cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tremolite and Mesothelioma

BACKGROUND: Exposure to chrysotile dust has been associated with the development of mesothelioma and recent studies have implicated contaminating tremolite fibers as the likely etiological factor. Tremolite also contaminates talc, the most common non-asbestos mineral fiber in our control cases. METHODS: We examined 312 cases of mesothelioma for which fiber burden analyses of lung parenchyma had been performed by means of scanning electron microscopy to determine the content of tremolite, non-commercial amphiboles, talc and chrysotile. The vast majority of these patients were exposed to dust from products containing asbestos. RESULTS: Tremolite was identified in 166 of 312 cases (53%) and was increased above background levels in 81 cases (26%). Fibrous talc was identified in 193 cases (62%) and correlated strongly with the tremolite content (P < 0.0001). Chrysotile was identified in only 32 cases (10%), but still correlated strongly with the tremolite content (P < 0.0001). Talc levels explained less of the tremolite deviance for cases with an increased tremolite level than for cases with a normal range tremolite level (22 versus 42%). In 14 cases (4.5%) non-commercial amphibole fibers (tremolite, actinolite and/or anthophyllite) were the only fiber types found above background. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that tremolite in lung tissue samples from mesothelioma victims derives from both talc and chrysotile and that tremolite accounts for a considerable fraction of the excess fiber burden in end-users of asbestos products.
Efficient Simulation of the Heston Stochastic Volatility Model

Stochastic volatility models are increasingly important in practical derivatives pricing applications, yet relatively little work has been undertaken in the development of practical Monte Carlo simulation methods for this class of models. This paper considers several new algorithms for time-discretization and Monte Carlo simulation of Heston-type stochastic volatility models. The algorithms are based on a careful analysis of the properties of affine stochastic volatility diffusions, and are straightforward and quick to implement and execute. Tests on realistic model parameterizations reveal that the computational efficiency and robustness of the simulation schemes proposed in the paper compare very favorably to existing methods.
A comparison of two methods for estimating conifer live foliar moisture content

Foliar moisture content is an important factor regulating how wildland fires ignite in and spread through live fuels but moisture content determination methods are rarely standardised between studies. One such difference lies between the uses of rapid moisture analysers or drying ovens. Both of these methods are commonly used in live fuel research but they have never been systematically compared to ensure that they yield similar results. Here we compare the foliar moisture content of Pinus contorta (lodgepole pine) at multiple sites for an entire growing season determined using both oven-drying and rapid moisture analyser methods. We found that moisture contents derived from the rapid moisture analysers were nearly identical to oven-dried moisture contents (R2 = 0.99, n = 68) even though the rapid moisture analysers dried samples at 145°C v. oven-drying at 95°C. Mean absolute error between oven-drying and the rapid moisture analysers was low at 2.6% and bias was 0.62%. Mean absolute error was less than the within-sample variation of an individual moisture determination method and error was consistent across the range of moisture contents measured. These results suggest that live fuel moisture values derived from either of these two methods are interchangeable and it also suggests that drying temperatures used in live fuel moisture content determination may be less important than reported by other studies.
Optimizing Adaptive Modulation in Wireless Networks via Utility Maximization

We investigate adaptive modulation using the network utility maximization framework. We derive new crosslayer optimal power and rate adaptation policies for several practical modulation schemes. The behavior of these crosslayer policies is found to differ from policies based on physical-layer optimization only. The multiple flow single link case is analyzed and optimal power and rate policies found. The multiple interfering link case is investigated and a numerical method presented to find optimal policies for this case.
Ask Not What Textual Entailment Can Do for You...

We challenge the NLP community to participate in a large-scale, distributed effort to design and build resources for developing and evaluating solutions to new and existing NLP tasks in the context of Recognizing Textual Entailment. We argue that the single global label with which RTE examples are annotated is insufficient to effectively evaluate RTE system performance; to promote research on smaller, related NLP tasks, we believe more detailed annotation and evaluation are needed, and that this effort will benefit not just RTE researchers, but the NLP community as a whole. We use insights from successful RTE systems to propose a model for identifying and annotating textual inference phenomena in textual entailment examples, and we present the results of a pilot annotation study that show this model is feasible and the results immediately useful.
Oxidative stress studies of six TiO₂ and two CeO₂ nanomaterials: immuno-spin trapping results with DNA.

