cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Shame and the Meanings of Punishment

Debates over shaming punishments have raged over the past few years, with people like Dan Kahan and Eric Posner for them, while James Whitman and Martha Nussbaum have entered the fray strongly against them. This Essay argues that both sides in the shaming punishment debate have it only party right. Those who favor shaming sanctions are correct that we should (all else being equal) favor those punishments which are expressive rather than those that involve some form of hard treatment. And those who reject shaming sanctions are correct that such sanctions involve forms of humiliation and denials of dignity that should be unacceptable to liberals. But the critics of shaming sanctions fail to go far enough with their critique, because imprisonment (which they usually favor) is itself dignity denying, if not in theory, at least in American practice. As a result, they ignore the possibility radical direction their original criticism of shaming might take: it leads us not only to question the advisability of shaming punishments, but the very place of punishment in a liberal society. This Essay suggests that we go in just that radical direction, trying to fashion punishments that are expressive but which still respect the dignity of the criminal offender.
The Moving Target of Cardiology: When to Commit to Subspecialty Training.

As pathophysiology connects system to system, enabling us to better understand our patients, life’s trials and tribulations forge our development and ultimately determine who we become in life. These clinical and personal experiences shape our career interests and guide us toward the field of
Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors: an evidence-based practice approach to their use in the natural history of type 2 diabetes

Objective The sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors are an important addition to available treatments for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) as an adjunct to modifications in diet and exercise. SGLT-2 inhibitors may be prescribed alone or as add-on treatment in patients receiving metformin, sulfonylureas, thiazolidinediones, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, and/or insulin across the natural history of the disease. Inhibition of SGLT-2, which is responsible for approximately 90% of renal glucose reabsorption, increases urinary glucose excretion and lowers blood glucose concentrations. The objective of this review is to discuss the pathophysiology of diabetes and the contribution of the kidney to glucose homeostasis and to provide an evidence-based practice approach to clinical applications of SGLT-2 inhibitors in the treatment of T2D. Methods PubMed and Google Scholar databases were searched to identify literature published from 1990 through September 2015 examining the pathophysiology of T2D, the role of the kidney in regulating glucose concentrations, and clinical evidence for the efficacy and safety of SGLT-2 inhibitors in T2D. Results There is a need for early treatment in patients with T2D to minimize the risk of cardiovascular complications that increase morbidity and mortality. SGLT-2 inhibitors improve glycemic control, reduce body weight and blood pressure, and are associated with a low risk of hypoglycemia. Adverse events associated with SGLT-2 inhibitors include mild to moderate urinary tract and genital infections and mild dehydration potentially leading to orthostatic hypotension. Conclusions An evidence-based practice approach to examining the importance of early, proactive treatment of T2D using SGLT-2 inhibitors from initiation of pharmacotherapy to increasingly more complicated combination therapy regimens, including insulin, suggests that this treatment strategy maximizes benefits and minimizes potential side effects. The SGLT-2 inhibitors augment the arsenal of available antidiabetes agents, facilitating the ability of clinicians to design tailored treatment regimens that help patients achieve therapeutic goals.
Crystal structure of 3,5-di­methyl­phenyl 2-nitro­benzene­sulfonate

The title compound, C14H13NO5S, was synthesized via a nucleophilic substitution reaction between 3,5-di­methyl­phenol and 2-nitro­benzene­sulfonyl chloride. The aromatic rings attached to the SO3 group are oriented in a gauche fashion around the ester S—O bond, with a C—S—O—C torsion angle of 84.68 (11)°. The mol­ecules form centrosymmetric dimers via π–π stacking inter­actions between 3,5-di­methyl­phenyl groups (centroid–centroid distance = 3.709 A). An inter­molecular S=O⋯N inter­action between the sulfonyl and nitro groups, with an O⋯N distance of 2.9840 (18) A, organizes the dimers into columns extending along [011]. These columns are further assembled into (111) layers through C—H⋯O inter­actions.
Bacterial Endocarditis Produced by Listeria monocytogenes: Case Presentation and Review of Literature

A patient with endocarditis produced by Listeria monocytogenes is presented, the twelfth such case reported. A review of the available literature shows that the infection has involved only the left side of the heart, has not been associated with debilitating diseases, and carries a significant mortality rate. Otherwise, clinical and laboratory features have been the same as those of usual forms of bacterial endocarditis. It is pointed out that the Listeria organism is commonly mistaken for Erysipelothrix and diphtheroids and that a battery of tests should be employed before one disregards these microorganisms as "contaminants".
Analysis of common diseases among primary and secondary school students in Pudong District and Minhang District of Shanghai City in 2010

