cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Extent and Nature of Potential Flood Damage to Commercial Property Structures in the Midwestern United States

Prior research on the extent of potential flood damage in the U.S. has focused on single-family residential structures, whereas this study evaluates the extent and nature of potential flood damage to commercial structures in two locations. Commercial buildings represent 13% of all structures in the 100-year floodplain in Sarpy County (Omaha, NE) and 16% in Fargo/Moorhead (ND and MN), yet account for half of total potential flood damage exposure as represented by depreciated structural replacement values (DSRVs). The most frequent commercial structures are special use, warehouse, and industrial properties, which are all well suited to DSRVs estimation. Commercial building characteristics are highly heterogeneous, making the extrapolation of their potential flood damage based on sample observations problematic. Commercial floodplain structures are older and/or less maintained and less valuable than non-floodplain structures, which, combined with the fact that higher valued multiple family, retail, and office structures were relatively rare in the 100-year floodplain, indicates that commercial property owners in general exhibit rational flood risk avoidance.
Modern Transform Design for Practical Audio/Image/Video Coding Applications

Abstract This chapter offers an overall review of recent advances in the design of modern transforms for audio, image and video coding applications. Transforms have been an integral part of signal coding applications from the beginning, but emphasis had been on true floating-point decomposition schemes for most of that history. Recently, with the proliferation of low-power handheld multimedia devices, a new vision of integer-only transforms that provide high performance yet very low complexity has quickly gained ascendency. We emphasize key design approaches to creating integer transforms, and focus on a systematic, universal method based on decomposition into lifting steps, and use of (dyadic) rational coefficients. This method provides a wealth of solutions, many of which are already in use in leading media codecs today, such as JPEG2000, H.264, HD-Photo/JPEG-XR, and scalable audio.
Yield and bias in defining a cohort study baseline from electronic health record data.

Abstract Aims Despite growing interest in using electronic health records (EHR) to create longitudinal cohort studies, the distribution and missingness of EHR data might introduce selection bias and information bias to such analyses. We aimed to examine the yield and potential for these healthcare process biases in defining a study baseline using EHR data, using the example of cholesterol and blood pressure (BP) measurements. Methods We created a virtual cohort study of cardiovascular disease (CVD) from patients with eligible cholesterol profiles in the New England (NE) and Southeast (SE) networks of the Veterans Health Administration in the United States. Using clinical data from the EHR, we plotted the yield of patients with BP measurements within an expanding timeframe around an index date of cholesterol testing. We compared three groups: (1) patients with BP from the exact index date; (2) patients with BP not on the index date but within the network-specific 90th percentile around the index date; and (3) patients with no BP within the network-specific 90th percentile. Results Among 589,361 total patients in the two networks, 146,636 (61.0%) of 240,479 patients from NE and 289,906 (83.1%) of 348,882 patients from SE had BP measurements on the index date. Ninety percent had BP measured within 11 days of the index date in NE and within 5 days of the index date in SE. Group 3 in both networks had fewer available race data, fewer comorbidities and CVD medications, and fewer health system encounters. Conclusions Requiring same-day risk factor measurement in the creation of a virtual CVD cohort study from EHR data might exclude 40% of eligible patients, but including patients with infrequent visits might introduce bias. Data visualization can inform study-specific strategies to address these challenges for the research use of EHR data.
Oil Price Shocks and Economic Growth in Oil-Exporting Countries; Does the Size of Government Matter?

This paper examines the impact of government size on how output and government expenditure respond to oil price shocks in 28 oil-exporting countries between 1990 and 2016. Results suggest that if the size of government (measured by government expenditure-to-(non-oil) GDP ratio) is larger, non-oil output growth, in response to a positive oil price shock, tends to be greater and output volatility higher. Furthermore, I find that an unexpected increase in oil price leads to expansion in government expenditure and the expansion is larger, the larger is the government. This paper provides empirical evidence for direct correlation between government size and macroecnomic stability in oil-exporting countries. The findings imply that fiscal consolidation and economic diversification help to narrow down economic exposure to exogenous oil price shocks and reduce volatility in non-oil output.
A pathway for biological methane production using bacterial iron-only nitrogenase

