bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sexual Murderers: Sex Offender, Murderer, or Both?
Authors: Beauregard Eric , DeLisi Matt , Hewitt Ashley
Published: December 2017

Sexual murderers perpetrate homicide and rape/sexual abuse, but it is unclear whether they should primarily be considered homicide offenders, sexual offenders, or both. Most studies have merged together different types of non-homicidal sex offenders (NHSOs), neglecting to consider the potential differences between the nonviolent and violent sex offenders. Here, we suggest it is important to isolate those violent sex offenders who inflict severe physical injuries that could potentially lead to a lethal outcome. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to compare different measures of the criminal career on three groups of sex offenders: NHSOs, violent NHSOs, and sexual homicide offenders (SHOs) using data from 616 incarcerated male sex offenders in a Federal penitentiary in Canada. Interestingly, the group of sex offenders with the worst criminal career profile was not the SHOs, but the violent NHSOs. Violent NHSOs had the greatest number of prior convictions and the most varied and versatile criminal career. Therefore, we suggest that based on their criminal career, SHOs should be considered more as murderers than sex offenders. However, to fully answer this question, future studies should include a group of non-sexual homicide offenders.
The Predictive Validity of the Static-99, Static-99R, and Static-2002/R: Which One to Use?
Authors: Reeves Sophie G. , Ogloff James R. P. , Simmons Melanie
Published: December 2017

The use of Static tools (Static-99, Static-99R, Static-2002, and Static-2002R) in risk decision making involving sexual offenders is widespread internationally. This study compared the predictive accuracy and incremental validity of four Static risk measures in a sample of 621 Australian sexual offenders. Results indicated that approximately 45% of the sample recidivated (with 18.8% committing sexual offenses). All of the Static measures investigated yielded moderate predictive validity for sexual recidivism, which was comparable with other Australian and overseas studies. Area under the curve (AUC) values for the four measures across the 5-, 10-, and 15-year intervals ranged from .67 to .69. All of the Static measures discriminated quite well between low-risk and high-risk sexual offenders but less well for the moderate risk categories. When pitted together, none of the tools accounted for additional variance in sexual recidivism, above and beyond what the other measures accounted for. The overall results provide support for the use of Static measures as a component of risk assessment and decision making with Australian sexual offending populations. The limitations of this study and recommendations for further research are also discussed.
Sexual Violation of Patients by Physicians: A Mixed-Methods, Exploratory Analysis of 101 Cases
Authors: DuBois James M. , Walsh Heidi A. , Chibnall John T. , Anderson Emily E. , Eggers Michelle R. , Fowose Mobolaji , Ziobrowski Hannah
Published: December 2017

A mixed-method, exploratory design was used to examine 101 cases of sexual violations in medicine. The study involved content analysis of cases to characterize the physicians, patient-victims, the practice setting, kinds of sexual violations, and consequences to the perpetrator. In each case, a criminal law framework was used to examine how motives, means, and opportunity combined to generate sexual misconduct. Finally, cross-case analysis was performed to identify clusters of causal factors that explain specific kinds of sexual misconduct. Most cases involved a combination of five factors: male physicians (100%), older than the age of 39 (92%), who were not board certified (70%), practicing in nonacademic settings (94%) where they always examined patients alone (85%). Only three factors (suspected antisocial personality, physician board certification, and vulnerable patients) differed significantly across the different kinds of sexual abuse: personality disorders were suspected most frequently in cases of rape, physicians were more frequently board certified in cases of consensual sex with patients, and patients were more commonly vulnerable in cases of child molestation. Drawing on study findings and past research, we offer a series of recommendations to medical schools, medical boards, chaperones, patients, and the national practitioners database.
Identifying Criminogenic Needs Using the Personality Assessment Inventory With Males Who Have Sexually Offended
Authors: Jung Sandy , Toop Carissa , Ennis Liam
Published: December 2017

The present study investigated the relationships between the scales of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) and variables relevant to recidivism risk and criminogenic need to inform clinicians’ use of the PAI for purposes of treatment planning and risk management. PAI profiles, risk measure and domain scores, and recidivism data were collected for 158 males who have been convicted of sexually offending. Data were analyzed to investigate whether select clinical scales of the PAI correlated with conceptually relevant domains of risk and/or recidivism. Our findings demonstrated that the antisocial scales were consistently associated with risk constructs and recidivism, while very few clinical and personality scales showed relationships with risk constructs. The PAI seems to include select scales that represent risk-related needs, but also, other scales that may be more related to responsivity issues, and therefore may have utility to address two of the risk, need, and responsivity principles.
Between the Pew and the Pulpit: Can Personality Measures Help Identify Sexually Abusive Clergy?
Authors: Amrom Aria , Calkins Cynthia , Fargo Jamison
Published: December 2017

