cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Residency and Activation of Myeloid Cells During Remodeling of the Prepartum Murine Cervix

Remodeling of the cervix is a critical early component of parturition and resembles an inflammatory process. Infiltration and activation of myeloid immune cells along with production of proinflammatory mediators and proteolytic enzymes are hypothesized to regulate cervical remodeling as pregnancy nears term. The present study standardized an approach to assess resident populations of immune cells and phenotypic markers of functional activities related to the mechanism of extracellular matrix degradation in the cervix in preparation for birth. Analysis of cells from the dispersed cervix of mice that were nonpregnant or pregnant (Days 15 and 18 postbreeding) by multicolor flow cytometry indicated increased total cell numbers with pregnancy as well as increased numbers of macrophages, the predominant myeloid cell, by Day 18, the day before birth. The number of activated macrophages involved in matrix metalloproteinase induction (CD147) and signaling for matrix adhesion (CD169) significantly increased by the day before birth. Expression of the adhesion markers CD54 and CD11b by macrophages decreased in the cervix by Day 18 versus that on Day 15 or in nonpregnant mice. The census of cells that expressed the migration marker CD62L was unaffected by pregnancy. The data suggest that remodeling of the cervix at term in mice is associated with recruitment and selective activation of macrophages that promote extracellular matrix degradation. Indices of immigration and activities by macrophages may thus serve as markers for local immune cell activity that is critical for ripening of the cervix in the final common mechanism for parturition at term.
Taxol, a microtubule-stabilizing antineoplastic agent, induces expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-1 in macrophages

Taxol, a naturally occurring diterpene with antitumor activity, induces tubulin polymerization to generate abnormally stable and nonfunctional microtubules. Previously, we showed that taxol has lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-like effects on macrophages. As LPS is a potent inducer of macrophage cytokine production, we investigated whether a similar effect is exerted by taxol. In a dose-dependent manner, LPS-free taxol induced release of biologically active tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) by inflammatory murine macrophages. Taxol-induced production of TNF was inhibitable by interleukin-10. By Northern blot, taxol (10 and 1 microM) induced TNF mRNA expression to an extent similar to LPS. Induction of TNF mRNA by 10 microM taxol was detectable at 45 min of stimulation, maximal at 90 min, and evident for at least 8 h. The same low concentration of taxol also induced interleukin 1 (IL-1) alpha and beta mRNA expression. We conclude that taxol triggers macrophages for TNF and IL-1 production. These LPS-like effects of taxol might contribute to its antitumor activity.
Interventional angiography: a possible role in intraoperative balloon occlusion catheterization of lacerated pelvic arteries

The use of interventional angiography has been limited in the past to the angiography suite. Significant technical difficulties have been associated with transfer of the unstable patient from the operating room for this procedure. However, current radiographic sophistication now exists to allow rapid intraoperative digital subtraction angiography of uncompromised quality to be performed. An animal model using these techniques is presented.
The Relationship Between Power and Level for Generic Unit Root Tests in Finite Samples

We show that the maximum power of a generic unit root test against any stationary alternative is equal to the true level of the test. We then use Monte Carlo methods to investigate the implications for several such tests. We show patterns of rejection probabilities over a variety of unit root and stationary processes. We discuss the implications of these results for some of the uses of unit root tests in applied work.
Low-Power STDR CMOS Sensor for Locating Faults in Aging Aircraft Wiring

A CMOS sensor used to locate intermittent faults on live aircraft wires is presented. A novel architecture was developed to implement the Sequence Time Domain Reflectometry method on a 0.5-mum integrated circuit. The sensor locates short or open circuits on active wires with an accuracy of +/-1 ft when running at a clock speed of 100 MHz. A novel algorithm is proposed that utilizes the shape of the correlation peak to account for sub-bit delay, thus increasing the accuracy of fault location. The power consumed by the microchip is 39.9 mW
Learning the Information Status of Noun Phrases in Spoken Dialogues

An entity in a dialogue may be old, new, or mediated/inferrable with respect to the hearer's beliefs. Knowing the information status of the entities participating in a dialogue can therefore facilitate its interpretation. We address the under-investigated problem of automatically determining the information status of discourse entities. Specifically, we extend Nissim's (2006) machine learning approach to information-status determination with lexical and structured features, and exploit learned knowledge of the information status of each discourse entity for coreference resolution. Experimental results on a set of Switchboard dialogues reveal that (1) incorporating our proposed features into Nissim's feature set enables our system to achieve state-of-the-art performance on information-status classification, and (2) the resulting information can be used to improve the performance of learning-based coreference resolvers.
Affordability Through Technology: Bridging the Gap