Methane (CH4) is a potent greenhouse gas that is released from fossil fuels and is also produced by microbial activity, with at least one billion tonnes of CH4 being formed and consumed by microorganisms in a single year 1 . Complex methanogenesis pathways used by archaea are the main route for bioconversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) to CH4 in nature2–4. Here, we report that wild-type iron-iron (Fe-only) nitrogenase from the bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris reduces CO2 simultaneously with nitrogen gas (N2) and protons to yield CH4, ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen gas (H2) in a single enzymatic step. The amount of CH4 produced by purified Fe-only nitrogenase was low compared to its other products, but CH4 production by this enzyme in R. palustris was sufficient to support the growth of an obligate CH4-utilizing Methylomonas strain when the two microorganisms were grown in co-culture, with oxygen (O2) added at intervals. Other nitrogen-fixing bacteria that we tested also formed CH4 when expressing Fe-only nitrogenase, suggesting that this is a general property of this enzyme. The genomes of 9% of diverse nitrogen-fixing microorganisms from a range of environments encode Fe-only nitrogenase. Our data suggest that active Fe-only nitrogenase, present in diverse microorganisms, contributes CH4 that could shape microbial community interactions.
Errors in Electronic Health Record-Based Data Query of Statin Prescriptions in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease in a Large, Academic, Multispecialty Clinic Practice.

Background With the recent implementation of the Medicare Quality Payment Program, providers face increasing accountability for delivering high‐quality care. Such pay‐for‐performance programs aim to leverage systematic data captured by electronic health record (EHR) systems to measure performance; however, the fidelity of EHR query for assessing performance has not been validated compared with manual chart review. We sought to determine whether our institution9s methodology of EHR query could accurately identify cases in which providers failed to prescribe statins for eligible patients with coronary artery disease. Methods and Results A total of 9459 patients with coronary artery disease were seen at least twice at the Emory Clinic between July 2014 and June 2015, of whom 1338 (14.1%, 95% confidence interval 13.5–14.9%) had no statin prescription or exemption per EHR query. A total of 120 patient cases were randomly selected and reviewed by 2 physicians for further adjudication. Of the 120 cases initially classified as statin prescription failures, only 21 (17.5%; 95% confidence interval, 11.7–25.3%) represented true failure following physician review. Conclusions Sole reliance on EHR data query to measure quality metrics may lead to significant errors in assessing provider performance. Institutions should be cognizant of these potential sources of error, provide support to medical providers, and form collaborative data management teams to promote and improve meaningful use of EHRs. We propose actionable steps to improve the accuracy of EHR data query that require hypothesis testing and prospective validation in future studies.
Using Two Intersubjective Perspectives in Combat Deployment: A Military Mental Health Professional’s Experience

The stress and demands of combat deployment create challenges for a military mental health provider (MMHP) to operate in a helper role in an environment adverse to the helping process. A case is presented featuring the experience of a MMHP while deployed to establish the existence of two types of intersubjective space in a combat environment. Modern attachment theory and interpersonal neurobiology are used as a theoretical framework, and concepts of emotional self-regulation, implicit communication, and attunement are applied to the case. The work of the MMHP is shown within and between the two types of intersubjective space and emphasize the seizing of unexpected clinical moments. The MMHP must remain emotionally regulated to participate in the implicit communicative process and rapidly form a therapeutic relationship. Creative and improvisational methods are demonstrated by the MMHP that challenge rigid adherence to clinical models. Applicability is significant to the specialty field of MMHP’s to improve deployment preparation, clinical skill development, and personal health management. Work with veterans can be enhanced by understanding deployment experiences and recognizing the importance of attunement by regulating affect for both the provider and client.
Theory and Design of Electron Blocking Layers for III-N-Based Laser Diodes by Numerical Simulation

Although both III-N laser diodes (LDs) and LEDs employ electron blocking layers (EBLs) to reduce electron leakage from the active region, LDs typically operate at far higher current densities than LEDs. Shortcomings of the common rectangular EBL are discussed. Two alternative EBL designs have been systematically studied using numerical simulation: the inverse-tapered EBL and the inverse-tapered step-graded EBL. It is shown that the efficacy of each of these EBL designs depends strongly on the operational current density, suggesting that the EBL design considerations for III-N LDs and LEDs are fundamentally different.
In Situ Imprinting of Topographic Landscapes at the Cell–Substrate Interface

In their native environments, adherent cells encounter dynamic topographical cues involved in promoting differentiation, orientation, and migration. Ideally, such processes would be amenable to study in cell culture using tools capable of imposing dynamic, arbitrary, and reversible topographic features without perturbing environmental conditions or causing chemical and/or structural disruptions to the substrate surface. To address this need, we report here development of an in vitro strategy for challenging cells with dynamic topographical experiences in which protein-based hydrogel substrate surfaces are modified in real time by positioning a pulsed, near-infrared laser focus within the hydrogel, promoting chemical cross-linking which results in local contraction of the protein matrix. Scanning the laser focus through arbitrary patterns directed by a dynamic reflective mask creates an internal contraction pattern that is projected onto the hydrogel surface as features such as rings, pegs, and grooves. By subjecting substrates to a sequence of scan patterns, we show that topographic features can be created, then eliminated or even reversed. Because laser-induced shrinkage can be confined to 3D voxels isolated from the cell-substrate interface, hydrogel modifications are made without damaging cells or disrupting the chemical or structural integrity of the surface.
Prevention of Osteoporosis and Fragility Fractures