[Objective]To investigate the difference of common disease prevalence of students between economically developed district(Minhang District) with large population input and Pudong District,and provide scientific evidence for student disease prevention.[Methods]The cluster sampling was adopted to analyze the common disease data of students from Pudong District and Minhang District reported in 2010 academic year.[Results]The poor eyesight prevalence rate was significantly different between the students from the surveillance schools of the 2 districts(χ2=102.93,P0.01),as well as the prevalence of anemia(χ2=27.97,P0.01) and detection rates of trachoma and suspected trachoma.While the ascaris-positive rate,malnutrition rate and obesity rates were not significant between the 2 districts.[Conclusion]The prevalence rates of poor eyesight and trachoma are relatively high in Minhang District,while the prevalence rate of anemia is relatively high in Pudong District,the others are similar in the 2 districts.The schools of the 2 district should continue to strengthen the health education so as to prevent the students' common diseases.
Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography of cerebral arteries. A review

The loss of blood vessel visibility due to the signal saturation of slow flow can be partially overcome by the T1 reduction that occurs with the use of contrast agents such as Gd-DTPA during magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) studies. Dynamic-imaging techniques that have been applied successfully in abdominal imaging may also be useful for intracranial applications. However, the time between arterial and venous enhancement is very short during intracranial circulation. This limits the spatial resolution that can be obtained between arterial and venous enhancement. Fortunately, the blood-brain barrier and the relatively long duration of significant decrease in blood T1 has led to the development of very high resolution intracranial MRA techniques. Knowledge of the contrast-agent dilution factors and the ultimate resulting relaxation rates can be used to optimize the imaging parameters to maximize vessel signal relative to the background signal (the signal-difference-to-noise ratio). The additional venous vascular detail in the contrast-enhanced study can be spatially resolved in the 3D image data and determined by incorporating information from both high-resolution precontrast and postcontrast studies. In this article, the history, development and application of contrast agents in MRA are presented.
Biomarkers Predicting Pathologic Complete Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer.

Objectives: Recent studies have shown strong correlation of pathological complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy with survival and prognosis in breast cancers. Methods: Clinical data from 237 breast cancer patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy between 2012 and 2014 were reviewed . Correlations were sought between pCR and estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and HER2 status; Nottingham and nuclear grades; tumor tubule formation; mitotic score; Ki67 index; and tumoral and stromal lymphocytic infiltration (TLI and SLI, respectively). Results: Of the 237 cases, 104 (43.9%) achieved pCR. The HER2+ and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtypes had higher pCR rates compared with the luminal subtype (ER+ or PR+ and HER2–). ER and PR negativity, HER2 positivity, Nottingham grade 3, increased TLI and SLI, high mitotic count and Ki67 score correlated significantly with pCR in the overall cohort. TLI and SLI correlated significantly with pCR in the HER2+ and TNBC subtypes in multivariate analysis, whereas no biomarkers correlated with pCR in the luminal subtype. Conclusions: In addition to the pathologic parameters and biomarkers already routinely assessed, evaluation of TLI and SLI may help to better select patients with HER2+ and TNBC for neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Training Linguistics Students for the Realities of Fieldwork

This article uses examples from the author's first fieldwork experience to illustrate the need for better training of graduate students in linguistics on the subject of fieldwork, especially in the personal and practical aspects. This very personal account also points out the need for the development of a better and more extensive literature on linguistic fieldwork, and makes suggestions about issues that should be covered in such a literature.
Anticloning Laws Classify Human Clones and Are Subject to Strict Scrutiny

The Fourteenth Amendment provides that no state shall deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. The Equal Protection Clause has been described as a direction that all persons who are similarly situated should be treated alike rather than differently. Although the Fourteenth Amendment does not apply to the federal government, the Fifth Amendment provides that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that this Due Process Clause proscribes unjust legal discrimination. Federal laws that classify individuals in a manner that would offend the Equal Protection Clause will be struck down on Due Process grounds, and the basic analysis and standard of judicial review is the same. Therefore, for convenience's sake, I will use the phrase “equal protection guarantee” to describe the protection against discrimination that the Constitution grants to any person residing in the United States under both the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment. How is the equal protection guarantee relevant to a discussion of anticloning laws? This chapter answers this question in two steps: (1) it explains how such laws classify human clones and (2) it argues that this legal classification is suspect and triggers strict scrutiny under the equal protection guarantee. Anticloning Laws Deliberately Treat Human Clones Differently from Humans Born through Sexual Reproduction On their face, laws that ban human reproductive cloning do not classify human clones.
Numerical Fokker-Planck simulation of stochastic write error in spin torque switching with thermal noise

