cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Role for Neoadjuvant Gemcitabine Plus Cisplatin in Muscle-Invasive Urothelial Carcinoma of the Bladder: A Retrospective Experience

BACKGROUND. Neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy improves survival in muscle-invasive urothelial cancer, with MVAC (methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin and cisplatin) considered the standard regimen. Gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GC) has similar efficacy and less toxicity than MVAC in metastatic disease, but is untested as neoadjuvant treatment. METHODS. The authors retrospectively evaluated patients with muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma who received neoadjuvant GC before radical cystectomy between November 2000 and December 2006 at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Post-therapy pathological downstaging to either residual disease at cystectomy (pT0) or no residual muscle-invasion (<pT2, ie, pT0, pTIS, pT1), chemotherapy delivery, and disease-free survival were the endpoints of interest. For comparison, similar endpoints were assessed in a historical cohort treated with neoadjuvant MVAC. RESULTS. Four cycles of neoadjuvant GC were given over 12 weeks (n = 42). Thirty-nine (93%) of 42 patients received 4 cycles, with a median 91% drug delivery for cisplatin and 90% for gemcitabine. The pT0 proportion was 26% (95% confidence interval [CI], 14-42), and no residual muscle-invasive disease proportion (<pT2) was 36% (95% CI, 21-52); pT0 was achieved in 28% (95% CI, 16-42) and <pT2 in 35% (95% CI, 23-49) of 54 MVAC-treated patients. All 15 GC patients achieving <pT2 pathologic stage remained disease-free at a median follow-up of 30 months. CONCLUSIONS. Neoadjuvant GC is feasible and allows for timely drug delivery. The proportion of GC-treated patients whose primary tumors were downstaged, with prolonged disease-free survival and minimal or no residual disease, was similar to MVAC-treated patients. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Design of a high pulse repetition rate CO2 Doppler lidar for atmospheric monitoring

System considerations and the design of infrared coherent lidars utilizing tropospheric backscatter are discussed. Requirements regarding power measurement, Doppler measurement, antenna and laser energy considerations are addressed. A design for an improved CO2 laser source is proposed that meets these requirements and is compact and capable of unattended operation.
He II flowmetering

Abstract Flowmetering methods for He II are reviewed with emphasis on problems particular to this unique fluid. The flowmetering of He II is unusual because the fluid processes a number of special properties: a high rate of heat conductivity, a low temperature ( T
THE EXISTENCE OF HETEROSCEDASTICITY AND ITS EFFECT ON ESTIMATES OF THE MARKET MODEL PARAMETERS

A number of recent studies have found significant evidence of heteroscedasticity in the market model. These studies have only documented the existence of heteroscedasticity and have not determined the actual impact of this econometric aberration in the estimation process. This study develops a more general specification to determine the effects of heteroscedasticity on the market model parameters. The consequences of this econometric problem in relation to efficiency-bias, temporal stability of betas, and estimates of systematic risk are revealed in the estimation of a maximum likelihood specification.
Mean Arterial Pressures During the First 24 Hours of Life in ≤600-Gram Birth Weight Infants

OBJECTIVE: To determine mean arterial pressure values during the first 24 hours for “stable” and “unstable” extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants and to ascertain its association with perinatal factors. BACKGROUND: In ELBW infants, hypotension is diagnosed by nonspecific clinical signs together with reference arterial pressure values extrapolated from regression models or from scarce actual observations. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: 101 ELBW (≤600 g) infants born in our medical center (1989–2000). Considered stable were 36 infants with umbilical cord hemoglobin ≥14 g/dl who, although mechanically ventilated, had normal acid–base balance, no patent ductus arteriosus, had not received indomethacin, steroids, muscle relaxants, narcotics, were never treated for hypotension and survived at least 7 days. The remaining 65 infants constituted the unstable group. Arterial pressures were determined by oscillometry (OBP) and direct transducer readings through an umbilical line (MAP). All admission and 10% of the readings were by OBP; the remaining 1877 measurements were by MAP. RESULTS: Stable and unstable infants were similar in birth weight, demographics, history of chorioamnionitis, antepartum steroids, low Apgar scores, administration of epinephrine during resuscitation, and sepsis. Stable infants were different from unstable in gestational age (27±2 vs 25±2 weeks' gestational age [w GA]), history of preterm labor, preeclampsia, and neonatal mortality (22 vs 68%). Admission OBP (30±7 vs 29±10 Torr) were similar and 1-hour MAP were different (30±6 vs 27±7 Torr) between both groups. MAP for stable infants was higher throughout the 24 hours. Greater differences were noted between 3 and 6 hours when 34 of 65 unstable infants were treated for hypotension. Mean MAP and 10 percentile values for stable infants at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours were 30 (22), 31 (24), 32 (25), 34 (24), and 35 (28) Torr, respectively. MAPs did not correlate with birth weight, but they were lower among 19 stable infants ≤26 w GA than among 17 stable infants ≥27 w GA. History of preeclampsia, antenatal steroids, intratracheal epinephrine and cord hemoglobin did not influence MAP. Low 1-minute Apgar score and intracranial hemorrhage were associated with low MAP during the first day. CONCLUSION: There is a wide variation of GA among ELBW infants. MAPs increase with GA and with postnatal age. Shortly after birth, arterial pressures are similar for stable and unstable infants. Failure to increase MAP between 3 and 6 hours of life should create concern. MAP ≤28 Torr at 3 hours of life is a reasonable, but not absolute, predictor of the need for hypotension treatment.
The effect of different carbon sources on the sugar composition of the mycelium of Aspergillus niger