A fracture represents a structural failure of the bone whereby the forces applied to the bone exceed its load-bearing capacity. Therefore, besides bone geometry, mass, density, microstructure, and material level properties, the direction and magnitude of the applied load also determine whether a bone will fracture. Almost all fractures, even those qualified as “low-trauma” fractures, occur as the result of some injury, for instance, a fall from standing height or bending forward to lift heavy objects for vertebral fracture. While available pharmacological intervention is primarily aimed at restoring bone strength (i.e., reducing bone fragility) by altering bone turnover and/or material level properties, a variety of preventive measures for osteoporotic fractures are capable of influencing both components of fracture risk: mechanical overload, for example, falls, and mechanical incompetence, such as osteoporosis.
Overcoming Alcohol Addiction in Patients with Alcohol-Related Liver Disease

This review provides a brief overview of key concepts in addiction medicine and provides tips and tricks as it pertains to treating patients with alcohol addiction in the setting of advanced alcohol-related liver disease (ALD). Understanding the brain disease model of addiction by both providers and patients is a vital springboard for establishing a therapeutic relationship. Despite a paucity of high-quality evidence, psychosocial treatments have withstood the test of time and still form the foundation of alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment in advanced ALD. Despite the inescapable link between AUD) and advanced ALD, there are no FDA-approved medications for use in this special population. In this urgent subgroup, only baclofen, used off-label, has been shown to be effective for AUD in randomized controlled trials. An integrated, multidisciplinary and longitudinal approach remains the best option for the management of AUD in advanced ALD.
Evaluation of the prognostic utility of the combination of platelet count with mean platelet volume as a prognostic indicator in head and neck cancer

The combination of platelet count to mean platelet volume (COP-MPV) has been recently reported as a prognostic indicator of oral cavity cancer and other cancer sites. The aim of the present study was to validate the utility of the COP-MPV as a prognostic indicator in all head and neck cancer (HNC) sites. The clinicopathological characteristics of the COP-MPV with HNC were also investigated. This is a retrospective cohort study that recruited consecutively treated patients at a tertiary level academic hospital. Clinicopathological characteristics were recorded, including the COP-MPV scores. Survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier analysis, as well as multivariate Cox Proportional Hazards regression. COP-MPV was not associated with the survival outcome in univariate or multivariate analysis. In the multivariate model, tumor differentiation, tumor stage, nodal stage, surgical margins and hemoglobin were revealed to be significantly associated with survival. The results demonstrated that the COP-MPV is not a suitable prognostic factor for HNC.
Abstract 2540: Identification of factors governing sensitivity of NSCLC cell lines to inhibition of Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase (PARP)

Recently, Poly (ADP Ribose) Polymerase-1 (PARP-1) has been shown to be an important target in subsets of breast and ovarian cancers. PARP inhibitors are emerging as important new anticancer agents, especially in cancers defective in homologous recombination (HR) repair, such as those lacking BRCA1 or BRCA2. To date, the potential role of PARP inhibition in NSCLC has not been extensively studied. BRCA1 or BRCA2 promoter hypermethylation and ATM mutation have been described in primary NSCLCs, alterations that may sensitize cells to PARP inhibition. We have examined a panel of 26 genotypically-defined NSCLC cell lines for sensitivity to the PARP-1 inhibitor AG014699 using colony formation assays. We have identified 5cell lines that are exquisitely sensitive (IC50 ≤ 50nM), 9 cell lines that are moderately sensitive (IC50 ≤ 60-500nM) and 12 cell lines that are resistant (IC50 > 5 µM). To determine whether sensitive cell lines have defective HR compared to resistant cell lines, we examined the formation of Rad51 foci following exposure to PARP inhibition, as well as to gamma-irradiation and cisplatin. Both sensitive and resistant cell lines demonstrated efficient formation of Rad51 foci as well as gamma-H2AX foci in response to DNA damaging treatments, suggesting correct initiation of HR. In resistant cell lines, the repair process following PARP inhibition is completed within 24 hours, with resolution of Rad51 and gamma H2AX foci. No alterations in cell cycle distribution were detected in these cell lines, suggesting that the efficiency of repair allows proliferation to continue largely unabated. However, in sensitive cell lines, these foci persist greater than 30 hours following DNA damaging treatments. These results suggest that although sensitive lines are able to initiate HR repair, they are unable to complete the process, so that Rad51 foci are not resolved. The persistence of DNA damage in these cell lines is confirmed by persistent gamma H2AX focus formation as well as S/G2 arrest, the latter representing intact checkpoint control. We are currently investigating whether PARP inhibitor-sensitive cell lines have a deficiency in one of the helicases or resolvases required for resolution of the complex Holliday junctions formed during HR repair. Our results may define a novel subset of NSCLCs with a late-step defect in HR that can be approached with PARP inhibition as a novel treatment strategy. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2540. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2540
Structure of Polydisperse fcc Nanocrystals: Implications for Crystal Fractionalization