AbstractSix TiO2 and two CeO2 nanomaterials with dry sizes ranging from 6–410 nm were tested for their ability to cause DNA centered free radicals in vitro in the concentration range of 10–3,000 ug/ml. All eight of the nanomaterials significantly increased the adduction of the spin trap agent 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyroline N-oxide (DMPO) to DNA as measured by the experimental technique of immuno-spin trapping. The eight nanomaterials differed considerably in their potency, slope, and active concentration. The largest increase in DNA nitrone adducts was caused by a TiO2 nanomaterial (25 nm, anatase) from Alfa Aesar. Some nanomaterials that increased the amount of DNA nitrone adducts at the lowest exposure concentrations (100 ug/ml) were Degussa TiO2 (31 nm), Alfa Aesar TiO2 (25 nm, anatase) and Nanoamor CeO2 (8 nm, cerianite). At exposure concentrations of 10 or 30 ug/ml, no nanomaterials showed significant in vitro formation of DNA nitrone adducts.
A two-dimensional model at low-temperature for buried channel NMOS

A two-dimensional simulation program has been developed to model in detail the behavior of depletion-mode MOSFETs from liquid-nitrogen temperature (77 K) to room temperature (300 K). The differences between the low-temperature model and the room-temperature model in terms of numerical approaches are discussed. Simulation results in the linear region (VDS = 0.1 V) for applied gate voltages at subthreshold and above threshold are reported. These results are in reasonable agreement with experimental data available in the literature. Simulation results on the saturation region for a typical depletion-mode NMOS transistor are also presented. >
Molecular mobility of unfilled and carbon-black-filled isoprene rubber: proton NMR transverse relaxation and diffusion

Abstract In an effort to understand the effect of ultrasound on the devulcanization of gum and filled isoprene rubber vulcanizates, solid state NMR 1H transverse relaxation (T2) was employed to analyze rubber molecular mobility. The T2 relaxation decay of the unfilled and the black filled IR was successfully described by a two-component model. The short T2 component arose from the chemically crosslinked (gel) and physically entangled (heavy sol) network. The long T2 decay came from the unentangled sol and dangling network chain ends. Vulcanization decreased the molecular mobility; however, ultrasound devulcanization partially reversed this effect. Addition of processing oil in the filled IR significantly altered the dependence of T2 on the sol fraction. T2 and pulsed-gradient diffusion experiments were carried out on IR melt specimens after sonication with or without subsequent vulcanization. The lowered and broadened M-distribution produced results quantitatively related to earlier work in natural rubber.
Characterization of stationary preferences in a continuous time framework

Abstract We characterize preference relations on continuous time consumption paths which admit an exponential discounting representation. We provide two theorems as such, one in the cardinal framework and another in the ordinal framework. Our characterizations parallel the known characterizations in discrete time framework. In the cardinal framework, we adopt the axioms of Epstein (1983), which characterize a stationary preference relation in discrete time, and obtain the exponential discounting model as a special case of the discounting model proposed by Uzawa (1968). In the ordinal framework, we adopt the axioms of Bleichrodt et al. (2008) which were proposed to generalize Koopmans’ classical characterization of stationary preferences.
The Influence of Demographic Factors on the Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review and Call for Research

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses are made based on a pattern of behavioral symptoms, yet a growing body of research indicates that when, and indeed whether, an individual receives a diagnosis of ASD is influenced by myriad demographic factors including race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), and parental education level. The current manuscript provides a focused review of a subset of existing literature chosen to demonstrate how demographic factors may be related to the identification of individuals with ASD within the United States. Several possible explanations for existing disparities are discussed, along with clinical implications for professionals working with children from diverse backgrounds who are suspected of having ASD. Additional research in this area is needed to facilitate development of effective means to eliminate the diagnostic disparities.
Evaluation of rare earth intensifying screens in cephalometric radiography.

Abstract Accuracy of cephalometric landmark location was determined in 20 pairs of headfilms, measuring differences in 18 points in two planes of each, using five independent observers. Each pair had one film taken with a conventional (calcium tungstate) intensifying screen system and one taken with a rare earth system. Statistically significant differences in accuracy were found in only six of the 36 measurements. Three of the differences favored the accuracy of the rare earth system (Pogonion Y, S Pogonion X and Y), while the other three favored the conventional system (ANS-X, Nasion-Y, Pt. A-Y). The least reproducible point in both systems in the horizontal axis was condylion. Since these findings showed no landmark accuracy preference of one screen system over the other, the 96 percent reduction in patient radiation with the rare earth system would mandate this be used in cephalometric radiography.
Effects of Training and Coaching with Performance Feedback on Teachers' Use of "Pyramid Model" Practices.

Training and coaching with performance feedback has been effective for supporting teachers to use evidence-based instructional practices. However, coaching with performance feedback has primarily b...
Is Your Strategy Evaluation Biased? The Balanced Scorecard May Be the Cause — And the Cure

Managing organizations means managing people, and people have powerful motivations that shape their beliefs and judgments. These motivations can lead to disastrous business outcomes when they bias crucial decisions, such as selecting and evaluating strategy.
Ca2+ Effects on ATP Production and Consumption Have Regulatory Roles on Oscillatory Islet Activity