Affordability has become a major concern to the Defense Department and to the Army in particular. A whole new generation of weapons systems was started on the drawing boards in the early 1970’s, and we are just now in the process of transitioning them to Procurement and Production. As we are transitioning these new systems to production we are also experiencing substantial cost growths.
A Factorial Designed Experimental Study on the Effectiveness of Selected Advertising Structure

This study uses a factorial designed experiment to investigate the effects of three advertisement structures-comparative advertising, two-sided messages, and product performance test results--on purchase intentions. Only one variable (product performance (test results) showed a significant effect on purchase intentions, although this finding must be qualified because there was a significant interaction effect.
An introduction to modern software quality assurance

Abstract Software quality was at one time restricted to ensuring that a completed software product conformed to its explicitly stated requirements. For several years now, meeting customer expectations (both implicit and explicit) has become an important aspect of software quality assurance (SQA). The news media is filled with reports of failed software systems. Most of these failures can be traced to defects that could have been detected with better attention to the management of software quality. Modern end-users expect software products to be reliable, secure, and safe. Pressure to produce software systems faster has never been greater and agile methods have been proposed to accommodate uncertain and changing user requirements. It is clear that quality cannot be added to an evolving system just before its release. This chapter will look at SQA practices that are capable of accommodating change and still provide developers with some control over the quality of the resulting software products.
Quarks in Few Body Nuclei

Electron scattering at very high Bjorken x from hadrons provides an excellent test of models, has an important role in high energy physics, and from nuclei, provides a window into short range correlations. Light nuclei have a key role because of the relatively well-known nuclear structure. The development of a novel tritium target for Jefferson Lab has led to renewed interest in the mass three system. For example, deep inelastic scattering experiments in the light nuclei provide a powerful means to determine the neutron structure function. The isospin dependence of electron scattering from mass-3 nuclei provide information on short range correlations in nuclei. The program using the new tritium target will be presented along with a summary of other experiments aimed at revealing the large-x structure of the nucleon.
Getting into the Field: Studying Negotiation in Naturally Occurring Settings

This symposium provides a showcase of projects that have been done in field settings, in each case with unique insights that would be difficult or impossible to gain from an experimental design. On...
Neutrophil-mediated inflammation in the pathogenesis of Clostridium difficile infections

Clostridium difficile is the most important cause of nosocomial infectious diarrhea in the western world. C. difficile infections are a major healthcare burden with approximately 500,000 new cases every year and an estimated annual cost of nearly $1 billion in the U.S. Furthermore, the infections are no longer restricted to health care facilities, and recent studies indicate spread of C. difficile infection to the community as well. The clinical spectrum of C. difficile infection ranges from asymptomatic colonization to severe diarrhea, fulminant colitis and death. This spectrum results from a complex interplay between bacterial virulence factors, the colonic microbiome and the host inflammatory response. The overall vigor of host inflammatory response is believed to be an important determinant of C. difficile disease severity, and a more robust immune response is associated with worse outcomes. Neutrophils are the primary cells that respond to C. difficile invasion and neutrophilic inflammation is the hallmark of C. difficile-associated disease. In this review, we will focus on the role of neutrophils (infiltration to infected tissue, pathogen clearance and resolution of inflammation) in the immuno-pathogenesis of C. difficile-associated disease (CDAD).
Response to 5-Hydroxytryptamine and Electrophysiology of the Malpighian Tubule Muscle of the American Cockroach, Periplaneta americana,

The malpighian tubule muscle of Periplaneta americana (L.) appears to be electrically inexcitable. Small voltage fluctuations with magnitudes less than 1 mv were observed; potentials of larger size did not occur. A transmembrane potential across the muscle of −23.6±1.4 mv (95% C.I.) was recorded; the inside was negative with respect to the outside. In 1.0×10−6 M 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) the transmembrane potential was −20.3±1.0 mv. This 15.3% decrease of the transmembrane potential is suggested to be significant in accounting for the accelerated contraction rate of the tubules caused by 5-HT.
The Woman at the Window: Observations on the ‘Stele from the Harbour’ of Thasos *

