cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Splenogonadal fusion in an 18-month-old

Summary Background Splenogonadal fusion is rare abnormal congenital connection of splenic tissue and gonad. It commonly presents with either cryptorchidism or as a palpable mass. As a benign anomaly, orchiectomy is often unnecessary. Removal of the splenic component may be accomplished with preservation of the testicle. Methods An 18-month-old boy presented with right cryptorchidism and left retractile testicle. Laparoscopic examination found a viable right testicle, and a successful orchiopexy was performed. The left testicle demonstrated splenogonadal fusion. Discontinuous accessory splenules were noted along the path of testicular descent. After confirmation from a radionucleotide liver-spleen scan the patient was brought back to the operating room for open excision of the adherent splenic tissue and orchiopexy of the testicle via an open inguinal approach. Conclusion Splenogonadal fusion is a rare condition, but may be suspected in children with cryptorchidism or palpable peri-testicular mass. As with the present patient, in most cases the splenic tissue may be successfully excised without injury to the testicle.
Structure and Dynamics of RNA Repeat Expansions That Cause Huntington's Disease and Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1.

RNA repeat expansions cause a host of incurable, genetically defined diseases. The most common class of RNA repeats consists of trinucleotide repeats. These long, repeating transcripts fold into hairpins containing 1 × 1 internal loops that can mediate disease via a variety of mechanism(s) in which RNA is the central player. Two of these disorders are Huntington’s disease and myotonic dystrophy type 1, which are caused by r(CAG) and r(CUG) repeats, respectively. We report the structures of two RNA constructs containing three copies of a r(CAG) [r(3×CAG)] or r(CUG) [r(3×CUG)] motif that were modeled with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and simulated annealing with restrained molecular dynamics. The 1 × 1 internal loops of r(3×CAG) are stabilized by one-hydrogen bond (cis Watson–Crick/Watson–Crick) AA pairs, while those of r(3×CUG) prefer one- or two-hydrogen bond (cis Watson–Crick/Watson–Crick) UU pairs. Assigned chemical shifts for the residues depended on the identity of neighbors or next nearest...
Mid-infrared transmission through germanium-core borosilicate glass-clad semiconductor fibers

Semiconductors are promising candidates as fiber materials for transmission in the mid-infrared (IR) region. This paper reports the lowest measured losses for a Ge-core, borosilicate cladded optical fiber produced by the ‘rod-in-tube’ method that is scalable for manufacturability. The fibers were drawn in a mini draw tower at 1000°C. The relatively low drawing temperature and the optimal location of the Ge core in the preform minimize the time the molten Ge interacted with the borosilicate cladding limited diffusion from the cladding to the core. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) match between the core and cladding led to fibers that were crack- and pore- free. Transmission electron microscopy studies showed the Ge core to have good crystalline quality with low impurity content. The optical properties of the fibers were characterized in the mid-IR region with a quantum cascade laser and transmission losses were found to be in the 3.1-9.1 dB/cm range in the spectral range of 5.82-6.28 μm, with an average loss value of 5.1 dB/cm.
Learning Research in the Planetarium Prior to 1990

Scholars through the centuries have ardently endeavored to find the best teaching methods to efficiently and effectively transfer vast amounts of accumulated star knowledge to their upcoming generation of sky watchers.
Shock-wave properties and high-pressure equations of state of geophysically important materials

Shock wave (Hugoniot), shock temperature, and release data are presented for several geophysically important, refractory materials. A sensitive multichannel optical pyrometer was developed to measure shock temperatures (2500 to 5600 K at pressures from 48 to 117 GPa) in anorthite (CaAl2Si2O8) glass. Shock temperatures of 3750 to 6000 K at pressures from 140 to 182 GPa were measured in calcium oxide (CaO). Temperature data were used to constrain the energetics of the B1-B2 phase transition at 70 GPa in CaO, and to construct a finite strain equation of state for CaO consistent with previous Hugoniot data. The CaO equation of state was used with equation of state parameters of other oxides to construct a theoretical mixed oxide Hugoniot of anorthite, which is in agreement with new Hugoniot data above about 50 GPa, determined using experimental techniques developed. The mixed oxide model, however, overestimates the shock temperatures, and does not accurately predict measured release paths.
Infection with enteric pathogens Salmonella typhimurium and Citrobacter rodentium modulate TGF-beta/Smad signaling pathways in the intestine