Pancreatic islets respond to elevated blood glucose by secreting pulses of insulin that parallel oscillations in β-cell metabolism, intracellular Ca(2+) concentration, and bursting electrical activity. The mechanisms that maintain an oscillatory response are not fully understood, yet several models have been proposed. Only some can account for experiments supporting that metabolism is intrinsically oscillatory in β-cells. The dual oscillator model (DOM) implicates glycolysis as the source of oscillatory metabolism. In the companion article, we use recently developed biosensors to confirm that glycolysis is oscillatory and further elucidate the coordination of metabolic and electrical signals in the insulin secretory pathway. In this report, we modify the DOM by incorporating an established link between metabolism and intracellular Ca(2+) to reconcile model predictions with experimental observations from the companion article. With modification, we maintain the distinguishing feature of the DOM, oscillatory glycolysis, but introduce the ability of Ca(2+) influx to reshape glycolytic oscillations by promoting glycolytic efflux. We use the modified model to explain measurements from the companion article and from previously published experiments with islets.
The Iron Project:. Radiative Atomic Processes in Astrophysics

Astronomical objects, such as, stars, galaxies, blackhole environments, etc are studied through their spectra produced by various atomic processes in their plasmas. The positions, shifts, and strengths of the spectral lines provide information on physical processes with elements in all ionization states, and various diagnostics for temperature, density, distance, etc of these objects. With presence of a radiative source, such as a star, the astrophysical plasma is dominated by radiative atomic processes such as photoionization, electron-ion recombination, bound-bound transitions or photo-excitations and de-excitations. The relevant atomic parameters, such as photoionization cross sections, electron-ion recombination rate coefficients, oscillator strengths, radiative transition rates, rates for dielectronic satellite lines etc are needed to be highly accurate for precise diagnostics of physical conditions as well as accurate modeling, such as, for opacities of astrophysical plasmas. for opacities of astrophysical plasmas. This report illustrates detailed features of radiative atomic processes obtained from accurate ab initio methods of the latest developments in theoretical quantum mechanical calculations, especially under the international collaborations known as the Iron Project (IP) and the Opacity Project (OP). These projects aim in accurate study of radiative and collsional atomic processes of all astrophysically abundant atoms and ions, from hydrogen to nickel, and calculate stellar opacities and have resulted in a large number of atomic parameters for photoionization and radiative transition probabilities. The unified method, which is an extension of the OP and the IP, is a self-consistent treatment for the total electron-ion recombination and photoionization. It incorporates both the radiative and the dielectronic recombination processes and provides total recombination rates and level-specific recombination rates for hundreds of levels for a wide range of temperature of an ion. The recombination features are demonstrated. Calculations are carried out using the accurate and powerful R-matrix method in the close-coupling approximation. The relativistic fine structure effects are included in the Breit-Pauli approximation. The atomic data and opacities are available on-line from databases at CDS in France and at the Ohio Supercomputer Center in the USA. Some astrophysical applications of the results of the OP and IP from the Ohio State atomic-astrophysics group are also presented. These same studies, however with different elements, can be extended for bio-medical applications for treatments. This will also be explained with some preliminary findings.
Information systems and multimedia as educational tools.

Electronic publication uses video, sounds, and pictures to present some ideas (e.g. characteristics of a heart murmur) that may be difficult to convey with printed text, and is changing the way in which physicians communicate.
Comprehensive evaluation of fatty acids in foods. VIII. Finfish

Fish flesh is generally considered to be a good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Here is a compilation of the results of the most recent analyses reported in the literature.
Renal Pseudotumor on Urography Secondary to Gallbladder Empyema

Abstract A case of gallbladder empyema is presented, which opacified initially on excretory urography and then on nephrotomography, mimicking a renal mass. Correct diagnosis was accomplished by angiography and ultrasound examination. With normal renal function gallbladder visualization on urography is indicative of a gallbladder abnormality.
Text Messaging as a Tool to Increase Physical Activity in College Students.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of text messaging with pedometer intervention for increasing physical activity of college students. Using a two-group prospective randomized intervention-based design, the researchers gave 201 college students pedometers and divided them into intervention and control groups. The intervention group received motivational text messages for 10 weeks; the control group received none. Pre- and post-measures included height, weight, and waist circumference. Daily step counts were collected at three intervals. Total standardized steps were not significantly different between groups. Steps for resident students were higher than for commuter students, suggesting that residents had higher levels of physical activity (p = .003). Text messaging was not effective in increasing physical activity when used with pedometers.
Wilfrid Sellars on the Nature of Thought

Wilfrid Seilars is, I believe, exceptional among contemporary philosophers for the seriousness of his concern to recognize both the power of the scientific enterprise and the centrality of our ordinary understanding of ourselves as persons. Sellars holds both that “science is the measure of what is and what is not” and that “if man had a radically different conception of himself he would be a radically different kind of man,” for “man is what he is because he thinks of himself in terms of this image [the manifest image, our ordinary way of understanding ourselves]” (Sellars, 1963a, pp. 6 and 15). Sellars’ goal is the formulation of a synoptic vision of human beings in the world, a scientific vision that does justice to our ordinary view of ourselves as sensory, conceptual and intentional agents.
Pairing Animal Cartoon Characters With Produce Stimulates Selection Among Child Zoo Visitors