The stele from the harbour (‘la stele du port’) of Thasos, SEG xlii.785, has been so named because it was dredged up from the small fishing harbour on 13 June, 1984. The inscription is of the greatest importance for Thasian epigraphy and dialect as well as for its contents, and has been amply published by H. Duchene. While the stele of Thasian marble is preserved complete, the inscribed surface has suffered much from the effects of its immersion in the sea. The lower part is well preserved, and from line 42 to the end (49) there is no problem in reading the letters on the stone. Above that, it is a very different matter; some parts seem irretrievably lost, and much of the preserved lettering consists of faint traces only. My own examination of the stone confirmed that we can have complete confidence in Duchene's facsimile. He and those who helped him have achieved wonders of skilful decipherment on this difficult text. Unless fancy new technology may one day offer better ways of recovering the letters on the stone, it seems unlikely that the readings published by Duchene could be improved.
Outside Span Double Plane Weighting Method for Quality Dynamic Unbalance of Steam Turbine High Pressure Cylinder Rotor

The fault reason of large shaft vibration of steam turbine high pressure cylinder rotor is analyzed, and the calculation and treatment process of test data are introduced. The outside span double plane weighting method for rotor quality dynamic unbalance of steam turbine high pressure cylinder is proposed. Based on the vibration data obtained by steam turbine rotor weight measurement, the influence factor of the balance measurement point vibration is calculated, and the dynamic balance equation is listed. and the optimal solution is obtained by least square method, which realizes the decreasing of three measurement point vibrations needed balanced with two weighting planes. The shaft vibration problem of steam turbine high pressure cylinder rotor is eliminated under the condition that inside weighting of high pressure cylinder rotor is not available.
A Cryogenic System for Fusion Neutron Irradiation and In-Situ Measurements on Superconductors

A specially designed liquid helium flow cryostat for irradiating Nb3Sn specimens below 20K with fusion (14.6 MeV) neutrons at the Rotating Target Neutron Sorce (RTNS-II) in Livermore and subsequent in-situ measurements of the critical parameters Tc and jc in magnetic fields up to 15.6 T has been employed in recent experiments. After each irradiation cycle, the flow cryostat was removed from the target without warmup and inserted into a split superconducting solenoid, field enhanced by holmium flux concentrators. This work emphasizes engineering aspects of the cryogenic system, the technical constraints encountered during design and, finally, its performance under operating conditions.
Additive cytotoxic effects of dihydroartemisinin and sodium salicylate on cancer cells.

Background/aim The standard methods of chemotherapy in cancer treatment are expensive and pose serious health effects. The present study investigates an alternative chemotherapy by testing the combined treatment of two drugs on leukemia cells: dihydroartemisinin (DHA) and sodium salicylate (SS). Materials and methods Cells were divided into 4 treatment groups: a control, treatment with DHA-only, treatment with SS-only, and treatment with both DHA and SS. Cells were counted immediately before the addition of any reagents (0-h count), and at 24, 48, and 72 h after treatment. Results and conclusion At low concentrations, the combination of DHA and SS significantly reduced cancer cell proliferation, although no synergistic interaction between the two drugs was found. Even without a clear synergistic interaction, the combination of DHA and SS provides a safe and affordable form of cancer treatment.
A feasibility study of a nuclear power plant with no moving parts

In a nuclear reactor design, every moving part in a system is considered a failure point. In this study, a proposal is made for designing a nuclear reactor that has no moving parts by coupling an accelerator driven core (removing control system moving parts) to a magnetohydrodynamic generator (removing power generation moving parts) using mercury coolant (removing pumping system moving parts). Further safety is realized by using a subcritical core, where the core is never able to sustain a chain reaction on its own, obviating many safety systems. The design is verified with a Monte Carlo simulation.
Big Data Techniques for Scalable In-Band and Out-of-Band HPC Energy Measurement

Research in high performance computing (HPC) energy optimization is a growing field motivated by cost and environmental drivers. As commodity server platforms are increasingly deployed as affordably scalable compute clusters, the processor and operating system's energy management capabilities also continues to advance in sophistication. This trend creates a large number of configuration and control parameter combinations that can affect a parallel program's performance and energy consumption. In pursuit of a systematic methodology for determining the optimal low-energy configuration, we have developed a precise CPU/DRAM energy measurement system that simultaneously records both out-of-band and in-band measurements for any given benchmark code executing on an entire or a defined sub-portion of an HPC compute cluster. The recording of high sample-rate, program-synchronized energy usage statistics across a multi-processor cluster from two independent measurement systems generates a large volume of experimental data. We also show how Big Data tools and techniques can make the analysis of such data sets manageable in processing the experimental output. The measurement framework and associated instrumentation are sufficiently scalable to support any program-level energy optimization research in HPC parallel systems.
Attentional modulation and domain-specificity underlying the neural organization of auditory categorical perception.