There has been limited conclusive research examining the personality characteristics of clergy who perpetrate abuse. To address this dearth of research, the current study aimed to develop a personality profile that distinguishes clergy members who sexually abuse children from other clergy. Personality and psychopathology were assessed using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2 (MMPI-2) and the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory–III (MCMI-III). Data were analyzed from a sample of clergy members, who comprised four comparison groups: clergy members referred to treatment for (a) child sexual abuse, (b) sexual misconduct with adults, (c) general clinical problems, or (d) routine employment evaluations with no previously identified clinical or sexual issues. While differences were found between groups, only the Aggressive/Sadistic scale of the MCMI-III consistently distinguished clerics who sexually abused children from all other clergy members. Findings are discussed in regard to the utility of the MMPI-2 and MCMI-III as a screening tool for clerical applicants for the Catholic Church.
Thermodiffusion with two time delays and Kernel functions
Authors: El-Karamany Ahmed S , Ezzat Magdy A , El-Bary Alaa A
Published: December 2017

The present work is concerned with the investigation of disturbances in a homogeneous, isotropic elastic medium with memory-dependent derivatives (MDDs). A one-dimensional problem is considered for a half-space whose surface is traction free and subjected to the effects of thermodiffusion. For treatment of time variations, the Laplace-transform technique is utilized. The theories of coupled and of generalized thermoelastic diffusion with one relaxation time follow as limit cases. A direct approach is introduced to obtain the solutions in the Laplace transform domain for different forms of kernel functions and time delay of MDDs, which can be arbitrarily chosen. Numerical inversion is carried out to obtain the distributions of the considered variables in the physical domain and illustrated graphically. Some comparisons are made and shown in figures to estimate the effects of MDD parameters on all studied fields.
The pointwise Eshelby force on the interface between a transformed inclusion and its surrounding matrix
Authors: Gavazza Steven D , Barnett David M
Published: December 2017

Eshelby showed that the pointwise force F on and normal to the interface between a transformed inclusion and its surrounding matrix is the jump in the normal component of the elastic energy-momentum tensor across the interface. Gavazza later showed, using an entirely different approach, that this thermodynamic driving force F has a much simpler form involving only the average of the stress tensors at adjacent points on opposite sides of the interface and the “transformation strain” tensor. The equivalence of and connection between the two formulae was apparently first shown by Eshelby in a personal letter to Gavazza (attached as an appendix to this paper), although the brevity of the letter makes following Eshelby’s proof a little difficult. Here we expand Eshelby’s hitherto unpublished proof of the equivalence of the two expressions in what we believe is a clearer fashion.
An integral representation for the solution of the inclusion problem in the theory of antiplane micropolar elasticity
Authors: Potapenko Stanislav
Published: December 2017

In the present paper, we apply the real boundary integral equation method to obtain the solution of the inclusion boundary-value problem with an imperfect interface arising in the theory of antiplane elasticity with significant microstructure. We find the solution in the form of the integral potential and employ the boundary element method to derive an approximate representation for the corresponding integral density. Finally, we consider an example of an elliptic inclusion with a homogeneously imperfect interface and find the distribution of shear stresses along the inclusion interface to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method. The method is very general in nature so it can be applied for the treatment of problems relating to inclusions of arbitrary shape, different types of interface and general forms of applied loading.
Stress field in a porous material containing periodic arbitrarily-shaped holes with surface tension
Authors: Yang Hai-Bing , Dai Ming , Gao Cun-Fa
Published: December 2017

In the mechanical analysis of a structure/composite with periodic holes/inhomogeneities based on analytic techniques, the holes/inhomogeneities are usually assumed to be circular. In this paper, we develop an efficient method (based on complex variable techniques) to calculate the surface tension-induced stress field in a porous material containing a periodic array of unidirectional holes of arbitrary shape. In this method, we use conformal mapping and Faber series techniques to address a finite representative unit cell (RUC) consisting of a single arbitrarily-shaped hole with a constant surface tension imposed on the hole’s boundary and periodic deformations imposed on the edge of the RUC. Several numerical examples are presented to verify the accuracy of our method and to study the influence of the shape and volume fraction of the periodic holes on the stress concentration in the structure. We show that the maximum hoop stress around periodic holes of some shapes (such as triangle, pentagon or hexagon) may appear exactly at the point(s) of maximum curvature when the hole volume fraction exceeds a certain value. Moreover, when the hole volume fraction falls below about 7%, it is found that the surface tension-induced stress concentration around periodic holes can be treated approximately as that around a single hole with the same hole shape and size in an infinite plane.
Dimensioning of thick-walled spherical and cylindrical pressure vessels
Authors: Schneider Patrick , Kienzler Reinhold
Published: December 2017

In this contribution, we revisit the rather classical problem of Lamé and provide a novel and easy way to plot the stress distributions and the overall absolute maximum von Mises stress for arbitrary parameters in only two diagrams. We also provide a maximum hoop stress formula for combined loading and an extensive discussion covering the accuracy of dimensioning via the maximum hoop stress instead of the maximum von Mises stress, as well as the accuracy of the classical approximative hoop stress formulas.
Dynamic problem of coupled thermoelasticity for a thin composite structure
Authors: Antipov Yuri A , Dickinson Benjamin T
Published: December 2017