In order to address the pervasive trend of underconsumption of fruits and vegetables among children, we examined the hypothesis that children would be more likely to select fruits (apple slices, bananas, and oranges) and vegetables (baby carrots) when paired with animal cartoon image than when available without the character image. Tested in a randomized experiment using counterbalancing, products were arranged on two tables at two separate family fun nights held at a local zoo. Animal character produce parings were manipulated by placing one of two animals (tamarin or iguana) next to two of the four fruit or vegetable selections at each table, and by changing when available without the image. In total, 755 produce selections were made. Significantly more products paired with a character were selected (62.38%) than the same products, not paired (37.62%), χ2 = 46.32, df = 1, p < .001. The odds ratio of the treatment versus control was 1.66 (i.e., 471/284), indicating that children were 66% more likely to select a snack when paired with an animal cartoon. Study findings highlight the positive impact of animal cartoons on children's fruit and vegetable snack selections, and results suggest the potential for using animal cartoons to encourage fruit and vegetable selection for children.
Quick Eviction of Virtual Machines through Proactive Snapshots

Live migration of Virtual Machines (VMs) is a key technique to quickly migrate workloads in response to events such as impending failure or load changes. Despite extensive research, state-of-the-art live migration approaches take a long time to migrate a VM, which in turn negatively impacts the application performance during migration. We present, Quick Eviction, a new approach to significantly speed up the eviction of a VM from the source host with low impact on VM's performance during migration. Before migration, Quick Eviction regularly snapshots the VM's memory to a destination or a failover node. During the actual migration, Quick Eviction has to transfer only a small amount of dirtied memory resulting in a very short time to completely evict the VM out of the source. Our experimental results show that Quick Eviction in the KVM/QEMU platform significantly reduces the eviction time.
Genetic Engineering of Disease Resistance in Apple Fruit Cultivars and Rootstocks

Apple fruit cultivars and rootstocks are propagated vegetatively, and are characterized by extreme genotype preference by nurseries, growers, and consumers. Furthermore, apple is generally heterozygous, shows severe inbreeding depression, and has an excessive generation time. Thus genetic engineering, a priori, is preferred to sexual breeding for improving established fruit cultivars and rootstocks. Efficient Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation using binary vectors and kanamycin resistance selection has now been well established. Prime targets for genetic engineering are disease and insect resistance, which would address the perceived environmental and public health concerns of substantial use of chemical pesticides in apple production. Promising results have been obtained in terms of increasing the resistance to the most important fungal (apple scab) and bacterial (fire blight) diseases of apple worldwide, using transgenes for chitinolytic enzymes and for lytic proteins, respectively. Thus far, positive results have been obtained with single transgenes. Based on in vitro synergism against the pathogens, it is likely that plants containing two chitinolytic or lytic protein transgenes will have greatly enhanced resistance to fungi and bacteria, respectively. Such transgenic plants have now been obtained and are being evaluated for disease resistance.
Tools and Infrastructure for Supporting Enterprise Knowledge Graphs

We demonstrate EKG, a collection of tools and back-end infrastructure for creating custom, domain specific knowledge graphs. The toolkit is geared toward enterprises and government organizations where domain specific knowledge graphs are often not available. During the demo, audience members will be able to ingest their own documents and instantiate their own knowledge graphs and update them in real time. We will also present a demo app built using the toolkit consisting of more than 30 million entities and 192 million edges in order to demonstrate the kind of applications that could be built using the proposed toolkit. The app can be used to answer questions like who are the relevant persons named Steve in context of apple computers?, or who are the most important persons related to Barack Obama in context of healthcare reforms act? The functionalities of the toolkit are also exposed through REST APIs making it easier for developers to use the capabilities in their own applications.
Dissection-enabled scaffold-assisted resection (DeSCAR): a novel technique for resection of residual or non-lifting GI neoplasia of the colon (with video)

Background and Aims As a result of previous manipulation or submucosal invasion, GI lesions referred for EMR frequently have flat areas of visible tissue that cannot be snared. Current methods for treating residual tissue may lead to incomplete eradication or not allow complete tissue sampling for histologic evaluation. Our aim is to describe dissection-enabled scaffold-assisted resection (DeSCAR), a new technique combining circumferential ESD with EMR for removal of superficial non-lifting or residual "islands" with suspected submucosal involvement/fibrosis. Methods From 2015 to 2017, lesions referred for EMR were retrospectively reviewed. Cases were identified where lifting and/or snaring of the lesion was incomplete and the DeSCAR technique was undertaken. Cases were reviewed for location, previous manipulation, rates of successful hybrid resection, and adverse events. Results Twenty-nine lesions underwent DeSCAR because of non-lifting or residual "islands" of tissue. Fifty-two percent of the patients were male and 48% were female; average age was 66 years (standard deviation ±9.9 years). Lesions were located in the cecum (n = 10), right side of the colon (n = 12), left side of the colon (n = 4), and rectum (n = 3). Average size was 31 mm (standard deviation ±20.6 mm). Previous manipulation had occurred in 28 of 29 cases (83% biopsy, 34% resection attempt, 52% tattoo). The technical success rate for resection of non-lifting lesions was 100%. There was one episode of delayed bleeding but no other adverse events. Conclusions DeSCAR is a feasible and safe alternative to argon plasma coagulation and avulsion for the endoscopic management of non-lifting or residual GI lesions, providing en bloc resection of tissue for histologic review. Further studies are needed to demonstrate long-term eradication and for comparison with other methods.
Prevalence, healthcare resource utilization and overall burden of fungal meningitis in the United States.