Categorical perception (CP) is highly evident in audition when listeners’ perception of speech sounds abruptly shifts identity despite equidistant changes in stimulus acoustics. While CP is an inherent property of speech perception, how (if) it is expressed in other auditory modalities (e.g., music) is less clear. Moreover, prior neuroimaging studies have been equivocal on whether attentional engagement is necessary for the brain to categorically organize sound. To address these questions, we recorded neuroelectric brain responses (ERPs) from listeners as they rapidly categorized sounds along a speech and music continuum (active task) or during passive listening. Behaviorally, listeners’ achieved sharper psychometrics and faster identification for speech than musical stimuli, which was perceived in a continuous mode. Behavioral results coincided with stronger ERP differentiation between prototypical and ambiguous tokens (i.e., categorical processing) for speech but not for music. Neural correlates of CP were only observed when listeners actively attended to the auditory signal. These findings were corroborated by brain-behavior associations; changes in neural activity predicted more successful CP (psychometric slopes) for active but not passively evoked ERPs. Our results demonstrate auditory categorization is influenced by attention (active > passive) and is stronger for more familiar/overlearned stimulus domains (speech > music). In contrast to previous studies examining highly trained listeners (i.e., musicians), we infer that (i) CP skills are largely domain specific and do not generalize to stimuli for which a listener has no immediate experience and (ii) categorical neural processing requires active engagement with the auditory stimulus. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Distinguishing the Unique Neuropathological Profile of Blast Polytrauma

Traumatic brain injury sustained after blast exposure (blast-induced TBI) has recently been documented as a growing issue for military personnel. Incidence of injury to organs such as the lungs has decreased, though current epidemiology still causes a great public health burden. In addition, unprotected civilians sustain primary blast lung injury (PBLI) at alarming rates. Often, mild-to-moderate cases of PBLI are survivable with medical intervention, which creates a growing population of survivors of blast-induced polytrauma (BPT) with symptoms from blast-induced mild TBI (mTBI). Currently, there is a lack of preclinical models simulating BPT, which is crucial to identifying unique injury mechanisms of BPT and its management. To meet this need, our group characterized a rodent model of BPT and compared results to a blast-induced mTBI model. Open field (OF) performance trials were performed on rodents at 7 days after injury. Immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate cellular outcome at day seven following BPT. Levels of reactive astrocytes (GFAP), apoptosis (cleaved caspase-3 expression), and vascular damage (SMI-71) were significantly elevated in BPT compared to blast-induced mTBI. Downstream markers of hypoxia (HIF-1α and VEGF) were higher only after BPT. This study highlights the need for unique therapeutics and prehospital management when handling BPT.
Adolescent changes in hindbrain noradrenergic A2 neurons in male rats.

Abstract During adolescence, the increased susceptibility to stress-related dysfunctions (e.g., anxiety, drug use, obesity) may be influenced by changes in the hormonal stress response mediated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. We have previously reported that restraint stress leads to significantly prolonged HPA responses in pre-adolescent compared to adult rats. Further, pre-adolescent animals exposed to restraint show greater levels of neural activation than adults in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), a key nucleus integrating information from brain regions that coordinate HPA responses. Here, we examined the potential contribution of the noradrenergic A2 region of the nucleus of the solitary tract (NST) as a contributor to these age-dependent shifts in HPA reactivity. Specifically, we used double-labeled immunohistochemistry for FOS and dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DβH) to measure cellular activation and noradrenergic cells, respectively, before or after restraint stress in pre-adolescent (30 days old) and adult (70 days old) male rats. We also measured the density of DβH-immunoreactive fibers in the PVN as an index of noradrenergic inputs to this area. We found that pre-adolescent animals have a greater number of DβH-positive cells in the A2 region compared to adults, yet the number and percentage of double-labeled DβH/FOS cells were similar between these two ages. We found no differences between the ages in the staining intensity of DβH-immunoreactive fibers in the PVN. These data indicate there are adolescent-related changes in the number of noradrenergic cells in the A2 region, but no clear association between the increased stress reactivity prior to pubertal maturation and activation of A2 noradrenergic afferents to the PVN.
Alpha Natural Resources