Emerging spintronics and nanomagnetic devices have attracted a lot of attention due to their versatility, scalability and energy efficiency. Most spintronics applications require manipulation of nano-magnet in a fast and efficient way. Spin transfer torque (STT) effect[1] is so far the most studied and well demonstrated means to switch a nano-size magnetic. Compared to traditional switching scheme by magnetic field, STT provides a scalable solution to manipulate the magnetization of a nano-sized magnet. STT based memory spin transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STT-MRAM) and spin torque oscillator (STO) have been proposed and experimentally demonstrated[2, 3]. One issue accompanies magnetic switching is the thermal noise. Under room temperature the magnetic switching under STT is susceptible to thermal fluctuation and often results in a distribution in switching current/delay. In applications like STT based memory, its stochastic nature can cause read/write error. In the case of write operation, increasing applied current or switching time can effectively reduce write error but both quantities are limited by other considerations such as energy dissipation, junction breakdown and etc. This kind of trade-off is essential in device and application design. The aim of the work is to promote numerical Fokker-Planck based framework to study thermal effect in STT switching. The comparison between numerical Fokker-Planck approach and other methods are summarized. We have also investigated write error rate (WER) in STT switching with a focus on its ‘slope’ which is related to the write margin but not so often discussed in literature.
RhoA GTPase inhibition organizes contraction during epithelial morphogenesis

During morphogenesis, contraction of the actomyosin cytoskeleton within individual cells drives cell shape changes that fold tissues. Coordination of cytoskeletal contractility is mediated by regulating RhoA GTPase activity. Guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) activate and GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) inhibit RhoA activity. Most studies of tissue folding, including apical constriction, have focused on how RhoA is activated by GEFs to promote cell contractility, with little investigation as to how GAPs may be important. Here, we identify a critical role for a RhoA GAP, Cumberland GAP (C-GAP), which coordinates with a RhoA GEF, RhoGEF2, to organize spatiotemporal contractility during Drosophila melanogaster apical constriction. C-GAP spatially restricts RhoA pathway activity to a central position in the apical cortex. RhoGEF2 pulses precede myosin, and C-GAP is required for pulsation, suggesting that contractile pulses result from RhoA activity cycling. Finally, C-GAP expression level influences the transition from reversible to irreversible cell shape change, which defines the onset of tissue shape change. Our data demonstrate that RhoA activity cycling and modulating the ratio of RhoGEF2 to C-GAP are required for tissue folding.
Comparative Analysis of Conventional Natural Killer Cell Responses to Acute Infection with Toxoplasma gondii Strains of Different Virulence.

Conventional Natural Killer Cells (cNK), members of group 1 innate lymphoid cells, are a diverse cell subpopulation based on surface receptor expression, maturation and functional potential. cNK cells are critical for early immunity to T. gondii via IFNγ production. Acute cNK cell responses to infection with different strains of T. gondii have not yet been characterized in detail. Here we comprehensively performed this analysis with Type I virulent RH, and Type II avirulent ME49 and fully attenuated Type I cps1-1 strains. In response to these three parasite strains, murine cNK cells produce IFNγ, become cytotoxic and polyfunctional (IFNγ+CD107a+) at the site of infection. In contrast to virulent RH and avirulent ME49 T. gondii strains, attenuated cps1-1 induced only local cNK cell responses. Infections with RH and ME49 parasites significantly decreased cNK cell frequency and numbers in spleen 5 days post infection compared to cps1-1 parasites. cNK cell subsets expressing activating receptors Ly49H, Ly49D, NKG2D and inhibitory receptors Ly49I and NKG2A/CD94 were similar when compared between the strains and at 5 days post infection. cNK cells were not proliferating (Ki67-) 5 days post infection with any of the strains. cNK cell maturation as measured by CD27, CD11b and KLRG1 was affected after infection with different parasite strains. RH and ME49 infection significantly reduced mature cNK cell frequency and increased immature cNK cell populations compared to cps1-1 infection. Interestingly, KLRG1 was highly expressed on immature cNK cells after RH infection. After RH and ME49 infections, CD69+ cNK cells were present at higher numbers than after cps1-1 infection, which may correlate with loss of the mature cNK cell population. Cytokine multiplex analysis indicated cNK cell responses correlated with peritoneal exudate cell (PEC), spleen and serum proinflammatory cytokine levels including IL-12. qPCR analysis of parasite-specific B1 gene revealed that parasite burdens may affect cNK cell responses. This study demonstrates infection with RH and ME49 parasites impacts cNK cell maturation during acute T. gondii infection. Different cNK cell responses could impact early immunity and susceptibility to these strains.
Dispersion of nondegenerate nonlinear refraction in semiconductors

We use our recently developed beam-deflection technique to measure the dispersion of the nondegenerate nonlinear refraction (NLR) of direct-gap semiconductors. The magnitude and sign of the NLR coefficient n2(ωa; ωb) are determined over a broad spectral range for different values of nondegeneracy. In the extremely nondegenerate case, n2(ωa; ωb) is positively enhanced near the two-photon absorption (2PA) edge and is significantly larger than its degenerate counterpart, suggesting applications for nondegenerate all-optical switching. At higher photon energies within the 2PA regime, n2(ωa; ωb) switches sign to negative over a narrow wavelength range. This strong anomalous nonlinear dispersion provides large phase modulation of a femtosecond pulse with bandwidth centered near the zero-crossing frequency. The measured nondegenerate dispersion closely follows our earlier predictions based on nonlinear Kramers-Kronig relations [Sheik-Bahae et. al, IEEE J. Quant. Electron. 30, 249 (1994)].
Gatekeepers of Normalcy: The Disablement of Families in the Master Narratives of Psychology