Salmonella and Citrobacter are gram negative, members of Enterobacteriaceae family that are important causative agents of diarrhea and intestinal inflammation. TGF-β1 is a pleiotropic multifunctional cytokine that has been implicated in modulating the severity of microbial infections. How these pathogens alter the TGF-β1 signaling pathways in the intestine is largely unknown. Streptomycin-pretreated C57BL/6J mouse model colonized with S. typhimurium for 8 hours (acute) and 4 days (chronic) infection and FVB/N mice infected with C. rodentium for 6 days were utilized. Results demonstrated an increase in TGF-β1 receptor I expression (p<0.05) in S. typhimurium infected mouse ileum at both acute and chronic post-infection vs control. This was associated with activation of Smad pathways as evidenced by increased phosphorylated (p)-Smad2 and p-Smad3 levels in the nucleus. The inhibitory Smad7 mRNA levels showed a significant up regulation during acute phase of Salmonella infection but no change at 4d post-infection. In contrast to Salmonella, infection with Citrobacter caused drastic downregulation of TGF receptor I and II concomitant with a decrease in levels of Smad 2, 3, 4 and 7 expression in the mouse colon. We speculate that increased TGF-β1 signaling in response to Salmonella may be a host compensatory response to promote mucosal healing; while C. rodentium decreases TGF-β1 signaling pathways to promote inflammation and contribute to disease pathogenesis. These findings increase our understanding of how enteric pathogens subvert specific aspects of the host-cellular pathways to cause disease.
Effect of stereotactic radiation (SBRT) on survival in a preclinical model of spontaneous pancreatic cancer with induction gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel.

273Background: There are no useful preclinical models that resemble relevant fractionated radiation, such as SBRT, with relevant chemotherapy. Most preclinical studies use a single fraction of radi...
Do the Health Benefits of Marriage Depend on the Likelihood of Marriage

Marriage promotion initiatives presume substantial health benefits of marriage. Current literature, however, has provided inconsistent results on whether these benefits would be shared by people unlikely to marry. We investigate whether the physical and mental health benefits of marriage depend on the likelihood of marriage. Whereas prior studies have compared health benefits of marriage across a single predictor of marriage chances, we define the likelihood of marriage as a composite of demographic, economic, and health characteristics. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, we find that married adults are only modestly healthier than unmarried adults in both physical and mental dimensions. People with a higher likelihood of marriage generally do not reap greater health benefits from marriage than their counterparts. The only exception is that continuous marriage is more strongly associated with improved mental health among men who are more likely to be married.
Subcutaneous Peripheral Nerve Field Stimulation for Intractable Pain

Abstract Peripheral nerve field stimulation (PNFS) has become known as a safe, effective, and reversible alternative for pain management for many refractory pain conditions, including chronic low back pain (CLBP). Moreover, the simultaneous use of combined PNFS and spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in patients with CLBP, with or without leg pain, appears to increase the efficacy of both methods for relieving axial back pain and results in greater patient satisfaction than occurs from SCS or PNFS alone. PNFS may be a worthwhile treatment option for patients with a variety of chronic pain conditions who fail to respond to conservative treatments and want to opt for a less-invasive surgical procedure. In this chapter, we review procedural detail of PNFS and the results of published studies to provide an overview and update on PNFS.
Scaling of a gas-combustion infrasound source

For equal storage pressure, the available energy density from propane-air combustion is substantially higher than the available energy density from expansion of a compressed gas. Ordinary liquid propane is stored at a pressure of about 1 MPa (150 psi). The potential-energy density in air that has been compressed to 1 MPa is about 170 kJ/kg; the combustion-energy density in propane is about 50 000 kJ/kg. In addition, there is a substantial volumetric advantage to propane in that it condenses to a liquid under normal storage pressures. Given the successful demonstration of compressed-gas infrasound sources (Barlett et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 141, 3567, 2017), useful levels of infrasound might also be produced by cycling a burner on and off. Previous work (Smith and Gabrielson, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 137, 2407, 2015) with a 90 kW propane burner demonstrated the potential for generating infrasound by periodic thermal expansion of the surrounding air and the levels measured were supported by a simple thermodynam...
A Single Mutation Traps a Half-Sites Reactive Enzyme in Midstream, Explaining Asymmetry in Hydride Transfer

In Escherichia coli thymidylate synthase (EcTS), rate-determining hydride transfer from the cofactor 5,10-methylene-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolate to the intermediate 5-methylene-2′-deoxyuridine 5′-monophosphate occurs by hydrogen tunneling, requiring precise alignment of reactants and a closed binding cavity, sealed by the C-terminal carboxyl group. Mutations that destabilize the closed conformation of the binding cavity allow small molecules such as β-mercaptoethanol (β-ME) to enter the active site and compete with hydride for addition to the 5-methylene group of the intermediate. The C-terminal deletion mutant of EcTS produced the β-ME adduct in proportions that varied dramatically with cofactor concentration, from 50% at low cofactor concentrations to 0% at saturating cofactor conditions, suggesting communication between active sites. We report the 2.4 A X-ray structure of the C-terminal deletion mutant of E. coli TS in complex with a substrate and a cofactor analogue, CB3717. The structure is asymmetric, w...
Global Bioethics and Natural Law

Proponents of global ethics frameworks seek to identify universally applicable, knowable and enforceable moral obligations and standards. Many of these are grounded in particular conceptions of human rights and seek to secure positive obligations to respect such rights. In bioethics there has been a special emphasis on global ethics. This is reflected in declarations and codes of ethics (World Medical Association, 1975, 1983, 1989, 1996, 2000, 2002, and 2004; UNESCO, 2005; Council of Europe, 1997) as well as in the bioethics literature, where some have challenged the plausibility of a global bioethics (Engelhardt, 2005; Cherry, 2002).
The Final Synthesis: Jérôme Lalande