It was June 2010, and Kevin Crutchfield, CEO of Alpha Natural Resources, and his team of senior executives were facing several critical issues for the coal business. These issues were top of mind as he prepared a presentation he was expected to deliver the following Monday to ANR shareholders at the annual meeting. For fiscal year 2009, the company had revenues of $2,495 million, an increase of 1% compared with 2008, and $58 million in net income. This was relatively good considering the economic environment, but the company's long-run future was what had Crutchfield really concerned. Excerpt UVA-F-1631 Nov. 30, 2011 Alpha Natural Resources It was June 2010, and Kevin Crutchfield, CEO of Alpha Natural Resources (ANR), and his team of senior executives were facing several critical issues for the coal business. These issues were top of mind as he prepared a presentation he was expected to deliver the following Monday to ANR shareholders at the annual meeting. For fiscal year 2009, the company had revenues of $ 2,495 million, an increase of 1% compared with 2008, and $ 58 million in net income. This was relatively good considering the economic environment, but the company's long-run future was what had Crutchfield really concerned. ANR was the third-largest coal producer in the United States, with a production capacity of close to 100 million tons of steam and metallurgical coal. Although it was a young company, founded in 2002, it had become through acquisitions one of the largest players in the coal industry, employing almost 6,400 people and operating primarily in five states—Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming. During the previous few years, environmental concerns related to greenhouse gases (GHGs) had grown. Society's desire to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from coal-fired power plants was putting pressure on the U.S. Congress to pass legislation addressing this issue. Two proposed cap-and-trade bills had been discussed, and if passed, either of these bills would mean a radical change in the coal business. Some of the more severe estimates forecast that utilities' demand for coal in the United States could drop 80% by 2030. . . .
Societal Violence, Driver Age, and Attained Education: Independent Contributions to Road Accidents?

Twenty years ago, an analysis (Sivak, 1983) showed that homicide rates and proportion of young drivers were significant and independent predictors of states’ fatal accident rates. In the present study, we revisited these relationships by examining the data for year 2000, and included attained education as an additional independent variable. The goal was to provide evidence concerning the degree of independent contribution of violence, driver age, and education to current accident patterns. A regression analysis was performed using the 2000 fatal accident data for the 50 individual states (excluding D.C.). The dependent variable was the fatal accident rate per licensed driver. There were three independent variables: the homicide rate per person, the proportion of licensed drivers under 20 years of age, and the proportion of persons that attained at least a college degree among the population aged 25 years and older. Consistent with Sivak (1983), both the homicide rate and the proportion of young drivers were significant predictors of states’ fatal accident rate, but so also was the proportion of college graduates. Specifically, a higher traffic fatality rate was associated with a higher homicide rate, a higher proportion of young drivers, and a lower proportion of college graduates. The respective simple correlation were 0.35, 0.50, and -0.66. A multiple regression showed that each of these three independent variables has a significant and independent relationship with the dependent variable. The three predictors accounted for a total of 63% of the variance in the traffic fatality rate. The present analysis indicates strong independent relationships between states’ homicide rate, proportion of young drivers, and attained education on one hand and states’ fatal accident rate on the other hand. However, because this was an observational study, causal relationships cannot be directly inferred. For example, from this multiple regression it is not possible to exclude the possibility that the apparent effects of the three independent variables stand for the effects of other, not explicitly identified variables. Nevertheless, the present results are consistent with the possibility of independent contributions to traffic accident causation of the level of societal violence, inexperience/risk taking of young drivers, and level of education. The presentation discusses the potential implication of these findings, along with methodological issues related to these kinds of analyses.
Genetic prediction of type 2 diabetes using deep neural network

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) has strong heritability but genetic models to explain heritability have been challenging. We tested deep neural network (DNN) to predict T2DM using the nested case-control study of Nurses' Health Study (3326 females, 45.6% T2DM) and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (2502 males, 46.5% T2DM). We selected 96, 214, 399, and 678 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) through Fisher's exact test and L1-penalized logistic regression. We split each dataset randomly in 4:1 to train prediction models and test their performance. DNN and logistic regressions showed better area under the curve (AUC) of ROC curves than the clinical model when 399 or more SNPs included. DNN was superior than logistic regressions in AUC with 399 or more SNPs in male and 678 SNPs in female. Addition of clinical factors consistently increased AUC of DNN but failed to improve logistic regressions with 214 or more SNPs. In conclusion, we show that DNN can be a versatile tool to predict T2DM incorporating large numbers of SNPs and clinical information. Limitations include a relatively small number of the subjects mostly of European ethnicity. Further studies are warranted to confirm and improve performance of genetic prediction models using DNN in different ethnic groups.
On Modeling and Analysis of Cell Selection in Wireless Cellular Networks

Cell selection algorithms involve decision on measurement of data, typically processed signal strength, mapped in events into the space values of random vectors designating a particular set of base stations. Here, we define an assignment probability model and use it for a particular processing of data through the exponential smoothing window. Furthermore, we obtain the multidimensional joint probability density functions and hysteresis crossing rates of the relative processed signal strength using covariance matrix. We consider an arbitrary path for mobile trajectory and develop a model to obtain the probability of assignment to base stations for a simple hysteresis based algorithm. Subsequently, along with level-crossing model, we derive the expected number of cell selection, for rectilinear trajectories over hexagonal cells. We demonstrate the validity of the model through simulation and discuss the limitation of the model.
Modern Classical Homotopy Theory