Purpose. Previous epidemiological and cost studies of fungal meningitis have largely focused on single pathogens, leading to a poor understanding of the disease in general. We studied the largest and most diverse group of fungal meningitis patients to date, over the longest follow-up period, to examine the broad impact on resource utilization within the United States. Methodology. The Truven Health Analytics MarketScan database was used to identify patients with a fungal meningitis diagnosis in the United States between 2000 and 2012. Patients with a primary diagnosis of cryptococcal, Coccidioides, Histoplasma, or Candida meningitis were included in the analysis. Data concerning healthcare resource utilization, prevalence and length of stay were collected for up to 5 years following the original diagnosis. Results. Cryptococcal meningitis was the most prevalent type of fungal meningitis (70.1 % of cases over the duration of the study), followed by coccidioidomycosis (16.4 %), histoplasmosis (6.0 %) and candidiasis (7.6 %). Cryptococcal meningitis and candidiasis patients accrued the largest average charges ($103 236 and $103 803, respectively) and spent the most time in the hospital on average (70.6 and 79 days). Coccidioidomycosis and histoplasmosis patients also accrued substantial charges and time in the hospital ($82 439, 48.1 days; $78 609, 49.8 days, respectively). Conclusion. Our study characterizes the largest longitudinal cohort of fungal meningitis in the United States. Importantly, the health economic impact and long-term morbidity from these infections are quantified and reviewed. The healthcare resource utilization of fungal meningitis patients in the United States is substantial.
The landcape architecture of Hal Moggridge

The landscape work of Hal Moggridge in the UK is, at once, extremely local and internationally important, despite the fact that his own account of his important career does not indicate any work ou...
What Do Clients Want? A Client's Theory of Professionalism

In this article, which was part of a symposium on professionalism, I identify some elements of a clients' theory of professionalism. My starting point is the most common complaint of clients about lawyers: they neglect the matters entrusted to them. I first identify the standard, lawyers' account of professionalism, with its two principles of partisanship and nonaccountability. I then identify the two principles that many clients would prefer, namely competence and diligence. Lawyers have made at least three attempts to codify these clients' principles, in the Model Code of Professional Responsibility, the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, and a distinctive Texas Rule of Professional Conduct that combines competence and diligence into one standard. Because the Texas disciplinary rule adopts a standard that is more than negligent but less than intentional conduct, I analyze the difference between negligence and neglect. I conclude that clients would prefer a disciplinary system based on strict liability for neglect.
MONOCLINIC TO TETRAGONAL CONVERSION OF ZIRCONIA UNDER SHOCK COMPRESSION

Zirconia powder samples have been cold pressed into compacts of about 60% crystal density, subjected to controlled shock loading with peak pressures in the powders between 4 and 31 GPa, and preserved for post shock study. X-ray diffraction measurements of the powders subjected to the highest pressures show the presence of large residual strain, reduction of crystallite size, and retention of tetragonal zirconia. At 12 GPa and below the shock-induced residual strain is significant but no evidence is found for tetragonal material. Between 17 and 22 GPa the tetragonal retention increases roughly monotonically from 5 to 20% and above that pressure it is unchanged. Based on prior static high pressure experiments, our loading above about 10 GPa are thought to cause full conversion to tetragonal zirconia under pressure.
Increased Larval Growth and Preference for Virus-Infected Leaves by the Mexican Bean Beetle, Epilachna varivestis Mulsant, a Plant Virus Vector

Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. 'Black Valentine' is a systemic host for the plant viruses Southern bean mosaic virus (SBMV) and bean pod mottle virus (BPMV). The Mexican bean beetle, Epilachna varivestis Mulsant, is a vector of SBMV and BPMV. Our objective was to determine if the interaction of SBMV and BPMV with 'Black Valentine' bean plants would affect beetle behavior and growth. In adult feeding preference test assays, beetles preferred and ingested more of the virus-infected bean leaf tissue than the noninfected leaf tissue. Beetle larvae that fed on SBMV- or BPMV-infected plants weighed more than those that fed on healthy plants. Our experiments suggest that there might be a mutually beneficial relationship between the beetle and the viruses that it vectors. The virus benefits from being transmitted and the beetle benefits from better larval growth when feeding on virus-infected leaf tissue. This study further demonstrates the complexity of relationships between multiple organisms.
The Kerner Commission Report Fifty Years Later: Revisiting the American Dream