A dynamic problem of coupled thermoelasticity for a composite body is analyzed. The body is modeled as a composite beam in response to elastic deformation. It consists of two parts of different densities chosen such that the center of mass is the junction point. The beam is clamped at the center of mass and free at its ends. The body acts as a two-dimensional structure in response to the heat flow. The problem reduces to three partial integro-differential equations, and the two beam equations are coupled by the heat equation. A method based on integral transformations and expansion of the transforms of the beam deflection in terms of shape and vibration modes is proposed. Ultimately, it leads to an infinite system of linear algebraic equations with respect to the Laplace transforms of the vibration modes solved by the method of successive approximations. In addition, expressions for the generalized free energy and the dissipation function are derived. By employing the variational principle it is shown that this formulation deduces the governing differential equations of thermoelastic vibration of the thin structure that follow from dynamic thermoelasticity and beam theory.
Swelling and axial propagation of bulging with application to aneurysm propagation in arteries
Authors: Demirkoparan Hasan , Merodio Jose
Published: December 2017

The effect of swelling on axial propagation of bulging is investigated for thin cylinders made of doubly fiber reinforced incompressible non-linearly elastic materials. The swellable tubes are exposed to both internal pressure and axial loading. The materials under consideration are Treloar models augmented with two functions that are equal, each one of them accounting for the existence of a unidirectional reinforcement. The functions provide the anisotropic character of the material and each one is referred to as a reinforcing model. Two reinforcing models that depend only on the stretch in the fiber direction are considered: the so called standard reinforcing model and an exponential one. The former model is studied to assess the analytical methodology described in this paper. The latter one is related to soft tissue mechanical response and bulging propagation in these models establishes the connection with the propagation of aneurysms in arterial wall tissue. For the standard reinforcing model, it is shown that axial propagation of bulging is not feasible. On the other hand, for the arterial wall model axial propagation of bulging is possible for a certain range of material parameter values.
Symptoms Versus Impairment in Adults With ADHD: Intercorrelations of the BRIEF-A, CAARS, and TOVA
Authors: Ben-Sheetrit Joseph , Zurawel Mika , Weizman Abraham , Manor Iris
Published: December 2017

Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the connections within and between three measures of adult ADHD: the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function–Adult Version (BRIEF-A)–Self-Report, Conners’ Adult ADHD Rating Scale–Investigator-Rated (CAARS-Inv), and Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA). Method: Data of 89 adults with ADHD (ages = 18-54, 46% females) who were assessed using these measures during pretreatment visits of a randomized study of metadoxine XR were analyzed. Results: The CAARS-Inv and TOVA did not correlate. The BRIEF-A correlated extensively with both the CAARS-Inv and TOVA, primarily via its Behavioral Regulation Index (BRI). The BRIEF-A Metacognition Index correlated with the CAARS-Inv inattentive score, while the BRI correlated with the CAARS-Inv hyperactive-impulsive score. Within the CAARS and TOVA, inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity correlated weakly. Conclusion: The measures seem to capture different aspects of adult ADHD. While the CAARS-Inv addresses mainly the domain of symptoms, and the TOVA that of impairment, the BRIEF-A captures aspects of both.
Prescription Stimulant Misuse and ADHD Symptomatology Among College Students in Iceland
Authors: Gudmundsdottir Bergljot Gyda , Weyandt Lisa , Ernudottir Gabriela Bryndis
Published: December 2017

Objective: Misuse of prescription stimulant medication is a prevalent problem on American college campuses; however, few studies have been conducted beyond the United States. Although Iceland has the highest methylphenidate prescription rates in the world, prevalence of stimulant misuse within the Icelandic college student population remains to be investigated. Method: We examined the prevalence of prescription stimulant misuse among N = 521 college students in Iceland, using an online survey. Results: Overall prevalence of lifetime stimulant misuse was approximately 13%; 11% among participants without a prescription for stimulant medication, and 42% among participants holding a prescription. The primary reported reason for misuse was academic enhancement; risk factors included male sex, anxiety symptoms, and ADHD symptomatology. Conclusion: The present findings have implications for public health policy in Iceland, particularly as it relates to the college population. Prevention and intervention programs that provide college students with safer strategies to manage academic demands are warranted.
Associations Between ADHD Symptoms and Occupational, Interpersonal, and Daily Life Impairments Among Pregnant Women
Authors: Eddy Laura D. , Jones Heather A. , Snipes Daniel , Karjane Nicole , Svikis Dace
Published: December 2017

Objective: Past research links symptoms of depression and anxiety with functional impairments among pregnant women. However, no prior research has examined the impact of ADHD symptoms among this population. The current study examines associations between ADHD symptoms and impairment in several life domains. Method: Self-report measures of ADHD symptoms, impairment, and demographic information were collected from 250 pregnant women at an urban women’s health clinic in the Southeast. Data were assessed using multivariate path analysis. Results: Inattentive symptoms were significant predictors of professional life impairment, daily life impairment, and relationship impairment. Impulsivity uniquely predicted variability in professional life impairment and relationship impairment. Hyperactivity was not a significant predictor. Conclusion: Future research should focus on the mechanisms by which inattention and impulsivity affect daily functioning in pregnant women, in addition to investigating potential interventions. Health care professionals should assess for impulsivity and inattention among pregnant women.
Parent Psychopathology and Neurocognitive Functioning in Children With ADHD
Authors: Agha Sharifah Shameem , Zammit Stanley , Thapar Anita , Langley Kate
Published: December 2017