Dunthorne and Mayer had both firmly established the existence of the moon’s secular acceleration, but differed in their determination of its size. Furthermore, neither Dunthore nor Mayer had provided a fully justified term for the effect of the moon’s secular equation in their lunar tables: Dunthorne gave a detailed description of how he had derived the coefficient of the secular equation, but presented it as a correction to his existing lunar tables. Mayer, by contrast, had fully incorporated the moon’s secular acceleration into his lunar tables, but had not given a detailed explanation of how he had derived its size. Further confusion existed over whether the sun’s motion was also subject to a secular correction. Euler had reasoned that resistance to the motion of a heavenly body by the aether would cause such an acceleration in the Earth’s motion and had included a secular term in his solar tables, but Mayer claimed that the ancient observations provided no evidence for a solar equation. Such was the state of the subject when astronomy’s great opportunist, Jerome Lalande, made a bid to have his name attached to the definitive solution to the problem. It was evident that determining whether the sun and moon were subject to a secular acceleration, and if so, what was its magnitude was going to become an important problem both for the construction of accurate astronomical tables—something that was gaining in importance because of the role of lunar distance measurements in determining geographical longitude—and in testing the ability of Newton’s gravitational theory to explain the motion of bodies in the solar system. Lalande’s paper on the secular equations, published in 1757, was successful in bringing the study of the size of the moon’s secular acceleration using historical records to an end for the next several decades. As I will show, however, Lalande was extremely lucky in this outcome as the arguments presented in his paper scarcely ­justify the faith placed in his result.
Process Aggregation using Web Services (WSeBT)

This paper examines the opportunities and challenges related to data and process integration architectures in the context of Web Services. A primary goal of most enterprises in today's economic environment is to improve productivity by streamlining and aggregating business processes. This paper illustrates how integration architectures based on Web Services offer new opportunities to improve productivity that are expedient and economical. First, the paper introduces the technical standards associated with Web Services and provides business example for illustration. Abstracting from this example, we introduce a concept we call Process Aggregation that incorporates data aggregation and workflow to improve productivity. We show that Web Services will have a major impact on Process Aggregation, making it both faster and less expensive to implement. Finally, we suggest some research directions relating to the Process Aggregation challenges facing Web Services that are not currently being addressed by standards bodies or software vendors. These include context mediation, trusted intermediaries, quality and source selection, licensing and payment mechanisms, and systems development tools.
Service Learning Students’ Perceptions of Citizenship

This study examines the conceptions of citizenship held by students engaged in a service learning course.Open-ended responses to instructor-developed surveys were analyzed.Results indicated that students primarily viewed good citizenship in terms of community service; however, their ideas about service were limited to passive kinds of service such as helping others and volunteering rather than active kinds of service such as community organizing.Opportunities for broadening service learning students’ understanding of citizenship are discussed.
Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) K1 suppresses Fas-mediated apoptosis and binds to the Fas complex

5369 HHV-8 is associated with the development of primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) and Kaposi’s sarcoma. PEL-derived cell lines express the HHV-8 K1 gene spontaneously. The K1 gene is expressed at high levels during lytic phase viral replication. K1 codes for a transmembrane protein, containing a short cytosolic tail, with an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM). ITAMs are present in receptors regulating cell activation and survival. K1 spontaneously aggregates and its ITAM is maintained in the constitutively phosphorylated and activated state, which is associated with NF-κB activation. K1 in transgenic mice, driven by a constitutive promoter, is associated with development of lymph node hyperplasia and lymphoma. Given its NF-κB activation inducing properties, we anticipate that K1 contributes to transformation, in part, by suppression of apoptosis. To study the role of HHV8 K1 gene product, we generated K1 stably expressing cell line BJABK1 and vector alone cell line BJABXS, with retrovirus vector pLXSN, and packaging cell line PT67 NIH 3T3. K1 was also expressed in THP, U937 and KS SLK cells. We also expressed a truncated K1 lacking the ITAM (K1m). K1myc was expressed and monitored with anti-myc antibody. Anti-Fas antibody (CH-11) was used to induce apoptosis and cells were monitored for membrane protein Annexin-V, DNA integrity, and morphological features of apoptosis. Apoptosis rates were evaluated with Annexin-V-FITC/PI analysis and DAPI-based nuclear morphological analysis. C-FLIP, caspase 8 and Fas were monitored by immunoblot analysis and flow cytometry. K1 was expressed in mouse hepatocytes by intravenous inoculation of plasmids, expressing K1 and green fluorescent protein. K1-Fas complex interactions were analyzed. Anti-Fas antibody induced apoptosis was suppressed in BJABK1 cells compared with BJABK1m and BJABXS cells in Annexin-V assay and by DAPI staining. A similar pattern of K1-related suppression of anti-Fas antibody induced apoptosis was observed in transfected THP, U937 and KS SLK cells. K1 expression suppressed apoptosis, which had been induced by Fas ligand. K1 expression did not suppress apoptosis induced by TRAIL or radiation. K1 expressing cells showed consistent lower levels of procaspase 8 cleavage products. Immunoprecipitation-immunoblot analysis with anti-Fas and anti-myc antibodies indicated Fas and K1myc were bound to the same complex. Expression of K1myc in mouse liver showed binding of Fas and K1 to the same complex. Taken together, the data indicate that expression of HHV8 K1 can suppress Fas-mediated apoptosis. K1 and Fas bind to the same complex in several cell types and in vivo. We anticipate K1 regulates apoptosis through binding of the Fas complex and represents a novel form of apoptosis regulation.
The Emerging Scholars' Network Within MNRS: From Acorns to Oaks