The 1968 account of the 1967 race riots, authored by the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (the Kerner Commission, thus the Kerner report), directly called into question the fundamental premise of the American Dream. “The idea of the American dream has been attached to everything
Impacts of biodegradable plastic mulches on soil health

Abstract Plastic pollution in agricultural soils, caused by the incomplete removal of polyethylene mulch after usage, is a growing environmental concern. There has therefore been increased interest in biodegradable plastic mulches as alternative to polyethylene mulch; however, little is known about their impact on soil health. We evaluated the effects of four biodegradable plastic mulches on soil health at two sites (Knoxville, TN and Mount Vernon, WA) under pie pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) production. Cellulosic paper, polyethylene, and no-mulch served as controls. Soil health was first assessed in May 2015, and then every six months until May 2017, by measuring 19 soil properties (physical, chemical, and biological). Soil properties were converted to index scores and aggregated into six soil health indicators and five soil functions. The results showed poor correlations and high spatial variations for most of the soil properties. We performed repeated measure analyses using raw values and change scores to account for the initial variations. The soil properties, soil health indicators, and soil functions were affected more by site and time than by the mulch treatments. Nonetheless, we did observe significant effects of some of the mulch treatments on six soil properties (aggregate stability, infiltration, soil pH, electrical conductivity, nitrate-N, and exchangeable potassium), four soil health indicators (hydraulic, biological, fertility, and salinity & sodicity), and one soil function (nutrient cycling). However, these effects were not consistent among all the biodegradable plastic mulches, across the two sites, and the sampling times. Overall, biodegradable plastic mulches may be a viable alternative to polyethylene. However, evaluation under long-term studies is needed to better establish their effects on soil health.
THU0537 ANGIOMATOID FIBROUS HISTIOCYTOMA MIMICKING SYSTEMIC JIA VIA MUTATION-DRIVEN IL-6 PRODUCTION

Background Angiomatoid Fibrous Histiocytoma mimicking Systemic JIA via mutation-driven IL-6 production: Angiomatoid Fibrous Histiocytoma (AFH) is a rare tumour associated with mutation-driven production of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) which causes a systemic inflammatory picture similar to Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (sJIA). Objectives A previously well 6-year old girl was referred with 6 weeks of abdominal pain, nausea, weight loss, night sweats, & lethargy. Examination was unremarkable apart from a 2cm lump in the right popliteal fossa. This had been reported on USS 2 months earlier, at an external hospital, to be a Sebaceous cyst. There was no rash, organomegaly, lymphadenopathy, or synovitis. She had persistent recurrent fevers of >39C, but not in the classical quotidian pattern of sJIA. Methods Bloods showed persistent Hb 600, ESR >100, & CRP >200. Autoantibody & full infection screens were negative. Urine HMMA:creatinine ratio was minimally raised at 7.2 (normal 1.8 - 5) Faecal calprotectin, upper & lower GI endoscopy were normal. Bone-Marrow Aspiration was reported as being highly reactive but with no malignancy seen. Whole-body STIR MRI was reported as normal, but repeat localised USS &MRI of the knee showed a 27x18x21mm well circumscribed, mixed cystic/solid lesion with marked vascularity. The lesion was then biopsied, and subsequently excised Plasma IL-6 levels were significantly elevated at 46.7pg/ml (normal range: 0-2), but normalised after excision. TNF and IL1b levels were normal Results Initial biopsy and FISH analysis confirmed the diagnosis of AFH with an abnormal EWSR1 signal pattern and classical EWSR1-CREB1 fusion. She went on to have a full excision, and staging investigations were negative. AFH is rare ( In >90% of cases AFH is associated with a characteristic translocation: t(2:22) (q33:q12). This forms the fusion gene EWSR1-CREB1 which in turn leads to continuous activation of CREB1. The promoter region of IL-6 has a CREB1 binding site thus causing IL-6 over-production and leading to the paraneoplastic syndrome. Conclusion Paraneoplastic immune dysregulation is a rare, but important cause of symptoms often otherwise associated with rheumatic diseases. Careful physical examination, and liaison with oncology teams, is needed, particularly before treatment with steroids or IL-6 inhibitors such as Tocilizumab are considered Disclosure of Interests: Mark Friswell: None declared, Stephen Owens Consultant for: paid a consultancy fee by Chimerix to act as an advisor on a study of adenovirus in transplant patients, Gail Halliday: None declared
Effects of Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass on Osteoclast Activity and Bone Density in Morbidly Obese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is a well-established treatment for morbid obesity and type 2 diabetes. The effects of RYGB on bone metabolism and bone health are largely unknown. Determine the changes in osteoclast function and bone density 1 year after RYGB as compared with a control group undergoing a diabetes support and education program (DSE). A prospective cohort study with patients matched for weight and age assigned to RYGB or DSE. Large academic institution. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and morbid obesity (body mass index greater than 35 kg/m2). Subjects either received laparoscopic RYBG or DSE, which consisted of nutritional, exercise, and dietary counseling performed by a certified diabetic educator and a nutritionist three times over a year. Osteoclast activity, bone mineral density. One year after, intervention subjects undergoing RYGB have a 280% increase in osteoclast activity as compared with a 7.6% increase in the DSE control group (P < 0.001). Furthermore, there was a statistically significant increase in sclerostin levels in subjects undergoing RYGB compared with an increase in the control group. The total bone mineral density was statistically unchanged within 1 year of intervention in both groups. A statistically significant decrease in bone mineral density in the left ribs (decrease of 6.8%, P < 0.05) and lumbar spine (decrease of 4.0%, P < 0.05) was seen 1 year after RYGB. There is a significant increase in osteoclast activity observed 1 year after RYGB; the long-term clinical implications of this increased bone metabolism are unknown.
Plasmonic Nanomolecules: Electrochemical Resolution of 22 Electronic States in Au329(SR)84