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the association between parent mental health (ADHD and depression) and offspring performance on neurocognitive tasks in children with ADHD. Method: The clinical sample consisted of 570 children (85% males, mean age: 10.77 years) with ADHD who completed neurocognitive tasks measuring working memory, attention set-shifting, and motivational deficits. Questionnaire measures were used to assess ADHD and depression symptom presence in parents. Results: Controlling for ADHD severity, children of parents with ADHD had poorer working memory ( B = −0.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] [−0.45, −0.07], p = .01) and increased errors on the extra dimensional shift stage of the set-shifting task ( B = 0.26 95% CI [0.02, 0.50], p = .04). Parent depression was not associated with offspring performance on any of the assessed neurocognitive tasks. Conclusion: Children with ADHD who have a parent with ADHD symptom presence are a subgroup of children who may have additional neurocognitive impairments that have potential implications when implementing interventions that target cognition and learning.
Electroencephalogram Theta/Beta Ratio and Spectral Power Correlates of Executive Functions in Children and Adolescents With AD/HD
Authors: Zhang Da-Wei , Li Hui , Wu Zhanliang , Zhao Qihua , Song Yan , Liu Lu , Qian Qiujin , Wang Yufeng , Roodenrys Steven , Johnstone Stuart J. , De Blasio Frances M. , Sun Li
Published: December 2017

Objective: The electroencephalogram (EEG) has been widely used in AD/HD research. The current study firstly aimed to replicate a recent trend related to EEG theta/beta ratio (TBR) in children and adolescents. Also, the study aimed to examine the value of resting EEG activity as biomarkers for executive function (EF) in participants with AD/HD. Method: Fifty-three participants with AD/HD and 37 healthy controls were recruited. Resting EEG was recorded with eyes closed. Participants with AD/HD additionally completed EF tasks via the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. Results: TBR did not differ between groups; however, TBR was positively correlated with inattentive symptoms in AD/HD. Other correlations were found between EEG activity and neuropsychological functions including spatial planning and decision making in the AD/HD group. Conclusion: The results do not support the diagnostic value of TBR. Instead, given the heterogeneous features, the results support the prognostic value of EEG in AD/HD.
Detecting the Determinants and Trajectories of Homicide Among Ransom Kidnappings: A Research Note
Authors: Guerette Rob T. , Pires Stephen F. , Shariati Auzeen
Published: December 2017

Despite common media reports of death among kidnapped victims, little is known about the extent and factors that determine whether victims will be killed during the ransom process. Using data on 9,469 kidnappings for ransom incidents, which occurred in Colombia, South America between the years 2002 and 2011, this exploratory study sought to determine whether predictable patterns existed among those incidents in which victims were killed. The analyses revealed significant differences in the odds of death across victims, offenders, and situational circumstances. Distinct time-to-death trajectories were also found. Recognizing and understanding these patterns offer to improve preventive efforts.
From Urban Core to Wealthy Towns
Authors: Zhao Bo
Published: December 2017

Fiscal disparities occur when economic resources and public service needs are not evenly distributed across localities. There are equity concerns associated with fiscal disparities. Using a cost-capacity gap framework and a newly assembled data set, this article is the first study to quantify nonschool fiscal disparities across Connecticut municipalities. It finds significant nonschool fiscal disparities, driven primarily by the uneven distribution of the property tax base while cost differentials also play an important role. State nonschool grants are found to have a relatively small effect in offsetting municipal fiscal disparities. Unlike previous research focused on a single state, this article also conducts a cross-state comparison. It finds that nonschool fiscal disparities in Connecticut are more severe than those in Massachusetts, and nonschool grants in Connecticut are less equalizing than those in Massachusetts. This article’s conceptual framework and empirical approach are generalizable to other states and other countries.
The Effect of Oil Revenue Funds on Social Welfare
Authors: Azhgaliyeva Dina
Published: December 2017

Recently, it has become popular among oil-producing countries to establish oil revenue funds, which are believed to stabilize the economy and provide intergenerational redistribution. Oil revenue funds differ depending on rules, such as accumulation rules and withdrawal rules. Numerical simulations show that funds can improve intergenerational social welfare, though not always. Which rule yields the highest intergenerational social welfare depends on countries’ parameters such as gross interest rate, relative risk aversion, and growth rate of oil production. Some rules may be unaffordable for a government budget. If oil production does not decline, funds following expenditure-based accumulation rules yield higher social welfare than funds that follow other rules. If oil production declines, the permanent oil income model or “Bird-in-Hand” can yield the highest social welfare.
The Impact of Ideology on Disinvestment Decisions of a Coalition
Authors: Jain Ritika , Sarkar Shubhro
Published: December 2017