As the nursing faculty shortage persists, there is an urgent need to develop emerging nurse scholars into research leaders capable of advocating for the profession and expanding on the mission to improve health. To address this need, the Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS) commissioned a student task force that led to the development of the Emerging Scholars Network (ESN). The purpose of this article is to describe how the ESN was developed, integrated, and promoted within the MNRS to advance the overall mission and sustainability of the society. The establishment and success of the ESN is described using the Five Developmental Stages of Organization Evolution. These stages include the following: (a) Developing a Concept; (b) Launching a Start-Up; (c) Establishing Credibility; (d) Creating Sustainability; and (e) Road to Maturing and Legacy. Recommendations for continued development of the ESN are provided.
Transforming urban transport

Worldwide, urban public transport provision is undergoing significant change in forms of mobility and extent of use. Hence, this collected volume, Transforming urban transport. Prepared under the e...
Health Surveillance Programs

Abstract Health surveillance of laboratory zebrafish colonies is necessary to ensure animal welfare and responsible use of animals. Timely recognition of the presence of infectious agents will be of assistance in the appropriate management of these conditions. Colony health status information is also necessary to allow for safe collaboration, including the sharing of different zebrafish lines, with other scientists. Several zebrafish pathogens result in pathology that may influence research, therefore, reporting the presence of these pathogens in scientific publications is of paramount importance to ensure adequate transparency of research results. This chapter will review the influence of zebrafish pathogens on research, determination of acceptable and excluded agents in a zebrafish colony, strategies for evaluating health status, testing methods and frequency of testing, health status reporting, and disease prevention.
Polymorphisms in TNF Receptor Superfamily 1B (TNFRSF1B:rs3397) are Linked to Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis Infection and Osteoporosis in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

We previously discovered that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in PTPN2/22 (T-cell negative-regulators) occur in 78% of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), along with Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP) infection in 33% of patients. In Crohn’s disease, we reported that SNPs in TNFα and receptors (TNFRSF1A/TNFRSF1B) benefited intracellular MAP-survival, increased infection, and elevated inflammatory response mimicking the poor response to anti-TNFα treatment in some patients. Here, we studied the frequency and effects of SNPs in TNFα/TNFRSF1A/TNFRSF1B in RA including gene expression, MAP infection, and osteoporosis marker levels in blood (54 RA and 48 healthy controls). TNFα:rs1800629 (GA) was detected in 19/48 (40%) RA and 8/54 (15%) controls (p-value CT (0.34 ± 0.14) and CC > TT (0.27 ± 0.12)), compared to wildtype CC (0.51 ± 0.17), p-value < 0.05. MAP DNA was detected significantly in 17/48 (35.4%) RA compared to 11/54 (20.4%) controls (p-value < 0.05, OR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.12–5.20). The average osteocalcin level was significantly lower (p-value < 0.05) in RA (2.70 ± 0.87 ng/mL), RA + MAP (0.60 ± 0.31 ng/mL), RA + TNFRSF1B:rs3397 (TT) (0.67 ± 0.35 ng/mL), compared to the healthy control (5.31 ± 1.39 ng/mL), and MAP-free RA (3.85 ± 1.31 ng/mL). Overall, rs3397 appears to downregulate TNFRSF1B, increase MAP infection, worsen inflammation, and cause osteocalcin deficiency and possibly osteoporosis in RA.
Untargeted Metabolomic Approach Shows No Differences in Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue of Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Subjects Undergoing Bariatric Surgery: An Exploratory Study.

Background:Obesity plays a major role in the development of insulin resistance (IR) and diabetes (T2DM). Increased adipose tissue (AT) is particularly of interest because it activates a chronic inf...
Potential of Embedded Processors and Cloud for Remote Experimentation

Traditionally remote laboratories are developed by utilizing personal computers (PC) or workstations as the main controller unit on the experiment side and a local server for database and user management. However, given the emergence of new technologies, embedded processors are becoming more powerful, faster, and resourceful. It is now possible to replace personal computers or workstation with embedded processor boards. In addition, remote laboratory Based on this scenario, this paper reports the development of several remote experimentation facilities in which embedded processors and cloud are utilized to replace PCs and local servers.
Demographic Change and Development from Crowdsourced Genealogies in Early Modern Europe