The core of classical homotopy theory is a body of ideas and theorems that emerged in the 1950s and was later largely codified in the notion of a model category. This core includes the notions of fibration and cofibration; CW complexes; long fiber and cofiber sequences; loop spaces and suspensions; and so on. Brown's representability theorems show that homology and cohomology are also contained in classical homotopy theory. This text develops classical homotopy theory from a modern point of view, meaning that the exposition is informed by the theory of model categories and that homotopy limits and colimits play central roles. The exposition is guided by the principle that it is generally preferable to prove topological results using topology (rather than algebra). The language and basic theory of homotopy limits and colimits make it possible to penetrate deep into the subject with just the rudiments of algebra. The text does reach advanced territory, including the Steenrod algebra, Bott periodicity, localization, the Exponent Theorem of Cohen, Moore, and Neisendorfer, and Miller's Theorem on the Sullivan Conjecture. Thus the reader is given the tools needed to understand and participate in research at (part of) the current frontier of homotopy theory. Proofs are not provided outright. Rather, they are presented in the form of directed problem sets. To the expert, these read as terse proofs; to novices they are challenges that draw them in and help them to thoroughly understand the arguments.
Units of analysis for the description and explanation of personality.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the need for units of analysis. Every science has a nomenclature that describes and defines its domain of study. The list of the units of analysis used by personality psychologists is wildly diverse. The apparent diversity of the units of analysis masks a unity underlying them and that this unity is captured by the term trait. Traits are consistent patterns of thoughts, feelings, or actions that distinguish people from one another. Traits seem to be required for science of personality because any science involves detecting and explaining consistent patterns. Trait follows three features: (1) traits can refer to thoughts, feelings, or behavior. Behavior depends on social contexts and that consistencies are an artifact of a person being in similar situations. This point is often overlooked by psychologists who define personality only in terms of consistent behaviors. (2) Trait ascription invariably involves comparison among people. (3) For traits to distinguish people from one another, they must display some distinctive consistency. Two forms of traits, discussed in this chapter, are outer traits and inner traits. Outer traits can be directly observed and inner traits that must be inferred.
Introduction to textile fiber identification

Abstract: The identification of fibers is critical to a number of industries, including textiles, forensic science, fashion, and design. The actual identification, however, varies with industry and method. Changes in textile technology create a constant need to improve identification methodology. The old methods – despite the increased pace of new technology – are often the best. Microscopy still dominates the field for analytical methods and provides a range of analysis barely possible with any other method. Combined with spectroscopy, microscopy is the quintessential fiber identification tool.
Ectopic poorly differentiated (insular) carcinoma of the thyroid : report of a case presenting as an anterior mediastinal mass

A case is presented of an anterior mediastinal mass arising in a 64-year-old woman that showed on histologic, immunopathologic, and ultra-structural examination features of a poorly differentiated (insular) thyroid carcinoma. The tumor in this patient most likely arose from ectopically displaced thyroid tissue on the basis of a developmental defect. The clinicopathologic features and differential diagnosis of the lesion in the setting of its mediastinal location are discussed. Ectopic poorly differentiated (insular) carcinoma of the thyroid should be added to the list of mediastinal tumors showing a solid or insular growth pattern.
Association among anterior cingulate cortex volume, psychophysiological response, and PTSD diagnosis in a Veteran sample.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with fear response system dysregulation. Research has shown that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) may modulate the fear response and that individuals with PTSD have abnormalities in ACC structure and functioning. Our objective was to assess whether ACC volume moderates the relationship between PTSD and fear-potentiated psychophysiological response in a sample of Gulf War Veterans. 142 Veteran participants who were associated with a larger study associated with Gulf War Illness were exposed to no threat, ambiguous threat, and high threat conditions in a fear conditioned startle response paradigm and also provided MRI imaging data. PTSD was assessed using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). Decreased caudal ACC volume predicted greater psychophysiological responses with a slower habituation of psychophysiological magnitudes across trials (p < 0.001). PTSD diagnosis interacted significantly with both caudal and rostral ACC volumes on psychophysiological response magnitudes, where participants with PTSD and smaller rostral and caudal ACC volumes had greater psychophysiological magnitudes across trials (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively) and threat conditions (p < 0.05 and p < 0.005). Our results suggest that ACC volume may moderate both threat sensitivity and threat response via impaired habituation in individuals who have been exposed to traumatic events. More research is needed to assess whether ACC size and these associated response patterns are due to neurological processes resulting from trauma exposure or if they are indicative of a premorbid risk for PTSD subsequent to trauma exposure.
The Mechanisms of Reactive Ion Etching Of SiOx (x≤2) with Electron Cyclotron Resonance and Kaufman Ion Sources