Dominant cultural discourses on families of children with disabilities center on themes of grief, loss, tragedy, and “denial.” This chapter unpacks these largely unchallenged assumptions, situating them in the context of a historical pathologizing of this group of families in the master narratives of psychology. Framing its discussion within constructivist understandings of disability, it problematizes mental health discourses, which lend support to notions of “denial” among parents. It argues that casting parents’ subjective meaning-making in response to their children’s disabilities as pathology is rooted in ableist ideologies. In privileging the perspectives of those in positions of power and control, the institutionalized narratives of mental health discredit agency among families and serve to reinforce restrictive definitions of normalcy and normative family life.
Central nervous system uptake of intranasal glutathione in Parkinson’s disease

Glutathione (GSH) is depleted early in the course of Parkinson’s disease (PD), and deficiency has been shown to perpetuate oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired autophagy, and cell death. GSH repletion has been proposed as a therapeutic intervention. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether intranasally administered reduced GSH, (in)GSH, is capable of augmenting central nervous system GSH concentrations, as determined by magnetic resonance spectroscopy in 15 participants with mid-stage PD. After baseline GSH measurement, 200 mg (in)GSH was self-administered inside the scanner without repositioning, then serial GSH levels were obtained over ~1 h. Statistical significance was determined by one-way repeated measures analysis of variance. Overall, (in)GSH increased brain GSH relative to baseline (P<0.001). There was no increase in GSH 8 min after administration, although it was significantly higher than baseline at all of the remaining time points (P<0.01). This study is the first to demonstrate that intranasal administration of GSH elevates brain GSH levels. This increase persists at least 1 h in subjects with PD. Further dose–response and steady-state administration studies will be required to optimize the dosing schedule for future trials to evaluate therapeutic efficacy. Intranasal administration increases the level of glutathione in the brain of patients with mid-stage Parkinson’s disease. A decrease in the level of this natural antioxidant is one of the earliest biochemical changes seen in patients with the disease and is associated with oxidative stress and neurodegeneration. Previous studies have shown that glutathione repletion therapies are safe and can alleviate some symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. However, researchers were unable to show that the administered glutathione crosses the blood-brain barrier and reaches the brain. Through proton magnetic spectroscopy, Laurie Mischley at Bastyr University in Washington, United States, and colleagues now demonstrate that the level of glutathione increases significantly — and remains elevated for at least 1 hour — following its intranasal administration. Their findings support ongoing trials that aim to optimize glutathione dosing and assess its therapeutic efficacy.
Remember why we work on cancer

Levi Garraway reflects on the three things that keep his compass true when the going gets tough.
The role of the NORE1A tumor suppressor in Oncogene-Induced Senescence

The Ras genes are the most frequently mutated oncogenes in human cancer. However, Ras biology is quite complex. While Ras promotes tumorigenesis by regulating numerous growth promoting pathways, activated Ras can paradoxically also lead to cell cycle arrest, death, and Oncogene-Induced Senescence (OIS). OIS is thought to be a critical pathway that serves to protect cells against aberrant Ras signaling. Multiple reports have highlighted the importance of the p53 and Rb tumor suppressors in Ras mediated OIS. However, until recently, the molecular mechanisms connecting Ras to these proteins remained unknown. The RASSF family of tumor suppressors has recently been identified as direct effectors of Ras. One of these members, NORE1A (RASSF5), may be the missing link between Ras-induced senescence and the regulation of p53 and Rb. This occurs both quantitatively, by promoting protein stability, as well as qualitatively via promoting critical pro-senescent post-translational modifications. Here we review the mechanisms by which NORE1A can activate OIS as a barrier against Ras-mediated transformation, and how this could lead to improved therapeutic strategies against cancers having lost NORE1A expression.
The Coincident Fission Fragment Detector (CFFD)

Abstract A Parallel Plate Avalanche Counter (PPAC) based fission detector system, called the Coincident Fission Fragment Detector (CFFD), has been developed for the ReA3 re-accelerator facility of the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL). Binary reaction kinematics are reconstructed based on position and time-of-flight measurements of fission fragments. Large area PPACs provide 1 ns level time resolution and mm level position resolution. The detectors allow measurements of fission product angular and mass distributions of heavy-ion induced fusion reactions. The 30 cm by 40 cm active area of each PPAC provides large solid angle coverage well suited for measurements of low intensity rare-isotope beams (RIBs).
Interfacing techniques in testbed for cyber-physical security analysis of the electric power grid

The electric power grid is an heterogeneous cyber-physical system with various physical, cyber/communication, computation, and control components. Individually, each of these components have established models and well developed tools for modeling, simulation and analysis. However, to analyze the impact of cyber events on the power grid, it is essential to bring all these components together in a coherent simulation environment to study the interdependencies of the cyber and physical system. Additionally, increasing instances of cyber attacks on the electric power grid demands tightly coupled cyber-physical co-simulation for security analysis. Integrated simulation of all the components requires interfacing existing domain-specific modeling and simulation tools for cyber-physical security analysis. This is a challenging task given diversity of domain specific physical and cyber systems simulator/ emulators and interface with hardware in the loop. This paper develops and analyzes number of interfacing techniques for integrated simulation of cyber and power systems for cyber-physical security analysis.
A comparison of patient outcomes and quality of life in persons with neurogenic bowel: standard bowel care program vs colostomy.