Synthesis of nanocrystals yields polydisperse distributions, which not only implies a distribution of nanocrystal sizes but also of shapes. Noting that the synthesis products often reflect kinetic effects and may not reflect minimum energy states, we propose that the nanocrystals (of gold, silver, platinum, etc.) typically used in self-assembly and directed-assembly experiments consist predominantly of variations of single-crystal face-centered cubic truncated octahedra with closed shells of atoms. Between each consecutive pair of “magic number” (maximally symmetric) truncated octahedra, we identify 49 sizes with some degeneracy, for a total of 70 distinct closed-shell configurations. Energetic and geometric features of the nanocrystals for these special sizes are analyzed. Combining these results with previous theoretical models, we discuss the implications for crystal fractionalization, where polydisperse nanocrystals spontaneously phase-separate into single and multiple binary superlattices. We show th...
A photochemistry-based method for optimising greenhouse supplemental light intensity

Supplemental lighting in greenhouses can increase crop growth, improving rates of greenhouse production. The advent of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for photosynthetic lighting presents new opportunities for optimising greenhouse supplemental lighting control. Because LED light intensity can be controlled rapidly and precisely in real time, these lights can be controlled such that supplemental light is provided when it will be most efficiently used to drive photosynthesis. This approach to supplemental lighting control has the potential to reduce the electricity cost associated with greenhouse lighting while retaining the beneficial effects on crop growth, thereby decreasing the financial cost and improving the sustainability of greenhouse crop production. In this paper, an optimisation problem is formulated to minimise the total amount of electricity used by supplemental LED lights, subject to achieving a specified daily amount of photochemistry. An algorithm to solve the problem explicitly based on sufficient conditions for a global minimiser is developed. This method represents a computationally simple and broadly applicable means for minimising the amount of electricity required for supplemental lighting in greenhouses.
The Reaction Interface in Reduction

When an oxide such as cobalt ferrite is reacted with hydrogen, a porous metal scale will form topochemically from its surface. The pores in the metal scale permit the reducing gas to reach the reaction interface directly. At the pore bottoms the parent oxide is then destroyed by the reduction process, the oxygen is removed in the form of water vapor, and the cations that are produced at the pore bottoms are transported to the adjacent metal phase. The purpose of the present paper is to clarify the processes occurring at the metal/oxide reaction interface, and to determine which sub-processes are most important in determining the interface reaction rates.
Rare-earth atoms in solids for quantum photonics

Rare-earth atoms in solids are an attractive candidate system for quantum optics due to their long coherence times and solid-state nature. We study the impact of inhomogeneous broadening on coherent optical processes in such systems.
Factors that effect leaf regeneration efficiency in apple, and effect of antibiotics in morphogenesis

Several factors that affect the frequency of organogenesis in apple leaf explants were examined for the scion cultivars ‘Empire’, ‘Freedom’, ‘Golden Delicious’, ‘Liberty’, ‘McIntosh’, and ‘Mutsu’ and for the rootstocks Malling 7A and Malling 26. The main factors affecting morphogenesis were BA concentration, basal medium, leaf explant origin and maturity, explant orientation, and photosynthetic photon flux. Depending on the genotype, optimal regeneration was obtained using either 22.2 or 31.1 μM BA and the N6 basal medium, with the exception of ‘Golden Delicious’ which regenerated better on MS medium. After 6 weeks, the average number of shoots per segment varied from 5 to 16, and the percentage of regeneration between 70 and 100%, depending on the genotype tested and the maturity of the explant. Regeneration capacity increased dramatically from the tip towards the base of the leaf, and was higher from the middle to the proximal end.
The Prevention of Armed Conflicts as an Emerging Norm in International Conflict Management: The OSCE and the UN as Norm Leaders

This article explores the emergence of conflict prevention as an emerging norm in international conflict management. In particular, it examines the role of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the United Nations as primary actors in the construction and promotion of conflict prevention as an international norm. The article describes some of the major instruments that both organizations have already developed to implement the prevention of armed conflict on a more consistent rather than ad hoc basis. The article traces the emergent norm of conflict prevention through three stages—the awarenessraising and advocacy stage; the acceptance and institutionalization stage; and the internationalization stage. Although it is argued that conflict prevention as an emerging norm may eventually become firmly institutionalized and internationalized, at this point in time it remains for the most part in the advocacy stage. Regional organizations, such as the OSCE, have been more successful in moving conflict prevention toward acceptance and institutionalization, albeit on a regional level.
Operative management of urachal remnants: An NSQIP based study of postoperative complications

