs are primary effectors implicated in immune surveillance and defense by secreting histamine and various inflammatory mediators, a mechanism termed as degranulation. MCs can be activated by two pathways: IgE-dependent classical pathway and the IgE-independent pathway that utilizes various cationic molecules including substance P (SP) and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptides, which are host defense peptides collectively known as basic secretagogues. Our pharmacological study investigated whether or not IgE-independent MC activation is mediated via MRGPRX2. We identified two novel MRGPRX2 antagonists, which completely inhibited the degranulation of human cord blood-derived MCs (hCMCs) induced by basic secretagogues and pseudoallergic drug, icatibant, but IgE- or A23187-challenged hCMCs were resistant to MRGPRX2 antagonists. The MRGPRX2 antagonists markedly inhibited the de novo synthesis of SP-induced prostaglandin D2 in hCMCs. Moreover, the antagonists were able to inhibit p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase signal in hCMCs activated by SP. This study strongly suggests that MRGPRX2 antagonists may be a promising drug to prevent the IgE-independent allergic reactions, and thus, MRGPRX2 antagonist development may lead to a promising therapeutic medication for the IgE-independent allergic reactions.
Erysipeloid lesions caused by Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae in a dog: clinical and histopathological findings, molecular diagnosis and treatment

Background Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is a widespread Gram-positive, nonsporulating rod bacterium predominantly associated with skin disease in swine and cetaceans. Cutaneous lesions have yet to be described in dogs. Objective To describe the clinical presentation, molecular and histopathological diagnosis, and treatment of a case of erysipeloid caused by E. rhusiopathiae in a dog. Animals A 6-month-old spayed female standard poodle dog presented with lethargy, fever, vomiting and diarrhoea. Skin lesions appeared 20 days post first examination. Methods and materials Complete blood count, serum chemistry profile, urinalysis, urine culture, blood culture, computed topography, forelimb radiography, joint and cerebrospinal fluid aspiration were performed; samples were collected for skin cytological evaluation, culture and histopathological analysis. Results Blood cultures yielded Gram-positive, catalase-negative bacilli. Histopathological evaluation of skin biopsies revealed lymphoplasmacytic, neutrophilic and histiocytic perivascular and periadnexal dermatitis, and vasculitis. Cutaneous and blood PCR and sequencing of 16S rRNA identified the bacteria as E. rhusiopathiae. Clinical resolution was observed following the use of of amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and ciprofloxacin therapies. Conclusions and clinical importance To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first confirmed case of erysipeloid caused by E. rhusiopathiae in a dog. Clinical resolution was attained with the extended use of antibiotics. After 13 months, no clinical signs had returned.
Time-Modulated Conducting Oxide Metasurfaces for Adaptive Multiple Access Optical Communication

We demonstrate realization of a time-modulated metasurface in near-infrared frequency regime via integration of conducting oxide layers into plasmonic stripe nanoantennas arranged in a reflectarray configuration. The permittivity of conducting oxide layers is modulated in time through modulation of carrier concentration by applying radio frequency biasing signals which leads to generation of higher order frequency harmonics. We rigorously characterize the electro-optical frequency conversion performance of the metasurface. We then exploit the dispersionless angle-independent phase discontinuities on the wavefront of higher order frequency harmonics to achieve dynamic multi-wavelength multi-beam scanning across S, C, and L telecommunication bands via pixelated control over the modulation phase delay. It is established that such time-modulated metasurfaces can be utilized as reflectarray antennas for active multicasting as well as wavelength and angle multiplexing, thus improving optical communication capacity by providing multiple access and integrating several communication channels into a single antenna platform. The role of modulation waveform in the spectral diversity of harmonics is also explored. Specifically, modulation waveform is optimized to realize unicast and broadcast links. Finally, active beam-scanning performance of the time-modulated conducting oxide metasurface is compared with that of its quasi-static counterpart verifying the enhanced bandwidth as well as suppressed side lobes in the time-modulated platform.
Developing RFML Intuition: An Automatic Modulation Classification Architecture Case Study

The application of machine learning to Automatic Modulation Classification (AMC) has typically used transfer learning from architectures found in the image classification domain. This work examines deviations from the image classification architectures by drawing from traditional expert feature systems within the AMC domain. Two types of ‘expert architectures’ are contrasted against the traditional image processing architectures; the first utilizes a more traditional one-versus-all binary classification with decision fusion approach, while the second inherits a hierarchical decision tree structure that leverages expert knowledge of the classes. When compared with a typical image processing architecture there are marginal classifier performance gains associated with the structures taken from expert AMC systems; however, the expert architectures allow for greater intuition, adaptability, and future-proofing in general.
Intracranial aneurysm and coarctation of the aorta: prevalence in the current era.

Background: A 10% prevalence of intracranial aneurysms in patients with coarctation of the aorta has been described in a few studies. Our objective is to describe the rate of intracranial aneurysm detection in patients with coarctation of the aorta in the current era. We hypothesise that, with earlier detection and coarctation of the aorta intervention, the rate of intracranial aneurysm is lower than previously reported and screening imaging may only be warranted in older patients or patients with certain risk factors. Methods: This is a retrospective study of 102 patients aged 13 years and older with coarctation who underwent brain computed tomography angiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or magnetic resonance angiography between January, 2000 and February, 2018. Results: The median age of coarctation repair was 4.4 months (2 days–47 years) and the initial repair was primarily surgical (90.2%). There were 11 former smokers, 4 current smokers, and 13 patients with ongoing hypertension. Imaging modalities included computed tomography angiography (13.7%), MRI (41.2%), and magnetic resonance angiography (46.1%), performed at a median age of 33.3 years, 22.4 years, and 25 years, respectively. There were 42 studies performed for screening, 48 studies performed for neurologic symptoms, and 12 studies performed for both screening and symptoms. There were no intracranial aneurysms detected in this study. Conclusions: These results suggest that the rate of intracranial aneurysms may be lower than previously reported and larger studies should explore the risk of intracranial aneurysms in coarctation of the aorta in the current era.
On the Shoulders of Giants: Reflections on the Creators and Uses of Radio

This preface-style article contains a brief account of the creators of radio – Lee de Forest, inventor of the triode; Edwin Howard Armstrong, inventor of regeneration, the superheterodyne, and wide-band FM; and David Sarnoff, head of RCA and champion of electronic television – their influences, and the digital age they helped to bring about.