This paper draws on a novel historical dataset crowdsourced from publicly available genealogies to study demographic change and development at the individual level in the distant past. I reconstruct fertility series, identify migration in and out of urban centers, and provide novel measures and stylized facts in a period without census and with millions of ordinary individuals observed in thirty countries. For each country, I carefully show that selection is limited in the data. Then, I document patterns of human mobility, fertility, and adult mortality in Early Modern Europe, through the Industrial Revolution and demographic transition. Finally, I present several findings at a disaggregated level suggesting that substantial and rapid changes in preferences took hold with the Age of Enlightenment and played an important role in the transition from stagnation to growth. In particular, I estimate the onset of the decline in fertility in France in the 1760s, a hundred years before the rest of Europe and earlier than previously thought, and I find a weaker intergenerational persistence of fertility behavior in Europe as early as in the late eighteenth century.
"Who wants me to do what?" varied expectations from key stakeholder groups in the surgical intensive care unit creates a challenging learning environment.

Abstract Background Surgical intensive care units (SICU) require complex care from a multi-disciplinary team. Frequent changes in team members can lead to shifting expectations for junior general surgical trainees, which creates a challenging working and learning environment. We aim to identify expectations of junior surgery trainee’s medical knowledge and technical/non-technical skills at the start of their SICU rotation. We hypothesize that expectations will not be consistent across SICU stakeholder groups. Methods Twenty-eight individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with six SICU stakeholder groups at a medium-sized academic hospital. Expectations were identified from interview transcripts. Frequency counts were analyzed. Results Forty-one expectations were identified. 4 expectations were identified by a majority of interviewees. Most expectations were identified by 7 or fewer interviewees. 23 (53%) expectations were shared by at least one stakeholder group. 2 (8%) expectations were shared by all groups. Conclusions SICU stakeholder groups identified ten medical knowledge, ten technical skill, and three non-technical skill expectations. Yet, few expectations were shared among the groups. Thus, SICU stakeholder groups have disparate expectations for surgery trainees in our SICU.
A Preliminary Study on the VANET Topology Characteristics from Propagation-Aware Traffic Flows Extracted from Measured Data

Understanding the dynamics of the network topology characteristics of vehicular networks (VANET) plays a key role to determine the feasibility of real-time safety and non-safety applications over VANET. Through the lenses of time-varying network metrics, including link duration, degree distribution, and number of connected components, this paper presents a preliminary analysis for VANET network topology characteristics for low and high traffic density. In our analysis, we integrate real-world buildings and obstacles along the propagation environments and measured data from the California Performance Measurement System (PeMS) database into a microscopic mobility model to obtain realistic traffic flows.
Phenotyping COVID-19 Patients by Ventilation Therapy: Data Quality Challenges and Cohort Characterization

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced unique challenges for treating acute respiratory failure patients and highlighted the need for reliable phenotyping of patients using retrospective electronic health record data. In this study, we applied a rule-based phenotyping algorithm to classify COVID-19 patients requiring ventilatory support. We analyzed patient outcomes of the different phenotypes based on type and sequence of ventilation therapy. Invasive mechanical ventilation, noninvasive positive pressure ventilation, and high flow nasal insufflation were three therapies used to phenotype patients leading to a total of seven subgroups; patients treated with a single therapy (3), patients treated with either form of noninvasive ventilation and subsequently requiring intubation (2), and patients initially intubated and then weaned onto a noninvasive therapy (2). In addition to summary statistics for each phenotype, we highlight data quality challenges and importance of mapping to standard terminologies. This work illustrates potential impact of accurate phenotyping on patient-level and system-level outcomes including appropriate resource allocation under resource constrained circumstances.
Syphilis testing adherence among women with livebirth deliveries: Indianapolis 2014-2016.

Background The number of congenital syphilis (CS) cases in the United States are increasing. Effective prevention of CS requires routine serologic testing and treatment of infected pregnant women. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends testing all pregnant women at their first prenatal visit and subsequent testing at 28 weeks gestation and delivery for women at increased risk. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional cohort study of syphilis testing among pregnant women with a livebirth delivery from January 2014 to December 2016 in Marion County, Indiana. We extracted and linked maternal and infant data from the vital records in a local health department to electronic health records available in a regional health information exchange. We examined syphilis testing rates and factors associated with non-testing among women with livebirth delivery. We further examined these rates and factors among women who reside in syphilis prevalent areas. Results Among 21260 pregnancies that resulted in livebirths, syphilis testing in any trimester, including delivery, increased from 71.7% in 2014 to 86.6% in 2016. The number of maternal syphilis tests administered only at delivery decreased from 16.6% in 2014 to 4.04% in 2016. Among women living in areas with high syphilis rates, syphilis screening rates increased from 79.6% in 2014 to 94.2% in 2016. Conclusion Improvement in prenatal syphilis screening is apparent and encouraging, yet roughly 1-in-10 women do not receive syphilis screening during pregnancy. Adherence to recommendations set out by CDC improved over time. Given increasing congenital syphilis cases, the need for timely diagnoses and prevention of transmission from mother to fetus remains a priority for public health.
The endocrine role of the thymus and its hormone, thymosin, in the regulation of the growth and maturation of host immunological competence.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the endocrine role of the thymus and its hormone, thymosin, in the regulation of the growth and maturation of host immunological competence. The essential role of thymosin, and perhaps of other thymic factors, in growth and development is reflected in the two established roles of the thymus gland. These are: (1) the provision in early postnatal life of lymphoid cells that are exported from the thymus to the peripheral lymphoid structures and which become a cell population that endows the neonatal organism with immunological competence, and (2) the secretion from thymic epithelial cells of one or more hormones, one of which is thymosin. These humoral factors apparently function by acting on both stem cells and thymus-derived cells to activate and/or depress a cell that has all the potential to function as a mature immunologically competent lymphocyte. In addition, thymosin may act to reverse aberrations of lymphoid cell functions, for example, proliferation of aberrant thymocytes.
Electron pair donors in carbocationic polymerization