Abstract Purpose The identification of urachal remnants is occurring more in infancy. Despite evidence that nonoperative management is effective, operative management remains common and has a high complication rate. We sought to determine if the complication rate after urachal resection is associated with age. Methods Patients undergoing urachal remnant resection were identified from ACS NSQIP Pediatric from 2013 to 2017. Exclusion criteria included emergent operations, contaminated wounds, and any additional procedures. Patients were compared based on complication rates, need for reoperation or readmission, and length of stay. Results A complication occurred in 16 of 476 patients (3.3%), 6 (1.3%) had reoperation, and 11 (2.3%) were readmitted. The median age for patients requiring reoperation was lower (0.1 years) than those not (1.3 years; p = 0.004). The median age of those readmitted was lower (0.4 years) than those not (1.4 years, p = 0.03), and a weak trend of longer length of stay in younger patients was identified (ρ = − 0.16, p Conclusions Operative management of younger patients resulted in greater risk of reoperation, readmission, and longer length of stay. Given that nonoperative management is effective, it may be of benefit to delay resection of urachal remnants to after 1 year of age. Study type Treatment study. Level of evidence Level III.
Teaching of the Holocaust as Part of a Universityâ€™s Catholic Identity

This article sketches the development of the National Catholic Center for Holocaust Education, Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA. It does so with broad strokes, which paint a picture of the program of the Center within the context of ecclesial and papal activities and documents. The article describes how the Center entered into dialogue with the academic world of Holocaust studies (especially with the International School for Holocaust Studies, Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, Israel) and how it became engaged in an institute and in triennial conferences that prepare Catholic educators to teach the Holocaust by referencing Catholic documents on the Holocaust and on related topics such as antisemitism, 1 racism, genocide, human rights, and interreligious dialogue. The work of the Holocaust Center has contributed to strengthening Seton Hill University’s Catholic identity.
Multimodal MRI synthesis using unified generative adversarial networks

Purpose Complementary information obtained from multiple contrasts of tissue facilitates physicians assessing, diagnosing and planning treatment of a variety of diseases. However, acquiring multiple contrasts magnetic resonance images (MRI) for every patient using multiple pulse sequences is time-consuming and expensive, where, medical image synthesis has been demonstrated as an effective alternative. The purpose of this study is to develop a unified framework for multimodal MR image synthesis. Methods A unified generative adversarial network consisting of only a single generator and a single discriminator was developed to learn the mappings among images of four different modalities. The generator took an image and its modality label as inputs and learned to synthesize the image in the target modality, while the discriminator was trained to distinguish between real and synthesized images and classify them to their corresponding modalities. The network was trained and tested using multimodal brain MRI consisting of four different contrasts which are T1-weighted (T1), T1-weighted and contrast-enhanced (T1c), T2-weighted (T2), and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (Flair). Quantitative assessments of our proposed method were made through computing normalized mean absolute error (NMAE), peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity index measurement (SSIM), visual information fidelity (VIF), and naturalness image quality evaluator (NIQE). Results The proposed model was trained and tested on a cohort of 274 glioma patients with well-aligned multi-types of MRI scans. After the model was trained, tests were conducted by using each of T1, T1c, T2, Flair as a single input modality to generate its respective rest modalities. Our proposed method shows high accuracy and robustness for image synthesis with arbitrary MRI modality that is available in the database as input. For example, with T1 as input modality, the NMAEs for the generated T1c, T2, Flair respectively are 0.034 ± 0.005, 0.041 ± 0.006, and 0.041 ± 0.006, the PSNRs respectively are 32.353 ± 2.525 dB, 30.016 ± 2.577 dB, and 29.091 ± 2.795 dB, the SSIMs are 0.974 ± 0.059, 0.969 ± 0.059, and 0.959 ± 0.059, the VIF are 0.750 ± 0.087, 0.706 ± 0.097, and 0.654 ± 0.062, and NIQE are 1.396 ± 0.401, 1.511 ± 0.460, and 1.259 ± 0.358, respectively. Conclusions We proposed a novel multimodal MR image synthesis method based on a unified generative adversarial network. The network takes an image and its modality label as inputs and synthesizes multimodal images in a single forward pass. The results demonstrate that the proposed method is able to accurately synthesize multimodal MR images from a single MR image.
Safety and efficacy of paclitaxel drug-coated balloon treatment of femoropopliteal claudicants: Data and analytic methods matter.

