A Historical Analysis of Southeast Asian Refugee Communities: Post-war Acculturation and Education in the U.S.

This analysis considers the circumstances of Southeast Asian refugee immigration following the Vietnam War as well as the political and social environment in the US upon their arrival, in order to examine the historical factors that link to their subsequent educational trends. Receptive government policies enabled these communities to survive; however, with the exception of first-wave Vietnamese refugees, their limited job skills, English language knowledge, and education upon arrival were exacerbated by overall prejudiced societal reception and the lack of an existing co-ethnic community to buffer their entry into US society. All groups have generally experienced low academic achievement except in the case of Vietnamese Americans, for whom a notable contingent demonstrates higher attainment. Implications for subsequent generations, and for research and practice, are discussed

Facial Soft-Tissue Asymmetry in 3D Cone Beam Computed Tomography Images of Children with Surgically Corrected Unilateral Clefts

Cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) is a relatively common craniofacial malformation involving bony and soft-tissue disruptions of the nasolabial and dentoalveolar regions. The combination of CL/P and subsequent craniofacial surgeries to close the cleft and improve appearance of the cutaneous upper lip and nose can cause scarring and muscle pull, possibly resulting in soft-tissue depth asymmetries across the face. We tested the hypothesis that tissue depths in children with unilateral CL/P exhibit differences in symmetry across the sides of the face. Twenty-eight tissue depths were measured on cone-beam computed tomography images of children with unilateral CL/P (n = 55), aged 7 to 17 years, using Dolphin software (version 11.5). Significant differences in tissue depth symmetry were found around the cutaneous upper lip and nose in patients with unilateral CL/P

Method and apparatus for detecting flaws and defects in heat seals

Flaws and defects in heat seals formed between sheets of translucent film are identified by optically examining consecutive lateral sections of the seal along the seal length. Each lateral seal section is illuminated and an optical sensor array detects the intensity of light transmitted through the seal section for the purpose of detecting and locating edges in the heat seal. A line profile for each consecutive seal section is derived having an amplitude proportional to the change in light intensity across the seal section. Instances in the derived line profile where the amplitude is greater than a threshold level indicate the detection of a seal edge. The detected edges in each derived line profile are then compared to a preset profile edge standard to identify the existence of a flaw or defect

Application of CE-MS to examination of black inkjet printing inks for forensic purposes.

The potential of capillary electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry with electrospray ion source and time of flight analyser (CE-ESI-TOF-MS) in the analysis of inkjet inks was investigated. The developed and validated method allowed reliable and repeatable analysis of black inkjet inks extracted from printouts. Over a dozen inkjet printouts printed on various printer models from different manufacturers were analysed under selected conditions to determine the variation of chemical composition of inks between different brands and types. It was ascertained that the developed method is capable of revealing qualitative differences between ink samples. For most of the investigated inks, the studies showed the presence of a characteristic mass spectrum originating from the surfactant or polymer. The mass distribution of the additive is distinctive for some inkjet ink producers, and allows for group identification of inks. The results showed the strength of the CE-ESI-TOF-MS method as an effective technique for forensic purposes, requiring a small amount of inkjet ink samples and giving analytical information that is useful in the identification of compounds