Preparatory to a detailed presentation of a large body of accumulated information, representative data have been selected to demonstrate that well-defined narrow molecular weight distribution (MWD) (¯Mw/¯Mn ≅= 1.1) polyisobutylene (PIB) can be readily prepared in the Mn = 1000 – 100,000 range in the presence of certain types of electron pair donors (EDs) under a great variety of conditions. Specifically, many initiating systems, such as dicumyl chloride/BCl3, dicumyl alcohol/BCl3, 2-chloro-2,4,4-trimethylpentane/TiCl4, that induce nonliving polymerizations and/or give relatively broad MWD PIBs, in the presence of suitable EDs, e.g., dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), dimethyl acetamide (DMA), give rise to living polymerizations and yield narrow MWD products. Evidently, by the use of select EDs various undesirable side reactions, i.e., uncontrolled initiation, chain transfer, irreversible termination, indanyl end-group formation, etc., that plague carbocationic polymerizations and which therefore yield ill-defined relatively broad MWD products, can be eliminated and well-defined narrow MWD products can be obtained. The addition of EDs to otherwise extremely rapid carbocationic polymerizations results in lower controlled rates. All these observations and beneficial effects can be explained by controlled carbocation stabilization by EDs, a subject that will be explored and discussed in detail in this series of publications.
4,4'-Diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid inhibits CD3-T cell antigen receptor-stimulated Ca2+ influx in human T lymphocytes.

Abstract Stimulation of the CD3-T cell antigen receptor complex on T lymphocytes results in a rapid rise in intracellular calcium from both intra- and extracellular sources. The former is thought to be released from the endoplasmic reticulum in response to inositol trisphosphate, while the latter enters the cells through a membrane potential-sensitive transporter (Oettgen, H. C., Terhorst, C., Cantley, L. C., and Rosoff, P. M. (1985) Cell 40, 583-590). In this report we show that the stilbene disulfonate, DIDS (4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid), inhibited the ability of monoclonal anti-CD3 complex antibodies to stimulate an influx of calcium in the human T lymphocyte cell line, Jurkat. DIDS had no effect on either antibody binding to the receptor or receptor-stimulated phosphatidylinositol turnover. The Ki was approximately 25 microM in the presence of extracellular Cl- and 10 microM when labeling was performed in the absence of Cl-, suggesting that DIDS was competing with Cl- for binding to the cell membrane. The reduced form of DIDS, dihydroDIDS, was only 50% as effective as DIDS itself, and the monoisothiocyanate stilbene, 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyantostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid, was totally ineffective, even to concentrations of 0.750 mM. Removal of extracellular Cl- also inhibited the antibody-stimulated influx of calcium. These data suggest that the function of the CD3-T cell receptor-activated calcium channel/transporter may be dependent on or regulated by extracellular Cl-.
Federal Lawmaking and the Role of Structure in Constitutional Interpretation

In a recent article published in this Review,' I argued that the Supreme Court's decision in Erie Railroad Co. v. Tompkins2 is best understood as resting on the Supremacy Clause and the associated political and procedural safeguards of federalism built into constitutionally prescribed lawmaking procedures. On this view, the Constitution requires federal courts to follow state law unless the "Constitution," "Laws," and "Treaties" of the United States supply a contrary rule of decision.3 I wrote that piece to address the frequent contention that, notwithstanding the Court's repeated invocations of the Constitution, Erie does not actually rest on constitutional grounds. In a pair of subsequent articles, Professor Craig Green renews this suggestion4 and denies that the Supremacy Clause provides a basis for the decision in Erie or otherwise limits federal lawmaking.5 Although he makes an important contribution to a growing body of Erie-related scholarship, Green gives insufficient weight to the fundamental role that the Supremacy Clause plays in our federal system. Properly understood, Erie implicates both separation of powers and federalism. The former concerns the extent to which
Crafting Economics to be Relevant in the Lives of at-Risk Students.