Claudicants with femoropopliteal disease average 25% higher primary patency and reduced target lesion revascularization long term with crystalline paclitaxel eluting stent and balloon treatment compared to uncoated devices. In animal models, local and downstream tissues have detectable paclitaxel for greater than 180 days. Aggregate data meta-analyses of 28 randomized trials suggested 50-100% higher all-cause mortality with paclitaxel device treatment. In contrast, more complete ascertainment of follow-up and pooled individual patient data analyses do not find significantly increased mortality, a dose-mortality relationship, or an unexpected cause of death pattern with paclitaxel eluting device treatment in femoropopliteal claudicants.
Sclerosing Epithelioid Fibrosarcoma of the Kidney: First Reported Case in a Young Child:

Sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma (SEF) is a rare variant of fibrosarcoma primarily arising in the deep soft tissue of the extremities and trunk. Despite having the morphologic appearance of a low-grade sarcoma, it generally has an aggressive clinical course with frequent local recurrences and distant metastases. It typically occurs in middle aged adults and is characterized by immunoexpression of MUC4 and recurrent gene fusions, most commonly EWSR1-CREB3L1. We report a primary renal SEF in a 4-year-old male. To our knowledge, this is the youngest patient reported with SEF and the second case of SEF in a pre-adolescent child. It is the eleventh reported case of primary renal SEF in the literature. While SEF arising in visceral organs is rare, the kidney is the most common primary site of any visceral organ. This case demonstrates SEF can occur in pre-adolescents, is an important consideration when evaluating sarcomas in young children, and should be considered in the differential diagnosis for primary renal tumors.
Clinical Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Adults with a History of Childhood Maltreatment: a Scoping Review

Survivors of childhood maltreatment are at high risk for developing complex psychiatric disorders. Traditional treatments, including psychopharmacology, tend to be less efficacious for this population. This scoping review aimed to discuss existing empirical studies on the effects of mindfulness-based interventions for adult childhood trauma survivors, as well as the documented clinical challenges and adaptations for this population. We reviewed 17 research articles that measured the effects of mindfulness-based interventions for adults with childhood maltreatment histories. These studies showed that mindfulness-based interventions can be beneficial for childhood maltreatment survivors to alleviate psychological symptoms including stress, anxiety, recurrent depression, substance use, and post-traumatic stress. Studies had a wide range of methodological quality and reported a broad range of effect sizes. The wide variety of outcome measures and control conditions made it difficult to compare across studies. Mindfulness-based interventions can be beneficial for addressing psychopathology among adults with childhood maltreatment histories, although some adaptations can be necessary to address possible challenges this population are likely to encounter. More research is needed to specifically evaluate the clinical effects among childhood maltreatment survivors and to directly compare the effects among those with and without childhood maltreatment histories.
Weedy activism: women, plants, and the genetic pollution of urban Japan

Along the ports of Japan, civilians have made a peculiar discovery: in a country where genetically modified (GM) crop cultivation is prohibited, wild canola weeds flourishing in the cracks of sidewalks are exhibiting the GM trait of herbicide resistance to Monsanto's infamous glyphosate. Able to enter the archipelagic country via unregulated channels and to cross-pollinate with locally grown crops, the weeds threaten to make inroads into the food system in ways unbeknownst to human actors. Among the most vocal of groups responding to this urban ecological threat are Japanese women and mothers involved in consumer co-operative systems. This article documents the emergence of their activism to demonstrate how situated and transformative political action is key to the political ecological study of human-plant encounters. It does so by interrogating the notion of weedyactivism as a way to see plants not only as the object of political action, but also as a conceptual heuristic for understanding the kinds of political subjects that emerge in interaction with local environments.
Sex offender management policies and their unintended consequences: A national survey of the perceptions of professionals