The dominant factors governing reactive ion etching of Si, SiO, and SiO 2 thin films during bombardment with energetic Ar ions in a Cl atmosphere were investigated. Etch rates were determined in-situ by measuring weight loss as a function of ion fluence for films deposited on a quartz micro-balance. Measurements were made as a function of ion energy and Cl pressure using a Kaufman gun for ion energies from 300 to 1500 eV and an electron cyclotron resonance microwave ion source for ion energies from 50 to 600 eV and for Cl pressures ranging from 0.006 to 0.05 Pa. Results were compared to sputtering in Ar alone. The results indicated that the presence of the C1 enhanced the etch rate for all three materials, with the degree of enhancement being inversely proportional to the oxygen content of the film. It was also discovered that there was an optimum pressure for enhancement of the etching and that at the highest pressures, the etching could actually be suppressed. These results are discussed in terms of physisorbed gas layers, the thickness of which depends on the balance between the flux of energetic particles and the gas flux.
How Old Is Too Old? Safety of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery and Early Hospital Discharge in Elderly Women

Abstract Objective: With the increasing age of the population, more elderly women undergo gynecologic surgery. While multiple studies have demonstrated the advantages of minimally invasive surgery ...
Korean: A Linguistic Introduction

In this accessible survey, two leading specialists introduce a broad range of topics in Korean linguistics, including the general historical background of the language, its phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics, and the interfaces between those areas. Expertly written and drawing on the authors' many years of experience, the book answers questions such as what languages is Korean related to, what is unique about the Korean sound system, and how are 'subject' and 'topic' distinguished in Korean. It guides the student through the major issues in Korean linguistics in a theory-neutral way, at the same time discussing the latest research on the language, and exploring its unique writing system, which has long been a topic of interest to linguists and to those interested in writing systems in general. It is the ideal introduction for students both at the beginning of their studies, and at a more advanced level.
An analysis of analgesia and opioid prescribing for veterans after thoracic surgery.

The opioid crisis is a public health issue and has been linked to physician overprescribing. Pain management after thoracic surgery is not standardized at many centers, and we hypothesized that excessive narcotics were being dispensed on discharge. As a quality improvement initiative, we sought to understand current prescribing practices to better align the amount of opioids dispensed on discharge to actual patient needs. This was a single-center, retrospective review of patients undergoing thoracic surgery from 7/2015 to 7/2018. Demographics, operative data, perioperative pain medication use, and discharge pain medication prescriptions were analyzed. Opioids were converted to Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MME). Among 124 patients, 103 (83%) received intraoperative nerve blocks and 106 (85.5%) used PCAs. Prescribed MME/day at discharge were significantly higher than MME/day received during hospitalization (Median 30 [IQR 30–45] vs. 15 [IQR 5–24], p < 0.001) and were not associated with receiving a nerve block or PCA. By procedure, prescribed MME/day were significantly higher than inpatient MME/day for wedge resections (p < 0.001), segmentectomies (p = 0.02), lobectomies (p = 0.003), and thymectomies (p = 0.02). Patients are being discharged with significantly more opioids than they are using as inpatients. Education among prescribers and a standardized approach with patient-specific dosing may reduce excessive opioid dispensing.
Coolness and admiration diverge in early adolescence among African American students in low-income urban schools.

Peer nominations were used to explore age-related differences in the correlates of being admired and being perceived as cool among 542 youths in 5 low-income urban schools (Grades 3–6; 86% African American). Children nominated peers whom they admired and whom they perceived as cool, prosocial, and good at academics. Classroom group-level and dyadic-level analyses yielded complementary findings in support of 3 developmental hypotheses. Consistent with the distinctiveness of coolness and admiration hypothesis, the coolness-admiration partial correlation (net of acceptance) was null in Grades 4–6 (but not in Grade 3), indicating that admiration and coolness are distinct constructs. Consistent with the continuity of admiration hypothesis, peer admiration was associated with higher levels of academic reputation and prosocial behavior in all 4 grades. Consistent with the discontinuity of coolness hypothesis, associations between coolness and student attributes differed reliably with ascending grade: toward being less prosocial, older (relative to classmates), and having a less positive academic reputation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)
The effect of combined carprofen and omeprazole administration on gastrointestinal permeability and inflammation in dogs