This paper examines practical methods of conveying economic education principles to secondary education at-risk students. Real-life scenarios that are infused with cooperative learning are presented as strategies for meaningful instruction.
No Evidence of Isomerism for the First Excited State of 93Rb

Abstract The 253.3–keV excited state located in 93 Rb was studied at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility in Oak Ridge. This state, described as isomeric in databases, was populated in the decay of 93 Kr produced by proton–induced fission of 238 U and isolated using the isotope separation on–line technique. We report that the 253.3–keV level does not reveal isomerism and the upper limit of the half-life from our measurement is 4 ns. Our findings are supported by previously reported results that were not taken into account in the latest nuclear databases.
Evidence for possible selective survival and function of gametes on progeny characteristics of Bromus inermis Leyss

Approximately 85% of the S1, S2 and S3 plants in 142 smooth bromegrass progenies were morphologically similar within lines. Progenies developed from diallel crosses possessed greater uniformity than was expected from hybridization of S1 octaploid smooth bromegrass. Behaviors observed are interpreted on the basis of selective survival and functioning of gametes and can be explained by the fusion of like gametes.
Effect of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) and Menopause on Risk of Progression of Cervical Dysplasia in Human Immune-Deficiency Virus- (HIV-) Infected Women

Background. More HIV-infected women are reaching older age and menopause, but there is limited information on cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) on these women. Methods. To assess the effect of HAART and menopause on SILs in HIV-infected women, we reviewed the results of Papanicolaou (Pap) tests obtained between 1991 and 2011 on 245 women. Progression to SILs was determined by comparing Pap test results. The association of HAART and transition to menopause on SILs was assessed using survival analysis. Results. Women receiving HAART had a 52% reduced risk in the progression to SILs compared to women receiving any other antiretroviral regimen or no regimen (CI: 0.33–0.70, P = 0.0001). A greater increase of CD4+ cell counts was associated with a greater reduction on the risk of progression to SILs. Menopausal women had a 70% higher risk of progression to SILs than premenopausal women (CI: 1.11–2.62, P < 0.0001), adjusting for HIV medications, CD4+ count, duration of HIV infection, moderation effect of menopause by age, prior IV drug use, and smoking. Conclusion. HAART had a positive long-term effect on the progression to SILs. However, being younger and menopausal increases the risk of progression.
Atlantic Mackerel (Scomber scombrus, L): Seasonal Variation in Proximate Composition and Distribution of Chemical Nutrients

The chemical components of Atlantic Mackerel (Scomber scombrus) were investigated. An average of 53.5% of the fish consisted of edible portions, with more than 16% protein. PER values for raw and cooked muscles were 3.7 and 3.1, respectively, with casein being 2.5. The amino acid profile indicated equal or above average values for the essential amino acids when compared to casein. Lipid levels varied seasonally with the moisture content in various edible portions. A 1:3 ratio of saturated to polyunsaturated fatty acids was observed in this species. Sodium levels were 0.07% on a wet basis which suggests inclusion of this species in low sodium diets.
Mutational spectral analysis at the HPRT locus in healthy children.

There is growing evidence linking somatic mutational events during fetal development and childhood to an increasing number of multifactorial human diseases. Despite this, little is known about the relationship between endogenous and environmentally induced exogenous mutations during human development. Here we describe a comparative spectral analysis of somatic mutations at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) reporter gene locus in healthy children. We observed an age-specific decrease in the proportion of large alterations and a corresponding increase in the proportion of small alterations with increasing age following birth (P<0.001). The age specific decrease in the proportion of large alterations (67–30%) was mainly due to a decrease in the proportion of aberrant variable (V), diversity (D) and joining (J) (V(D)J) recombinase mediated HPRT deletions (P<0.001). The increase in the proportion of small alterations with age (28–64%) was associated with an increase in transversions from 8% in children at the late stages of fetal development to 31% in children 12–16 years old (P=0.003). Transitions decreased with age, especially at CpG dinucleotides (P=0.010), as transversions increased (P=0.009). These patterns of mutations provide insight into important spontaneous, genotoxic, and site-specific recombinational somatic mutational events associated with the age-specific development of human disease in children as well as adults.
Field and genetic studies testing optimal outcrossing in Agave schottii, a long-lived clonal plant

In thisstudy we combine field experiments, designed to test the predictions of optimal outcrossing theory in Agave schottii, with molecular genetic studies, using RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA), polymerase chain reaction to assess the underlying genetic hypothesis of optimal outcrossing theory. Initially, 48 "females" of A. schottii were hand-pollinated with pollen collected from 1 m, 10 m, 100 m, and 2500 m distances. Each female received all four distance treatments. Additionally, a subset of the focal females and their pollen donors were used in an analysis of genetic similarity across the four distances. Results of hand-pollinations showed that crosses of 1 m had significantly lower seed set than 10 m and 100 m crosses. Crosses of 2500 m had intermediate seed set. Combined relative fitness was significantly lower for 1 m crosses compared to 10 m crosses, while 100 m and 2500 m crosses were intermediate. Thus, A. schottii experiences inbreeding depression and a trend toward outbreeding depression. Genetic analyses showed a similar pattern: individuals 1 m apart had on average higher genetic similarity (proportion of bands shared) than individuals separated by greater distances, with a trend toward lower genetic similarity for plants located 2500 m distant. The observed spatial genetic patterns are likely maintained by the combined effects of clonal reproduction, clone longevity, limited seed dispersal and the substantial number of inbred progeny produced, counteracting distant allele transfer which tends to reduce population genetic structure. The correspondence between our ecological and genetic results indicates that RAPD markers are useful tools for assessing ecological phenomena.
Strong composite glasses