Background/Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare patient outcomes and quality of life for people with neurogenic bowel using either a standard bowel care program or colostomy.Methods:...
Rural Race and Ethnicity

The roots of minority groups in the United States extend deeply to rural areas. Despite the urbanization of these groups over time, there continues to be significant minority populations in rural areas today. Moreover, new migrants to rural communities, especially in the South and Midwest, have originated from Latin America. This chapter uses data from the 2009 1% American Community Survey (ACS) to examine the four major rural racial and ethnic groups (whites, blacks, Native Americans, and Latinos) on demographic, language, socioeconomic, and health dimensions. In addition, multivariate analysis is conducted to assess the relationship between racial and ethnic membership and employment and earnings. The results demonstrate the persistence of inequality between whites and persons of color in nonmetro areas as well as in metro areas. However, while foreign-born Latino men have high rates of employment, their wages are quite low. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the major findings of the analysis and the need for the creation of policy to improve the social and economic conditions of rural minorities and immigrants.
Attendance: Case-Study in Developmental Mathematics Classrooms

Increasing classroom attendance rates is important to improving success in developmental mathematics courses. Our results indicated that absence rates begin to increase after the first exam. Furthe...
Follow-up Rates and Contraceptive Choices after Medical Abortion in Adolescents at Cook County Hospital.

Abstract Study Objective To determine follow-up rates for adolescent patients who underwent medical abortion compared with adult patients, identify patient factors associated with follow-up, and evaluate contraceptive choices at the time of follow-up. Design, Setting, and Participants A retrospective cohort study of adolescent patients (ages 15-19 years) who underwent first-trimester medical abortions at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County from 2014 through 2017. Interventions None. Main Outcome Measures Rate of follow-up after medical abortion, demographic factors associated with higher follow-up rates, and contraceptive choices by adolescents at follow-up encounters. Results During the study period, 8111 medication abortions were performed in our clinic. Adolescents accounted for 446 of these patients (446/8111; 5.5%). Among adolescents, the follow-up rate was 231/446 (51.8%). We determined the follow-up rates among a random sample of patients ages 20-24 years (n = 494) and 25-39 years (n = 397) to be 213/494 (43.1%), and 161/397 (40.5%), respectively. African American adolescents were significantly less likely to follow-up compared with their Hispanic and white counterparts (relative risk, 0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.66-0.89). Those enrolled in college were significantly more likely to follow-up compared with those who reported lower levels of education (relative risk, 1.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-1.9). Only 2.5% of adolescents reported ever using a tier 1 contraception option before presenting for an abortion and among those who did follow-up, only 18% chose a tier 1 option for ongoing pregnancy prevention. Conclusion Approximately half of our adolescent study population is at risk for undetected failed medical abortion and subsequent unplanned pregnancy.
An empirical analysis of the role of rural population growth on electricity consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa

The objective of this study is to provide empirical evidence on the relationship between rural and urban population on electricity consumption in five Sub-Saharan countries between 1971 and 2013. Results from the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL)-bounds testing approach indicate that rural population plays a larger role in electricity consumption than the urban population in Cote d'Ivoire, Congo Republic and Zambia. In Congo Republic, a 1% growth in rural population resulted in a 29.4% decline in growth of electricity consumption in the long run. Growth in rural and urban population does not affect electricity use in Kenya and South Africa.
Molecular and Immunological Strategies Against Treponema pallidum Infections