We build a two-stage game theoretic model to capture the effect of ideologies of parties in a coalition on disinvestment decisions. We focus on three specific aspects of ideology—ideology score of the coalition, ideology dispersion of the coalition, and ideology difference between the center and the state where the enterprise is located. The benchmark two-party coalition predicts that a left government prefers less disinvestment than a right one more often than not. However, there may be a case where moving toward the left end of the ideology spectrum may raise disinvestment incidence. Similarly, a coalition with ideologically similar parties favors privatization more frequently than one in which parties are more diverse. However, for a narrow parametric range, the effect may be reversed. Low ideological difference between the center and the state in which the enterprise is located improves disinvestment incidence. Finally, we extend the model to three-party coalitions.
What Are the Financial Implications of Public Quality Disclosure? Evidence from New York City’s Restaurant Food Safety Grading Policy
Authors: Meltzer Rachel , Rothbart Michah W. , Schwartz Amy Ellen , Calabrese Thad , Silver Diana , Mijanovich Tod , Weinstein Meryle
Published: December 2017

Grading schemes are an increasingly common method of quality disclosure for public services. Restaurant grading makes information about food safety practices more readily available and may reduce the prevalence of foodborne illnesses. However, it may also have meaningful financial repercussions. Using fine-grained administrative data that tracks food safety compliance and sales activity for the universe of graded restaurants in New York City and its bordering counties, we assess the aggregate financial effects from restaurant grading. Results indicate that the grading policy, after an initial period of adjustment, improves restaurants’ food safety compliance and reduces fines. While the average effect on revenues for graded restaurants across the municipality is null, the graded restaurants located geographically closer to an ungraded regime experience slower growth in revenues. There is also evidence of revenue convergence across graded and ungraded restaurants in the long term.
Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Fanconi-Bickel Syndrome
Authors: Pogoriler Jennifer , O’Neill Allison F , Voss Stephan D , Shamberger Robert C , Perez-Atayde Antonio R
Published: December 2017

Fanconi-Bickel syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder due to mutations in the facilitative glucose transporter 2 ( GLUT2 or SLC2A2) gene resulting in excessive glycogen storage predominantly in the liver and kidney. Previous case reports of this condition have described liver biopsies with glycogen storage and variable steatosis and/or fibrosis. Unlike in other types of glycogen storage disease, hepatocellular adenomas and carcinomas have not been described to date in this syndrome. A 6-year-old boy with consanguineous parents had short stature, poorly controlled rickets, hepatosplenomegaly, and renal tubular dysfunction clinically consistent with Fanconi-Bickel Syndrome. Sequencing of the SLC2A2 gene showed a homozygous variant of unknown significance [c.474A > C (p.Arg158Ser)] causing a missense mutation in an evolutionarily conserved residue. An incidental single hepatic lesion was discovered on imaging, and subsequent resection showed a 2.6 cm well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma with moderate atypia, diffuse immunoreactivity for glypican-3, and nuclear b-catenin, and with focal complete loss of the reticulin framework. The non-neoplastic liver showed marked glycogen accumulation with mild periportal fibrosis, rare bridging fibrosis, and no regenerative or adenomatous nodules. By electron microscopy, tumor cells had pleomorphic nuclei, prominent nucleoli, and scant cytoplasm with numerous mitochondria. Well-developed canaliculi were occasionally seen. The non-neoplastic liver showed glycogenosis with abundant cytoplasmic free (non-membrane bound) glycogen. Hepatocellular carcinoma should be considered as a possible complication of Fanconi-Bickel syndrome. This well differentiated carcinoma did not appear to be associated with hepatic adenomatosis as has been described in some hepatocellular carcinomas associated with other hepatic glycogen storage disorders. The nuclear beta-catenin immunoreactivity indicates a role for the Wnt signaling pathway in the pathogenesis of this tumor.
Submucosal Colonic Lipoblastoma Presenting With Colo-colonic Intussusception in an Infant
Authors: Brundler Marie-Anne , Kurek Kyle C , Patel Kamlesh , Jester Ingo
Published: December 2017

Lipoblastoma is a benign adipose tumor typically presenting in infancy in superficial soft tissues of extremities. Intestinal complications secondary to intraabdominal or retroperitoneal involvement are exceedingly rare. We describe a unique case of a primary intestinal lipoblastoma arising from the submucosa of the transverse colon in an otherwise healthy 18-month-old boy. He presented with a history of reducible rectal prolapse, rectal bleeding, and episodic abdominal pain and was initially treated for constipation. Imaging identified a short colo-colonic intussusception, confirmed at laparotomy, and a fatty mass thought to arise from the mesentery. Pathological examination of the resected transverse colon revealed a submucosal tumor composed of a mixture of mature adipose tissue, foci of myxoid mesenchymal tissue with desmin positive, HMGA2 negative spindle cells, and scattered lipoblasts, characteristic of lipoblastoma. Lipoblastoma should be considered as a potential albeit rare cause of intussusception in young children, where a pathologic lead point is infrequently identified.
An Unusual Presentation of a Cervical Paraspinal Leiomyoma in an Adolescent Female
Authors: Swarz Jeffrey A , Anilkumar Arayamparambil C , Miller Douglas C , Litofsky N Scott , Tanaka Tomoko
Published: December 2017

Objective

We describe an apparently unique case of an extra-uterine leiomyoma in the cervical paraspinal tissue including its evaluation and management.