Abstract Glass strength can be enhanced by several methods including thermal tempering and ion exchange which put the surface in compression. Overlaying a higher expansion core with a lower expansion surface cladding to achieve a compressive surface is also known. A new modification of the overlay technique involves pairs of glasses which are melted separately and delivered to a single compound orifice that overlays one glass on the other as they leave the orifice. This is in contrast to most of the previous overlay methods in that the surfaces of the two glasses which form the interface are fluid and flaw-free. Physical property and composition constraints are presented for glasses which achieve a modulus of rupture as high as 42 kg/mm2. Stress relationships and profiles are also shown.
MiR-24 Promotes the Survival of Hematopoietic Cells

The microRNA, miR-24, inhibits B cell development and promotes myeloid development of hematopoietic progenitors. Differential regulation of cell survival in myeloid and lymphoid cells by miR-24 may explain how miR-24′s affects hematopoietic progenitors. MiR-24 is reported to regulate apoptosis, either positively or negatively depending on cell context. However, no role for miR-24 in regulating cell death has been previously described in blood cells. To examine miR-24′s effect on survival, we expressed miR-24 via retrovirus in hematopoietic cells and induced cell death with cytokine or serum withdrawal. We observed that miR-24 enhanced survival of myeloid and B cell lines as well as primary hematopoietic cells. Additionally, antagonizing miR-24 with shRNA in hematopoietic cells made them more sensitive to apoptotic stimuli, suggesting miR-24 functions normally to promote blood cell survival. Since we did not observe preferential protection of myeloid over B cells, miR-24′s pro-survival effect does not explain its promotion of myelopoiesis. Moreover, expression of pro-survival protein, Bcl-xL, did not mimic miR-24′s impact on cellular differentiation, further supporting this conclusion. Our results indicate that miR-24 is a critical regulator of hematopoietic cell survival. This observation has implications for leukemogenesis. Several miRNAs that regulate apoptosis have been shown to function as either tumor suppressors or oncogenes during leukemogenesis. MiR-24 is expressed highly in primary acute myelogenous leukemia, suggesting that its pro-survival activity could contribute to the transformation of hematopoietic cells.
Testosterone is related to deviance in male army veterans, but relationships are not moderated by cortisol.

Abstract The Vietnam Experience Study (VES) of 4462 male U.S. Army veterans is the first large dataset used to demonstrate that testosterone (but not cortisol) is correlated with diverse measures of antisocial, aggressive or dominant behavior. Many subsequent studies have sustained these relationships while also pointing to important caveats. Some researchers suggest that testosterone is correlated to dominance and aggression only (or mostly) in people with low cortisol, not in those with high cortisol. Here we look back to the VES to test this “dual hormone” hypothesis. We find no testosterone–cortisol interaction for seven measures of antisocial deviance. We consider scope conditions under which the dual hormone hypothesis may be valid.
Eudesmane derivatives from cyperus corymbosus

Abstract From the rhizomes of Cyperus corymbosus a new eudesmane sesquiterpenoid, isocorymbolone, was isolated besides the known compounds corymbolone and (+)-α-cyperone. The structure of the new compound was established by means of spectroscopic methods.
Uncertainties of the relationship between the equatorial quasi-biennial oscillation, the Arctic stratosphere and solar forcing

Two different equatorial quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) indices, two reanalyses and radiosonde observations are used to analyze the Arctic stratospheric temperature and height. This analysis was used to assess the uncertainties in the connection of solar forcing, QBO and the Arctic variability. The results show that (1) the frequency of the westerly/easterly phases of the QBO over the stratospheric equator has a significant multiple peak seasonal variation. The primary seasonal peaks occur in February, March and April for the westerly phase of the QBO and the easterly phase peaks in June, July and August. (2) The correlation of stratospheric Arctic temperature and height with the solar radio flux shows statistical significance in February or July/August even if there is no stratified phase of QBO (easterly and westerly phases) involved. However, when the correlation was computed according to the stratified phase of QBO, the solar signals in both temperature and height fields are remarkably amplified in February and November under the westerly phase, but the signal in the height field is most significant only in August under the easterly phase. (3) The impact of the QBO and solar forcing on the stratospheric temperature and heights in the Arctic varies depending on the season. The impacts are also sensitive to the specific height of the QBO-defined level that is used, the specific period of the analysis and the dataset used.
A multisample device for electroelution, concentration, and dialysis of proteins from fixed and stained gel slices.

Abstract A device capable of simultaneous electrophoretic elution of up to 12 different protein samples from fixed and stained polyacrylamide gel slices is described. It uses a single dialysis membrane to trap the eluted proteins, which are recovered in volumes of less than 30 μl each. As little as 1 μg of protein per sample may be recovered with about 50% efficiency. Milligram quantities of a single protein may also be eluted from fixed and stained gels. The device may be used for both passive and electrophoretic dialysis and protein concentration.