Syphilis continues to be a significant global and public health problem, with an incidence of nearly 12 million new cases every year and a global burden of at least 36 million infected individuals [1]. Because the agent of this disease, the spirochete Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum (T. pallidum hereafter) can cross the placenta, syphilis is also a major cause of stillbirth and perinatal morbidity and mortality in settings with poor prenatal care [2]. Furthermore, syphilis is a demonstrated co-factor in the transmission and acquisition of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and mathematical models suggest that improved syphilis control would decrease HIV incidence as well [3–5]. Concern is also caused by the widespread genetic resistance to macrolides developed by T. pallidum and the fact that this class of antibiotics is no longer a treatment option in substitution of benzathine penicillin G [6, 7]. The recent global re-emergence of syphilis supports that the current measures to contain the spread of this disease are no longer sufficient. This emphasizes, of course, the need for enhancing surveillance networks and improving case/contact finding and treatment, but also the need for new research tools to deepen our still limited knowledge on the networks of transmission of syphilis and the development and spread of antibiotic-resistant strains. To this end, a major innovation in the field is represented by current efforts to develop T. pallidum molecular assays and typing methods. These approaches aim at detecting antibiotic resistance and to differentiate strains of T. pallidum and, at the same time, facilitate molecular epidemiology studies, and possibly identify T. pallidum strain types associated with specific clinical manifestations of the disease. In parallel, the recent identification of new vaccine candidates for syphilis and the introduction of innovative vaccine designs in the syphilis field are indication of renewed interest in syphilis vaccine development, even though the peculiar biology of T. pallidum along with the inability to grow this pathogen in vitro inevitably hinders progress toward this ambitious goal. This chapter will focus on the past and current efforts to develop, implement, and improve a molecular typing method for T. pallidum strains and a practical syphilis vaccine.
Exploration of the STOP Act and Opioid Deaths in North Carolina, 2010–2018

Objectives. To examine the impact of North Carolina’s 2017 Strengthening Opioid Misuse Prevention (STOP) Act on opioid overdose deaths.Methods. We used quarterly data from the North Carolina Opioid...
Visually memorable neuroanatomy for beginners: Visually memorable neuroanatomy for beginners Chung & Chung, Cambridge MA: Academic Press; Elsevier, 2020, ISBN: 978-0-12-819901-5, 198 pp.

Visually Memorable Neuroanatomy for Beginners is an initial release illustrating fundamental morphology and function of the nervous system utilizing simple drawings and mnemonics to facilitate enco...
Prevalence and characteristics of starvation-related malnutrition in a mid-Atlantic healthcare system: A cohort study.

BACKGROUND Malnutrition in the hospital negatively impacts outcomes, including readmissions, mortality, and cost. Starvation-related malnutrition (SRM) is a state of chronic undernutrition with little to no inflammation. Research on SRM within the hospital setting is lacking. Our objective was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of malnutrition within the hospital, focusing on characteristics associated with readmissions in those with SRM. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study analyzing characteristics of adult in patients with acute disease-related malnutrition (ADM) and chronic disease-related malnutrition (CDM) compared with patients with SRM. Prevalence of all malnutrition types was calculated as the total number of malnourished patients divided by the total number of hospital discharges. Analysis of variance with Tukey post hoc analysis was performed to determine differences between characteristics of patients with SRM and other forms of malnutrition. RESULTS Total prevalence of malnutrition was 2.8%. Of malnourished patients, 17.6%, 79.9%, and 2.5% had ADM, CDM, and SRM, respectively. Patients with SRM had lower body mass index (BMI) (P < .001) and higher rates of readmission (P = 0.046), infectious disease (P < .001), psychiatric disease (P < .001), and substance abuse (P < .001) than patients with ADM or CDM. Readmitted patients with SRM had lower BMI and higher rates of infection and drug abuse than those without readmission. CONCLUSION The high incidence of comorbid substance abuse and mental illness in patients with SRM provide important targets for treatment that might reduce readmission and improve outcomes.
Fundamentals of N 2 Fixation

Decades of N2 fixation research have uncovered many details of the intricacies and complexity of Biological N2 Fixation (BNF), from the evolutionary path of the enzyme to the diversity of microorganisms, the biochemistry of the reaction, and the underlying genetics. The enzyme and its reaction are complex and require substantial energy and reductant, while being extremely sensitive to O2. The enzyme is comprised of two multi-subunit proteins with metal cofactors. There are Mo, V and Fe forms of nitrogenase, encoded by related but divergent genes. Nonetheless, diverse microorganisms of varied physiologies are capable of BNF, and have evolved multiple solutions to obtaining sufficient energy and protecting from O2. Diazotrophs include strict anaerobes, microaerophiles, and cyanobacteria, which are photosynthetic and evolve O2. There are multiple genes involved in N2 fixation, beyond the nifHD(G)K genes that encode nitrogenase that provide multiple functions including protein assembly, cofactor synthesis and metal transport. Many diazotrophs on land provide fixed N to multicellular plants and animals through symbiotic interactions, and there are specific genes involved in maintaining symbiosis and facilitating N2 fixation. The nitrogenase genes are highly regulated in order to conserve energy when N is available or when O2 is present, through complex regulatory cascades that effect cellular changes, protein modifications and transcriptional regulation.
Machine learning based layer roughness modeling in robotic additive manufacturing