SEX OFFENDER MANAGEMENT POLICIES AND THEIR UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF THE PERCEPTIONS OF PROFESSIONALS By Corey Patrick Call, Ph.D. A dissertations submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2015. Major Director: Jill A. Gordon, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Criminal Justice The mid-1990s brought sex offenders to the forefront of policy issues due to several highly publicized cases of abduction, sexual assault, and murder involving children. Following these cases, a number of sex offender management policies were passed to quell public concern over the safety of children due to sex offenders. Most notably, these new sex offender management policies mandated the creation of publicly available registries of sex offenders and enacted residence restrictions that forbid sex offenders from residing within certain distances from areas where children commonly congregate. Although current sex offender management policies have been revealed to be largely ineffective in reducing sex offender recidivism and also create a number of collateral consequences for the successful reintegration of sex offenders back into the community, the public has been found to be largely in support of these policies and believe in their effectiveness. The available literature examining the perceptions of professionals toward sex offender management policies, however, has shown mixed support depending upon the specific profession of the sample. Utilizing a sample (n=248) gathered from two professional organizations, this study aimed to explore and compare the perceptions of clinical specialists and non-clinical professionals in three areas: Support for current sex offender management policies, belief in collateral consequences that sex offenders may face due to these policies, and acceptability of collateral consequences as by-products of the current policies. Bivariate analyses revealed significant differences between the professionals groups in all three of the above areas. Given the significant bivariate findings, ordinary least squares regression was conducted to examine the consistency of profession as a significant predictor of the attitudes of the professionals while considering competing variables. Against a number of control variables, profession remained a significant predictor of support for sex offender management policies and belief in collateral consequences involving residence restrictions, however, profession was not a significant predictor of acceptability of collateral consequences. Several other factors, including punishment philosophy and belief in the cause of sex offending, emerged throughout the multivariate analyses as having a significant influence on the perceptions of the professionals.
Near Field Underwater Explosion Response of Polyurea Coated Composite Plates

An experimental study with corresponding numerical simulations has been conducted to evaluate the response of E-Glass / Epoxy composite plates, including polyurea coating effects, subjected to near field underwater explosion (UNDEX) loading. Experiments are performed in a water filled blast tank in which the including transient plate response during the UNDEX loading is measured utilizing high speed photography coupled with Digital Image Correlation. The experimental results show that the transient response of the plate is improved through the use of a thicker plate or through the application of a polyurea coating, although there is a weight penalty associated with the additional material which should be considered. Corresponding computational models of the experiments have been conducted with the commercial finite element code LS-Dyna. The simulations are shown to have a high level of correlation to the experimental data.
A Word on this Special Edition

Although the American Psychiatric Association (APA) ultimately decided not to include Hypersexual Disorder in the upcoming DSM-5, we chose to dedicate a special edition to this model because of the...
Uniqueness of each spontaneous transformant from a clone of BALB/c 3T3 cells.

Abstract Seeding 2 × 104 cells from a clone of BALB/c 3T3 cells in agar led to the formation of about 100 small colonies (approximate diameter, 0.2 mm) and two large colonies (1-mm diameter). Seven of the former and both of the latter were isolated, and the morphology and growth properties of their cells were observed in repeated weekly passages. The seven subclones derived from the smaller agar colonies spread out on the dish and multiplied more slowly than the parental clone on plastic, but six of them produced more colonies in agar than the parental clone. The two subclones derived from the larger agar colonies had a fully transformed morphology, multiplied much faster than the parental clone on plastic, and produced a high percentage of large colonies in agar. Each of the subclones could be distinguished morphologically from the others and from the parental clone, and most of them could be distinguished on the basis of their colony-forming efficiency in agar. Most of the secondary subclones derived from an early passage on plastic of one of the two large agar clones, died out on the second passage after their isolation. Second-ary subclones derived from the same subclone five weeks later had a wide range of fluctuating growth rates, but did not die out on passage. The two rapidly growing subclones derived from large agar colonies initiated fast-growing tumors in nude mice. None of the other subclones produced any visible growth in nude mice over a 3-month period. Large agar colonies of fast growing, morphologically transformed cells appeared once during further passage of the parental clone and two of the subclones. The results reveal a surprising degree of heritable diversity in morphology and growth characteristics of the progeny from a clonal line of nontransformed cells. They also indicate that, in this cell line, only those cells that have a high efficiency (> 20%) of large colony formation in agar have the capacity to form tumors in nude mice.
Mitochondrial DNA mutations in prostate cancer bone metastases

Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in men. Those with local or regional disease often have good long-term prognosis, but patients with metastatic disease face high morbidity and mortality. The vast majority of cases with distant spread have some degree of bony involvement. The reason for the disproportionately high percentage of metastasis to bone relative to other metastatic sites remains unclear. A growing body of evidence suggests mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is associated with prostate cancer, and the effects of mtDNA on tumor growth may be augmented by the bone microenvironment. Here, we review our latest study analyzing mtDNA mutations in 10 patients with advanced prostate cancer and both bone and soft tissue metastases. This cohort of patients had significantly increased somatic mtDNA mutations in bone metastasis compared to paired primary tumor and soft tissue metastasis. In addition, a recurrent mtDNA mutation at nucleotide position 10398, was exclusively found in bone metastasis in 7 of 10 patients with advanced prostate cancer, with no such mutations found in paired benign prostate, primary tumor, or soft tissue metastasis. We describe the results from this work and review the relevant literature on the role of mitochondrial DNA in prostate cancer bone metastases.
Distributed computing using autonomous objects