Methods

A 14-year-old girl was referred to the neurology clinic for an abnormal head CT following a concussion. MRI revealed a homogenously enhancing left cervical paraspinal mass. The patient underwent complete resection and subsequent genetic testing and counseling were obtained to determine the presence of Li–Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS) or Hereditary Leiomyomatosis and Renal Cell Cancer (HLRCC) mutations.

Result

Histopathological examination proved that the tumor was a benign leiomyoma. Genomic testing for Fumarate Hydratase Gene, HLRCC, TP53 mutations or deletions, and LFS sequencing were negative. Further testing showed no immunosuppression.

Conclusions

To the best of our knowledge, this is the only case of paraspinal leiomyoma to have been reported to date. We emphasize the importance of considering immunosuppression, LFS, or HLRCC as an underlying cause in extra-uterine leiomyata.
Translocation Renal Cell Carcinoma in a Child Previously Treated for Infantile Fibrosarcoma
Authors: Ma Jing , Pan Ci , Yin Minzhi
Published: December 2017

We report a child who developed a TFE3/Xp11.2 translocation renal cell carcinoma (RCC) when he was 3 years and 3 months old, after previous treatment for infantile fibrosarcoma (IFS). When he was 3 months old, a left axilla mass has been detected, which was tan and solid, was 1.5 cm in greatest dimension, and composed of sheets of spindle cells that was positive for vimentin and fibronectin. Fluorescence in situ hybridization showed positive result in ETV6 gene rearrangements. The final diagnosis was IFS. After surgery and chemotherapy, he remained disease-free until 3 years; later, he was detected to have a tumor in right kidney which measured 2.5 × 2 × 1.5 cm. The tumor comprised clear-cell features that were arranged in papillary and adenoid architecture. The tumor cells were positive for TFE3 and CK. The diagnosis was TFE3/Xp11.2 translocation RCC. Previous research has reported that the radio/chemotherapy for the first tumor might be involved in the pathogenesis of translocation RCC. In our report, this is the first time the IFS is included in the disease spectrum which can cause secondary translocation RCC.
Hepatic Hilar Lymph Node Reactivity at Kasai Portoenterostomy for Biliary Atresia: Correlations With Age, Outcome, and Histology of Proximal Biliary Remnant
Authors: Bove KE , Sheridan R , Fei L , Anders R , Chung CT , Cummings OW , Finegold MJ , Finn L , Ranganathan S , Kim G , Lovell M , Magid MS , Melin-Aldana H , Russo P , Shehata B , Wang L , White F , Chen Z , Spino C , Magee JC
Published: December 2017

We hypothesized that if infection is the proximate cause of congenital biliary atresia, an appropriate response to antigen would occur in lymph nodes contiguous with the biliary remnant. We compared the number of follicular germinal centers (GC) in 79 surgically excised hilar lymph nodes (LN) and 27 incidentally discovered cystic duct LNs in 84 subjects at the time of hepatic portoenterostomy (HPE) for biliary atresia (BA) to autopsy controls from the pancreaticobiliary region of non-septic infants >3 months old at death. All 27 control LN lacked GC, a sign in infants of a primary response to antigenic stimulation. GC were found in 53% of 106 LN in 56 of 84 subjects. Visible surgically excised LN contiguous with the most proximal biliary remnants had 1 or more well-formed reactive GC in only 26/51 subjects. Presence of GC and number of GC/LN was unrelated to age at onset of jaundice or to active fibroplasia in the biliary remnant but was related to older age at HPE. Absent GC in visible and incidentally removed cystic duct LNs predicted survival with the native liver at 2 and 3 years after HPE, P = .03, but significance was lost at longer intervals. The uncommon inflammatory lesions occasionally found in remnants could be secondary either to bile-induced injury or secondary infection established as obstruction evolves. The absence of consistent evidence of antigenic stimulation in LN contiguous with the biliary remnant supports existence of at least 1 major alternative to infection in the etiology of biliary atresia.
Primary Spinal Epidural CIC-DUX4 Undifferentiated Sarcoma in a Child
Authors: Donahue John E , Yakirevich Evgeny , Zhong Shan , Treaba Diana O , Lakis Nelli S , Ali Siraj M , de la Monte Suzanne M , Mangray Shamlal
Published: December 2017