Gold nanomolecules are atomically precise gold thiolate nanoparticles. They show size-dependent optical and electrochemical properties due to the quantization effects. The optical properties are we...
A comparative analysis of transportation-based accessibility to mental health services

Abstract The demand for mental health services has been growing stronger over the last couple of decades. This indicates the need to study and assess the access to these mental health services especially with a focus on the vulnerable populations having the greatest need. As such, this paper presents a Geographical Information Systems (GIS)-based analysis in order to study and evaluate the accessibility of mental health facilities using the information on the spatial distributions of population and facilities, and regional traffic characteristics. For this purpose, different age group segments are utilized including the total population as well as those aged between 18 and 21, 22 and 49, 50 and 64, and those aged over 65 and 85. Focusing on the State of Florida, spatially detailed accessibility metrics are calculated with regard to healthcare facilities using travel times between population block groups and these critical mental health facilities. These estimates are used to calculate the weighted county accessibility scores for each county. Findings clearly delineate those counties that lack access to mental facilities, especially those in Northwest Florida, a demographically diverse and substantially rural region. This type of analysis can help planners and policy makers develop better strategies in order to provide adequate mental health care options needed in targeted locations.
Topological nonmagnetic impurity states in topological Kondo insulators

We examine the presence of nonmagnetic impurities in a hybridization gap model of a Kondo insulator which has band inversion. The model has been used to predict that ${\mathrm{SmB}}_{6}$ is a topological insulator. We show that there are two types of nonmagnetic impurity states in a Kondo insulator. The type of states can be categorized as deep impurity states, similar to the impurity states in an ordinary metal, and impurity states which have energies within the hybridization gap. Unlike the deep impurity states which only form if the impurity potential exceeds a critical value of the order of the conduction bandwidth, the in-gap impurity states form for exceptionally small values of the impurity potential comparable to the hybridization gap. This result may explain why Kondo insulators are found to be exceptionally sensitive to impurities. We show that these in-gap states are caused by band inversion and have properties similar to those expected for impurities in a topological insulator.
Suicidality and social problem-solving skills among individuals with first-episode psychosis participating in Coordinated Specialty Care.

AIM Although suicidal ideation may decrease over the course of participation in specialized clinical programmes for first-episode psychosis (FEP), it is unclear whether such improvements exceed those that occur during treatment as usual. Clarifying the mechanisms underlying reductions in suicidal ideation and behaviour among individuals with first-episode psychosis may highlight important strategies through which specialized clinical programmes can increase the potency of their services to reduce suicidality among this high-risk population. Thus, the goal of this study is to evaluate the longitudinal relationships between suicidality and social problem-solving skills among individuals with FEP participating in Coordinated Specialty Care. METHODS Within-subject mediational and moderational models were applied to explore the interrelationships and longitudinal course of suicidality, social problem-solving and duration of untreated psychosis (DUP). RESULTS Over the first 6 months of care, individuals with FEP experienced improvements in social problem-solving skills that were found to mediate concurrent reductions in suicidality. Although longitudinal changes in social problem-solving skills were moderated by DUP, these results should be interpreted cautiously as they may stem in part from a relatively limited number of participants with longer durations of illness. CONCLUSIONS Improvements in social problem-solving skills during participation in CSC may facilitate reductions in suicidality. Treatments targeting suicidality among individuals with FEP may thus benefit from working to enhance social problem-solving skills among these individuals. Further research is needed to clarify if and how DUP may influence the magnitude of change in social problem-solving skills during participation in CSC.
Comparison of 1 vs 2 Brain Death Examinations on Time to Death Pronouncement and Organ Donation: A 12-Year Single Center Experience.