Abstract Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) is a manufacturing technique that deposits metal layer upon layer to manufacture 3D parts based on welding processes. Most researchers considered weld bead width, height, and penetration as the characteristic performance in WAAM. However, layer roughness is also important because it affects the machining cost and mechanical properties of fabricated parts. If the roughness of a deposited layer can be reduced, less machining will be required, and material wastage will be reduced. Reduced layer roughness will also enable better bonding between adjacent layers. Hence, the deposition of weld beads with minimized roughness demands great attention. A few researchers who tried to investigate roughness in WAAM used straight paths for material deposition, but the investigation of the weaving path, which has a great potential to reduce layer roughness, has not been investigated well. The main contribution of this paper is about successfully implementing two machine learning methods to accurately model surface roughness in WAAM using a weaving path: Random Forest and Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) which is also known as Artificial Neural Network (ANN). Both methods are effective for modeling and predicting the layer roughness for a given set of robotic WAAM parameters, but Random Forest gave better results than MLP in terms of accuracy and computational time.
Invented Spelling in the Open Classroom

The phenomenon of children's early writing, in their own invented spellings, has been described and documented by Charles Read. Selections from his doctoral dissertation appear, with the author's permission, in Appendix 2. This article discusses these early spellings, which children produced at home in a naturalistic setting, and recommends that this surprising linguistic ability of young children to write and spell on their own be fostered in the classroom. Suggestions are also made for incorporating early writing into young children's school activities.
The Induction and Repair of DNA Photodamage in the Environment

Since its discovery in bacteria 25 years ago, DNA repair, particularly in response to damage induced by UV radiation, has been a major focus of molecular biology. The roles played by DNA damage and repair in the aging and carcinogenic processes have been of particular interest. More recently, degradation of stratospheric ozone and the resultant increase in UV-B radiation at the earth’s surface have focused our attention on the environmental effects of solar DNA damage. Although we have learned much about DNA damage tolerance mechanisms in prokaryotes and some lower eukaryotes, our understanding of the molecular events that determine biological effects of UVR in complex higher eukaryotes is far from complete.
Factors Affecting Life-Sustaining Treatment Decisions by Health Care Surrogates and Proxies: Assessing Benefits and Barriers

Terri Schiavo's life and death placed international focus on social workers' need to better understand and serve health care surrogates and proxies making life-sustaining treatment decisions on behalf of medical patients. This study (N = 132) reports initial validation of a new measure, the Acceptance of Treatment Choice Inventory (ATCI), designed to evaluate benefits and barriers considered by health care surrogates and proxies prior to making a life-sustaining treatment decision about CPR, tube-feedings, dialysis, and ventilation. Affirming a two-factor model with acceptable reliability and preliminary construct validity, surrogates sought decision support and desired to represent patients' wishes adequately.
Petroleum hydrocarbon toxicity studies: I. Methodology

Abstract The objectives, protocols, and procedures followed in the study of the inhalation toxicity of a series of petroleum hydrocarbons are presented herein. To conserve journal space reference will be made to this report in order to avoid repetition in succeeding reports on selected commercially available petroleum hydrocarbons. The compounds are arranged in a matrix based on boiling range and aromaticity. It is hoped that the information gathered in this series of 12 or more studies will provide a basis for predicting the toxicity of closely related hydrocarbon mixtures that are articles of commerce.
Positive effects of an extracellular matrix hydrogel on rat anterior cruciate ligament fibroblast proliferation and collagen mRNA expression

Summary Background/Objective We have previously shown that an extracellular matrix (ECM) bioscaffold derived from porcine small intestine submucosa (SIS) enhanced the healing of a gap injury of the medial collateral ligament as well as the central third defect of the patellar tendon. With the addition of a hydrogel form of SIS, we found that a transected goat anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) could also be healed. The result begs the research question of whether SIS hydrogel has positive effects on ACL fibroblasts (ACLFs) and thus facilitates ACL healing. Methods In the study, ECM-SIS hydrogel was fabricated from the digestion of decellularised and sterilised sheets of SIS derived from αGal-deficient (GalSafe) pigs. As a comparison, a pure collagen hydrogel was also fabricated from commercial collagen type I solution. The morphometrics of hydrogels was assessed with scanning electron microscopy. The ECM-SIS and collagen hydrogels had similar fibre diameters (0.105 ± 0.010 μm vs. 0.114 ± 0.004 μm), fibre orientation (0.51 ± 0.02 vs. 0.52 ± 0.02), and pore size (0.092 ± 0.012 μm vs. 0.087 ± 0.008 μm). The preservation of bioactive properties of SIS hydrogel was assessed by detecting bioactive molecules sensitive to processing and enzyme digestion, such as growth factors fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1), with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. ACLFs were isolated and expanded in culture from explants of rat ACLs ( n = 3). The cells were then seeded on the hydrogels and cultured with 0%, 1%, and 10% foetal bovine serum (FBS) for 3 days and 7 days. Cell attachment was observed using a light microscope and scanning electron microscopy, whereas cell proliferation and matrix production (collagen types I and III) were examined with bromodeoxyuridine assays and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Results The results showed that FGF-2 and TGF-β1 in the SIS hydrogel were preserved by 50% (65.9 ± 26.1 ng/g dry SIS) and 90% (4.4 ± 0.6 ng/g dry SIS) relative to their contents in ECM-SIS sheets, respectively. At Day 3 of culture, ACLFs on the SIS hydrogel were found to proliferate 39%, 31%, and 22% more than those on the pure collagen hydrogel at 0%, 1%, and 10% FBS, respectively ( p p p p Conclusion Our data showed that the ECM-SIS hydrogel not only supported the growth of ACLFs, but also promoted their proliferation and matrix production relative to a pure collagen hydrogel. As such, ECM-SIS hydrogel has potential therapeutic value to facilitate ACL healing at the early stage after injury.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator As A Tool To Facilitate Learning Outcomes For Team Building In The Classroom