Background Proton pump inhibitors (eg, omeprazole) commonly are administered concurrently with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs; eg, carprofen) as prophylaxis to decrease the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) injury. However, evidence to support this practice is weak, and it might exacerbate dysbiosis and inflammation. Hypothesis/objectives To evaluate the effect of carprofen alone or combined with omeprazole in dogs. We hypothesized that coadministration of omeprazole and carprofen would significantly increase GI permeability and dysbiosis index (DI) compared to no treatment or carprofen alone. Animals Six healthy adult colony beagle dogs. Methods Gastrointestinal permeability and inflammation were assessed by serum lipopolysaccharide (LPS) concentration, plasma iohexol concentration, fecal DI, and fecal calprotectin concentration in a prospective, 3-period design. In the first 7-day period, dogs received no intervention (baseline). During the 2nd period, dogs received 4 mg/kg of carprofen q24h PO for 7 days. In the 3rd period, dogs received 4 mg/kg of carprofen q24h and 1 mg/kg of omeprazole q12h PO for 7 days. Gastrointestinal permeability testing was performed at the end of each period. Data were analyzed using repeated measures mixed model analysis of variance with Tukey-Kramer post hoc tests (P Results Serum LPS and plasma iohexol concentrations did not differ between treatments. Fecal calprotectin concentrations differed between treatments (P = .03). The DI varied over time based on the treatment received (P = .03). Coadministration of omeprazole and carprofen significantly increased fecal calprotectin concentration and DI compared to baseline and carprofen alone. Conclusions and clinical importance Omeprazole prophylaxis induces fecal dysbiosis and increases intestinal inflammatory markers when coadministered with carprofen to otherwise healthy dogs with no other risk factors for GI bleeding.
Updates in transition cow health and nutrition.

Transition cow nutritional management strategies have evolved significantly over the past 10 years and continue to evolve. Management of subclinical hypocalcemia is important to support high milk yield, excellent reproduction, and decrease subclinical disease. Feeding anionic diets before calving, perhaps using more aggressive strategies, improves blood calcium status post-calving and increases post-calving dry matter intakes and milk yield. Controlling energy intake before calving improves postpartum energy balance and decreases subclinical ketosis; feeding adequate metabolizable protein before calving helps maintain high milk yield after calving. Excellent feeding management (managing chop length of bulky forage and moisture of the (total mixed ration) TMR) of transition rations is critical for on-farm success; many dairy farms have opportunities for improved feeding management. There may be interactions of starch levels pre- and post-calving; cows fed low starch pre-calving rations should be fed lower starch diets after calving, whereas cows fed moderate starch rations pre-calving can likely be fed starch levels more typical of high starch cow rations after calving. Furthermore, there may be opportunities to combine higher fermentability with higher bulk in fresh cow rations to improve feed intakes after calving, as well as to more critically consider metabolizable protein and amino acid formulation of the fresh diet.
Mapping solid reservoir bitumen by deconvoluting formation mechanism

Abstract Solid reservoir bitumen is a geologic risk that controls reservoir quality and fluid distribution and has a profound impact on field development and near-field exploration. Understanding the exact mechanism responsible for the development of solid bitumen is therefore a prerequisite toward its proper quantification and mapping. A sandstone reservoir of an anticlinal gas condensate field was investigated geochemically, and data integrated with reservoir diagenetic history to explain abundant solid bitumen encountered within several meters immediately below a regional unconformity in crestal wells, as opposed to deeper sections and downdip wells. The reservoir is generally characterized by a similar sedimentological and diagenetic history across the field, with diagenetic illite grain coats and quartz cement occurring in both updip and downdip wells. The influx of gas condensates into the upper part of the preexisting oil reservoir, possibly facilitated by a major fault, appears to have caused thermodynamic disequilibrium, leading to de-asphalting and subsequent deposition of solid bitumen. Textural and radiometric age dating, integrated with fluid inclusion homogenization temperatures and basin modeling, suggests the initiation of bitumen deposition 129 Ma, immediately after the arrival of gas condensates into the reservoir. As the process was restricted to the uppermost part of the reservoir, it is possible that the solid bitumen, once developed, has improved sealing efficiency along the unconformity and the trapping of subsequent hydrocarbon charges in the underlying reservoir. Better reservoir quality can be inferred farther downdip in areas inaccessible to gas incursions and hence not affected by gas de-asphalting. Other processes, such as regional uplift-induced phase separation, in-reservoir thermal cracking, water-washing, and biodegradation, were also examined and found irrelevant to the formation of solid bitumen in question.