Autonomous objects is a new computing and coordination paradigm for distributed systems, based on the concept of intelligent messages that carry their own behavior and that propagate autonomously through the underlying computational network. We survey and classify several existing systems that fall into this general category of autonomous objects and present a unifying view of the paradigm by describing the principles of a high-level language and its interpreter, suitable to express the behaviors of complex autonomous objects, called Messengers. We discuss the capabilities and applications of this paradigm by presenting solutions to several distributed computing problems. This includes problems in network control and in dynamic composition of inherently open-ended applications, such as interactive simulations, where it is not possible to define and precompile the entire experiment prior to starting its execution.
Influence of FeEDDHA and soil temperature on the growth of two soybean varieties

A greenhouse study was conducted to compare the growth of Lee and Bragg soybeans (Glycine max L. Merr.) on a calcareous soil at different soil temperatures (16 and 24°C) and FeEDDHA-Fe levels (0 and 2 μg Fe/g soil). Both varieties developed leaf chlorosis without the added chelate but Lee plants were more chlorotic. In addition, trifoliate leaves of Bragg without added FeEDDHA had crinkled leaf surfaces which were curled at the distal ends. This leaf distortion was worst on older leaves, was more pronounced at the lower temperature, and was completely absent in Bragg treated with FeEDDHA. In Bragg, some leaf distortion and associated cellular changes observed with scanning and transmission electron microscopy were not the same as the typical Fe deficiency syndrome found in Lee; these differences are believed to result from Mn toxicity in Bragg. High levels of Mn, 337 and 261 μg Mn/g in Bragg and Lee tops, respectively, accumulated without added FeEDDHA at 16°C; the corresponding values in the presence of FeEDDHA were 21 and 18 μg Mn/g, respectively. The visual symptoms and the Mn plant data support the hypothesis that the leaf distortion observed in Bragg without added FeEDDHA was due to Mn toxicity. The FeEDDHA x soil temperature interaction for plant Mn concentration was highly significant and reflected the fact that the lower soil temperature caused a decrease in plant Mn concentration only when FeEDDHA was applied. Bragg accumulated more Fe than Lee, especially when FeEDDHA was present.
Necropsy Incidence of Tuberculosis in a Hospital for the Mentally Ill

SUMMARY 1)Active tuberculosis was found in a high percentage of mental and general hospital deaths in a series of 634 consecutive necropsies in a large city institution. Active tuberculosis was noted in 52 of 245 necropsies on mental patients and in 59 of 389 necropsies on general hospital patients. 2)The percentage of these patients with a clinical diagnosis of tuberculosis was not high. Among the mental group only 28 out of 52 were diagnosed before death and 11 of these 28 were diagnosed only within the month prior to death. 3)Statistics on the incidence of tuberculosis as the primary cause of death in these patients are presented. Tuberculosis was found to be the primary cause of death in 15.9 per cent of the mental patients and 10.5 per cent of the general hospital patients. These necropsy statistics substantiate current reports in the literature concerning the high death rate from tuberculosis in mental institutions. The study emphasizes the need for continued effort to attain proper diagnostic and preventive measures in such institutions.
Stress and adaptation patterns of older osteoporotic women.

This study explored the ways in which osteoporosis affected the lives of 115 community-dwelling older women. Stress and adjustment patterns were the main variables examined. The women perceived more stress in their lives since being diagnosed with osteoporosis than before the diagnosis. Pain, loss of roles, and other limitations laced on the women due to their condition contributed to their feerings of stress. Both short and long term coping strategies were developed by the women to help them adapt to their illness.
2 methylate or not 2 methylate: viral evasion of the type I interferon response.

Recent work highlights the requirement for 2′-O-methylation of capped mRNA to prevent recognition by the antiviral host response.
Some contributions of mothers' speech to their children's syntactic growth.

This study examined the relationship between mothers' speech and the rate of child syntax growth for 22 2½-year-old children whose speech was sampled at two-month intervals over a six-month period. The relations which appeared suggest that linguistic experience does contribute to syntax development, but that the relation between linguistic input and language growth is different for different domains of language and at different points in the course of development. The results further suggest that there are multiple bases to the benefit of input to language acquisition. One mechanism particularly suggested by the findings is that children analyse the distributional properties of the speech they hear and may induce linguistic structure from the relationship between the structural properties of adjacent utterances in discourse.
A carbon-13 NMR spectroscopic study of ferrocenylmethyl carbonium ions

Abstract The 13C NMR spectra of three ferrocenylmethyl carbonium ions and of the alcohols from which they were derived have been obtained. The chemical shifts and coupling constants of the carbonium ions are explicable in terms of a structure that has the positive charge extensively delocalized throughout the entire molecule, with a fulvenelike structure for the substituted cyclopentadienyl ring.