Primitive round- or spindle-cell EWSR1-negative undifferentiated sarcomas harboring CIC-DUX4 gene fusion are the most common form of Ewing-like sarcomas. These tumors primarily occur in peripheral soft tissues, but examples have been described within viscera and the brain. As far as we are aware, CIC-DUX4 positive primary epidural spinal sarcoma has not been reported. Herein, we describe a T5–T6 epidural tumor in a 15-year-old girl in which many neoplastic cells had moderate and focally abundant cytoplasm, including plasmacytoid or rhabdoid cells, rather than the more common Ewing-like morphology described in the majority of such tumors. The diagnosis was confirmed by fluorescent in situ hybridization after the tumor was found to be WT-1 positive, and comprehensive genomic profiling demonstrated breakpoints in exon 20 and exon 1 of the CIC and DUX4 genes, respectively. After treatment with local radiation and systemic chemotherapy, resected recurrent tumor demonstrated more pleomorphic neoplastic cells as well as intracytoplasmic eosinophilic globules and nuclear pseudoinclusions which may reflect therapy-related changes. Unfortunately, there was further progression of tumor including the development of intracranial lesions, and the patient succumbed to her tumor 22 months after the original resection.
Porting and optimization of solidification application for CPU–MIC hybrid platforms
Authors: Szustak Lukasz , Halbiniak Kamil , Kuczynski Lukasz , Wrobel Joanna , Kulawik Adam
Published: December 2017

Modern heterogeneous computing platforms have become powerful HPC solutions, which could be applied to a wide range of real-life applications. In particular, the hybrid platforms equipped with Intel Xeon Phi coprocessors offer the advantages of massively parallel computing, while supporting practically the same parallel programming model as conventional homogeneous solutions. However, there is still an open issue as to how scientific applications can efficiently utilize hybrid platforms with Intel MIC coprocessors. In this article, we propose an approach for porting a real-life scientific application to such hybrid platforms, assuming no significant modifications of the application code. It allows us to take advantage of all the computing components, including two CPUs and two coprocessors, for the parallel execution of computational workloads. In this study, we focus on the parallel implementation of a numerical model of the dendritic solidification process in isothermal conditions. We develop a sequence of steps that are necessary for the porting and optimization of the solidification application to hybrid platforms with Intel coprocessors. The main challenges include not only overlapping data movements with computations, but also ensuring adequate utilization of cores/threads and vector units of processors, as well as coprocessors. To reach this aim, we propose an efficient and flexible method for the workload distribution between heterogeneous computing components. For implementing the potential benefits of the proposed approach, we choose a heterogeneous programming model based on a combination of the offload mode for Intel MIC and OpenMP programming standard. The developed approach allows us to execute the whole application up to 9.33× faster than the original parallel version that uses two CPUs. Furthermore, the CPU–MIC hybrid platforms enable achieving the speedup of about 1.9× that of the CPU platform with 24 cores based on the Ivy Bridge architecture, and about 1.5× that of the Haswell-based CPU platform with 36 cores.
Deploying massive runs of evolutionary algorithms with ECJ and Hadoop: Reducing interest points required for face recognition
Authors: Chávez Francisco , Fernández de Vega Francisco , Lanza Daniel , Benavides César , Villegas Juan , Trujillo Leonardo , Olague Gustavo , Román Graciela
Published: December 2017

In this paper we present a new strategy for deploying massive runs of evolutionary algorithms with the well-known Evolutionary Computation Library (ECJ) tool, which we combine with the MapReduce model so as to allow the deployment of computing intensive runs of evolutionary algorithms on big data infrastructures. Moreover, by addressing a hard real life problem, we show how the new strategy allows us to address problems that cannot be solved with more traditional approaches. Thus, this paper shows that by using the Hadoop framework ECJ users can, by means of a new parameter, choose where the run will be launched, whether in a Hadoop based infrastructure or in a desktop computer. Moreover, together with the performed tests we address the well-known face recognition problem with a new purpose: to allow a genetic algorithm to decide which are the more relevant interest points within the human face. Massive runs have allowed us to reduce the set from about 60 to just 20 points. In this way, recognition tasks based on the solution provided by the genetic algorithm will work significantly quicker in the future, given that just 20 points will be required. Therefore, two goals have been achieved: (a) to allow ECJ users to launch massive runs of evolutionary algorithms on big data infrastructures and also (b) to demonstrate the capabilities of the tool to successfully improve results regarding the problem of face recognition.
Analyzing self-★ island-based memetic algorithms in heterogeneous unstable environments
Authors: Nogueras Rafael , Cotta Carlos
Published: December 2017

Computational environments emerging from the pervasiveness of networked devices offer a plethora of opportunities and challenges. The latter arise from their dynamic, inherently volatile nature that tests the resilience of algorithms running on them. Here we consider the deployment of population-based optimization algorithms on such environments, using the island model of memetic algorithms for this purpose. These memetic algorithms are endowed with self-★ properties that give them the ability to work autonomously in order to optimize their performance and to react to the instability of computational resources. The main focus of this work is analyzing the performance of these memetic algorithms when the underlying computational substrate is not only volatile but also heterogeneous in terms of the computational power of each of its constituent nodes. To this end, we use a simulated environment that allows experimenting with different volatility rates and heterogeneity scenarios (that is, different distributions of computational power among computing nodes), and we study different strategies for distributing the search among nodes. We observe that the addition of self-scaling and self-healing properties makes the memetic algorithm very robust to both system instability and computational heterogeneity. Additionally, a strategy based on distributing single islands on each computational node is shown to perform globally better than placing many such islands on each of them (either proportionally to their computing power or subject to an intermediate compromise).
A lightweight approach to performance portability with targetDP
Authors: Gray Alan , Stratford Kevin
Published: December 2017