Globalization and domestic competition are forcing businesses to rethink the human resources utilization process, and one method for considering again this challenge is creating a team culture. One key to this process for human resources development is the understanding of how to create the most successful teams. The use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a tool often used by business to achieve the goals of building work teams. College business majors must be introduced to the MBTI and to the dynamics of team building as a measurable skill necessary for their work environment. This research focuses on college classes in business communications, the directed study of the MBTI, and the heterogeneous mix of type in teams necessary for high learning outcomes. Specific pedagogical directions are provided for two team-building projects in writing, research, and oral presentation to small groups, thus meeting multiple course objectives.
New System for Cultivation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae

A modified Thayer-Martin medium, containing 2.0% agar, 0.25% dextrose, and 5.0 mug of trimethoprim per ml was compared to Thayer-Martin medium for growth of stock cultures of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and for isolation of N. gonorrhoeae from clinical specimens. Stock cultures and male urethral cultures grew equally well on both media, but the modified Thayer-Martin medium detected 10% more female patients positive for gonococci. A description is given of the use of a citric acid-sodium bicarbonate tablet for generating carbon dioxide in a sealed plastic bag containing a culture plate. Equivalent results were obtained on duplicate plates of 336 cultures and specimens when this procedure was compared with the standard candle jar extinction method of incubation. The tablet and plastic bag system has the advantages of economy, ease of use, and safety.
Global Changes and Gendered Responses: The Feminization of Migration From Georgia†

While frequently discussed, the feminization of migration remains among the least understood trends in migration literature. Existing research links feminization of migration to socioeconomic change in migrant origin countries, changes in destination-country labor markets, structural factors, and changing social attitudes. However, questions of how the feminization of migration begins and how it becomes socially institutionalized remain largely unanswered. Having experienced a recent, dramatic increase in female migration, Georgia provides an excellent case to study the emergence of women's labor migration. Our findings highlight the importance of human capital, increasing divorce rates, and an absence of local economic opportunities in motivating increasing numbers of women to migrate. Additionally, changing destination patterns and shifts in labor-market demand toward feminized occupations act as key initial conditions enabling the growth of women's migration. As migration is feminized, cultural beliefs...
Effect of viscous damping on pasek's method for determining d.c. servomotor time constants

Pasek's technique for determining the inertial and armature time constants of a separately excited d.c. motor requires the use of data curves which were originally developed assuming no viscous damping. Corrected data curves have been calculated, which show that little error results from using Pasek's method even when relatively large amounts of damping are present.
Dislodging "Embedded" Religion: A Brief Note on a Scholarly Trope

Scholars of ancient cultures are increasingly speaking of the "embeddedness" of ancient religion — arguing that the practices modern investigators group under the heading of "religion" did not compose a well-defined category in antiquity; instead, they claim that "religion was embedded" in other aspects of ancient culture. These writers use this notion of "embeddedness" to help us see that categories post-Enlightenment thinkers often regard as distinct (such as politics, economics, and religion) largely overlapped in antiquity. The trope of "embedded religion" can, however, also produce the false impression that religion is a descriptive concept rather than a redescriptive concept for ancient cultures (i.e., that there really is something "out there" in antiquity called "Roman religion" or "Mesopotamian religion," which scholars are simply describing rather than creating). By allowing this slippage between descriptive and redescriptive uses of "religion," the rhetoric of "embedded religion" exacerbates the very problem it is meant to solve.
Planning Paths Through Singularities in the Center of Mass Space

The center of mass space is a convenient space for planning motions that minimize reaction forces at the robot's base or optimize the stability of a mechanism. A unique problem associated with path planning in the center of mass space is the potential existence of multiple center of mass images for a single Cartesian obstacle, since a single center of mass location can correspond to multiple robot joint configurations. The existence of multiple images results in a need to either maintain multiple center of mass obstacle maps or to update obstacle locations when the robot passes through a singularity, such as when it moves from an elbow-up to an elbow-down configuration. To illustrate the concepts presented in this paper, a path is planned for an example task requiring motion through multiple center of mass space maps. The object of the path planning algorithm is to locate the bang- bang acceleration profile that minimizes the robot's base reactions in the presence of a single Cartesian obstacle. To simplify the presentation, only non-redundant robots are considered and joint non-linearities are neglected.