OBJECTIVE To fill the evidence gap on the value of a single brain death (SBD) or dual brain death (DBD) examination by providing data on irreversibility of brain function, organ donation consent, and transplantation. METHODS Twelve-year tertiary hospital and organ procurement organization data on brain death (BD) were combined and outcomes, including consent rate for organ donation and organs recovered and transplanted after SBD and DBD, were compared after multiple adjustments for covariates. RESULTS A total of 266 patients were declared BD, 122 after SBD and 144 after DBD. Time from event to BD declaration was longer by an average of 20.9 hours after DBD (p = 0.003). Seventy-five (73%) families of patients with SBD and 86 (72%) with DBD consented for organ donation (p = 0.79). The number of BD examinations was not a predictor for consent. No patient regained brain function during the periods following BD. Patients with SBD were more likely to have at least 1 lung transplanted (p = 0.031). The number of organs transplanted was associated with the number of examinations (β coefficient [95% confidence interval] -0.5 [-0.97 to -0.02]; p = 0.044), along with age (for 5-year increase, -0.36 [-0.43 to -0.29]; p < 0.001) and PaO2 level (for 10 mm Hg increase, 0.026 [0.008-0.044]; p = 0.005) and decreased as the elapsed time to BD declaration increased (p = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS A single neurologic examination to determine BD is sufficient in patients with nonanoxic catastrophic brain injuries. A second examination is without additional yield in this group and its delay reduces the number of organs transplanted.
Succinate dehydrogenase deficiency.

Abstract Background.—Partial succinate dehydrogenase deficiency (15% to 50% of normal reference enzyme activity) in skeletal muscle causes mitochondrial myopathy with various symptoms, for example, brain involvement, cardiomyopathy, and/or exercise intolerance. The deficiency may be isolated or may coexist with other respiratory-chain enzyme defects. The histopathologic assessment of succinate dehydrogenase activity in muscle biopsies of patients with suspected mitochondrial myopathies has focused on the finding of increased staining, usually in ragged-red fibers, rather than on reduced staining. Objectives.—To determine the prevalence of muscle succinate dehydrogenase deficiency among patients with respiratory-chain defects and to determine whether the reduced activity is present histochemically and is comparable to the quantitative reduction found in muscle homogenates. Patients and Methods.—One hundred eight muscle biopsies were evaluated from patients with suspected mitochondrial myopathies by qualita...
Deterministic and Statistical Characterization of Porous Media and Computational Methods of Analysis

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses on the structure of porous media, and on the actual solution of the equations referring to particular flow problems. The detailed knowledge of the structure of a porous medium gives a means to predict the hysteresis in capillary pressure, along with the flow properties, such as the permeability. The theory of the configuration of the pore channels in a porous medium is based on the idea of constructing theoretical models. There are basically two different classes of such models that can be envisaged: deterministic models and probabilistic models. The deterministic models are based upon the solution of the basic differential flow equations for viscous fluids—namely, the Navier- Stokes equations—for configurations of channels. As the Navier-Stokes equations are difficult to solve, the channels (representing the boundary condition) must be chosen of a relatively simple form so the solution can be affected. Two approaches have been tried: to take some sort of a bundle of capillaries and study the flow through each of them, or to regard the fluid as a bulk mass in which obstacles (representing the solid part of the porous medium) are put.
Torture and Public Health

Historically, the practice of torture focused on the dyad of the torturer and his or her victim in the quest to obtain information. In the past few decades it has become clear that the impact of torture is far beyond the individual and includes society as a whole. The practice of torture is an attempt to instill fear in the community, not merely to oppress a single individual, and as such, the public health impact of torture is far reaching. In response to increasing recognition of torture as a public health problem, a field of research is evolving which seeks how best to help survivors. International law has also provided mechanisms to hold perpetrators accountable. However, the ultimate human rights and public health goal is to prevent torture from occurring at all.
Terrorism: a critical introduction, by Richard Jackson, Lee Jarvis, Jeroen Gunning and Marie Breen Smyth

Reviewed by Laura Sjoberg, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA © 2011, Laura Sjoberg The very same day that I received Terrorism: A Critical Introduction in the mail to review, I was walkin...
Community Informatics Studio: A Model of Information Scholarship in Action

This poster describes an educational research project we call “Community Informatics Studio,” which uses studio-based learning (SBL) to support enculturation into the field of community informatics. The SBL approach is rooted in the apprenticeship model of learning in which students study with master designers or artists to learn their craft and is closely related to John Dewey's inquiry-based learning. The poster reports on research from our Community Informatics Studio course, which uses experiential learning as a model of information scholarship in action. We highlight the guiding theoretical frameworks, research questions, methodological approaches, findings, and recommendations. The goal of our poster is to respond to this year’s conference theme by presenting our research question: “How can the Community Informatics Studio be understood as an innovative educational model of information scholarship in action?”