Leading high performance computing systems achieve their status through use of highly parallel devices such as NVIDIA graphics processing units or Intel Xeon Phi many-core CPUs. The concept of performance portability across such architectures, as well as traditional CPUs, is vital for the application programmer. In this paper we describe targetDP, a lightweight abstraction layer which allows grid-based applications to target data parallel hardware in a platform agnostic manner. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our pragmatic approach by presenting performance results for a complex fluid application (with which the model was co-designed), plus separate lattice quantum chromodynamics particle physics code. For each application, a single source code base is seen to achieve portable performance, as assessed within the context of the Roofline model. TargetDP can be combined with Message Passing Interface (MPI) to allow use on systems containing multiple nodes: we demonstrate this through provision of scaling results on traditional and graphics processing unit-accelerated large scale supercomputers.
Offloading strategies for Stencil kernels on the KNC Xeon Phi architecture: Accuracy versus performance
Authors: Hernández Mario , Cebrián Juan M , Cecilia José M , García José M
Published: December 2017

The ever-increasing computational requirements of HPC and service provider applications are becoming a great challenge for hardware and software designers. These requirements are reaching levels where the isolated development on either computational field is not enough to deal with such challenge. A holistic view of the computational thinking is therefore the only way to success in real scenarios. However, this is not a trivial task as it requires, among others, of hardware–software codesign. In the hardware side, most high-throughput computers are designed aiming for heterogeneity, where accelerators (e.g. Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), etc.) are connected through high-bandwidth bus, such as PCI-Express, to the host CPUs. Applications, either via programmers, compilers, or runtime, should orchestrate data movement, synchronization, and so on among devices with different compute and memory capabilities. This increases the programming complexity and it may reduce the overall application performance. This article evaluates different offloading strategies to leverage heterogeneous systems, based on several cards with the first-generation Xeon Phi coprocessors (Knights Corner). We use a 11-point 3-D Stencil kernel that models heat dissipation as a case study. Our results reveal substantial performance improvements when using several accelerator cards. Additionally, we show that computing of an approximate result by reducing the communication overhead can yield 23% performance gains for double-precision data sets.
The Double-Edged Sword of Big Data in Organizational and Management Research
Authors: Wenzel Ramon , Van Quaquebeke Niels
Published: December 2017

While many disciplines embrace the possibilities that Big Data present for advancing scholarship and practice, organizational and management research has yet to realize Big Data’s potential. In an effort to chart this newfound territory, we briefly describe the principal drivers and key characteristics of Big Data. We then review a broad range of opportunities and risks that are related to the Big Data paradigm, the data itself, and the associated analytical methods. For each, we provide research ideas and recommendations on how to embrace the potentials or address the concerns. Our assessment shows that Big Data, as a paradigm, can be a double- edged sword, capable of significantly advancing our field but also causing backlash if not utilized properly. Our review seeks to inform individual research practices as well as a broader policy agenda in order to advance organizational and management research as a scientifically rigorous and professionally relevant field.
Big Data Visualizations in Organizational Science
Authors: Tay Louis , Ng Vincent , Malik Abish , Zhang Jiawei , Chae Junghoon , Ebert David S. , Ding Yiqing , Zhao Jieqiong , Kern Margaret
Published: December 2017

Visualizations in organizational research have primarily been used in the context of traditional survey data, where individual data points (e.g., responses) can typically be plotted, and qualitative (e.g., language data) and quantitative (e.g., frequency data) information are not typically combined. Moreover, visualizations are typically used in a hypothetico-deductive fashion to showcase significant hypothesized results. With the advent of big data, which has been characterized as being particularly high in volume, variety, and velocity of collection, visualizations need to more explicitly and formally consider the issues of (a) identification (isolating or highlighting relevant data pertaining to the phenomena of interest), (b) integration (combining different modes of data to reveal insights about a phenomenon of interest), (c) immediacy (examining real-time data in a time-sensitive manner), and (d) interactivity (inductively uncovering and identifying new patterns). We discuss basic ideas for addressing these issues and provide illustrative examples of visualizations that incorporate and highlight ways of addressing these issues. Examples in our article include visualizing multiple performance criteria for police officers, publication network of organizational researchers, and social media language of Fortune 500 companies.
Military Masculinity and the Act of Killing in Hamlet and Afghanistan
Authors: Partis-Jennings Hannah
Published: December 2017

This article looks at a 2011 incident which led to a soldier (Marine A) being convicted of murdering an Afghan insurgent. It focuses on the words (quoting from Hamlet) spoken by the Marine as he carried out the killing: “shuffle off this mortal coil, you cunt” and examines the link that these words establish between the war in Afghanistan and Shakespeare’s play. The article explores the connections between Hamlet and Marine A and how their actions can be understood to both parallel each other and diverge around ethical contemplation; access to military masculinity; the banishing of the feminine; and a process of mediation, performance, and interpretation.