The effect of different carbon sources on the sugar concentration and composition of theAspergillus niger mycelium has been studied at different days of incubation. No positive correlation could be drawn among dry weight, growth rate, and concentration of sugar and with substrate and sugar composition of mycelium. Glucose was the predominant sugar in all the cases.
Spreader classification based on optimal dynamic bit sharing

Spreader classification is an online traffic measurement function that has many important applications. In order to keep up with ever-higher line speed, the recent research trend is to implement such functions in fast but small on-die SRAM. However, the mismatch between the huge amount of Internet traffic to be monitored and limited on-die memory space presents a significant technical challenge. In this paper, we propose an Efficient Spreader Classification (ESC) scheme based on dynamic bit sharing, a compact information storage method. We design a maximum likelihood estimation method to extract per-source information from the compact storage and determine the heavy spreaders. Our new scheme ensures that false positive/negative ratios are bounded. Moreover, given an arbitrary set of bounds, we develop a systematic approach to determine the optimal system parameters that minimize the amount of memory needed to meet the bounds. Experiments based on a real Internet traffic trace demonstrate that the proposed spreader classification scheme reduces memory consumption by 3-20 times when compared to the best existing work. We also investigate a new multi-objective spreader classification problem and extend our classification scheme to solve it.
THE BINDING OF THYROIDAL HORMONES BY TRITON WR-1339

The ability of Triton WR-1339 to bind thyroxine was determined by the thyroxine-stabilization technic of Tata. In addition, the effect of Triton treatment on the amount of triiodothyronine bound by...
Policy Support For Patient-Centered Care: The Need For Measurable Improvements In Decision Quality

ABSTRACT: The phenomenon of practice variation draws attention to the need for better management of clinical decision making as a means of ensuring quality. Different policies to address variations...
Dynamics of normal and ischemic canine papillary muscles

This investigation was designed to elucidate the dynamics of the left ventricular (LV) papillary muscles. Miniature tantalum myocardial markers were placed on the tip and base of each papillary muscle in six dogs. Markers were also implanted into the LV myocardium to define two orthogonal equatorial diameters and the long-axis dimension. Two weeks later, after recovery from thoracotomy, markers were visualized by biplane fluoroscopy, and video images were recorded during control conditions, after autonomic blockade, after inotropic stimulation with calcium, after methoxamine infusion (to increase afterload), and after blood volume augmentation (to increase preload). Two days later, radiographic recordings were made before and after occlusion of the left circumflex coronary artery. Computer-aided analysis of the video recordings was used to determine three-dimensional coordinates of the markers. It was found that before circumflex coronary occlusion, the dynamics of both papillary muscles closely mimicked the dynamics of the LV as a whole. The papillary muscles shortened during ejection and lengthened during diastole. Their lengths changed minimally during the isovolumic periods, and this behavior was not altered by any of the interventions except coronary occlusion. During circumflex coronary artery occlusion, the ischemic posterior papillary muscle lengthened during isovolumic contraction and most of ejection and shortened only when LV pressure began to fall. Hence, we believe that previous studies demonstrating papillary muscle lengthening during isovolumic contraction and shortening during isovolumic relaxation may have been confounded by coexistent myocardial ischemia or stunning.
Health Policy and Craniofacial Care: Issues in Resource Alllocation

The distribution of health care services, including craniofacial services in the United States, is examined. The U.S. has a unique health care financing and organizational system in which persons are most commonly covered by health insurance as a benefit of their employment. Current estimates are that nearly 40 million Americans have no health insurance (Himmelstein et al., 1992). Approximately half of the uninsured persons are in low-wage employment that does not provide health insurance benefits nor allow them to qualify for Medicaid (Pepper Commission, 1990). Personal health care costs now exceed 11% of the U.S. gross domestic product, a significantly higher percentage than that found in other industrialized nations (Consumer Reports, 1990b). Within the current system, is health care distributed in a fair or moral manner? What are the effects of the allocation scheme? Possible changes in health care financing and delivery are examined and basic ethical and social issues associated with a changing U.S. health care delivery system are explored.
Controlling spam Emails at the routers

Like it or not, unsolicited bulk commercial Email (aka "spam") has become a regular menu item on the Internet information diet. Every day, millions of people find their Email in-boxes clogged with vast quantities of spam. Moreover, the daily replenishment of all those in-boxes with new spam also consumes significant amount of network bandwidth. Dealing with spam is like fighting a battle against a large army; the most effective approach is to employ multiple tactics. However, almost all spam control methods that have been proposed and implemented follow the same basic theme of establishing a "front line" of defense at the end-user level. Thus, in this paper we propose a method for blocking the supply lines. More specifically, we identify spam at the router level and control it via rate limiting. Spam identification is done in two phases. In the first phase, we identify the bulk stream of Email messages and in second phase we apply Bayesian classifier to identify whether it is a spam. If a bulk Email stream is classified as a spam then we rate limit it (e.g. no more than one copy per minute). Our proposed method exploits the short timespan delivery and bulkiness of spam Emails. We use publicly available spam corpus to evaluate our proposed scheme and in the other set of experiments, we work on one month sanitized log of our department Emails to provide the representative results.
Parent-Directed Intervention for Children With Cancer-Related Neurobehavioral Late Effects: A Randomized Pilot Study

Objective To evaluate feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an intervention directed at parents of childhood cancer survivors (CCSs) with neurobehavioral late effects to improve targeted parenting skills, and thus to indirectly benefit the child’s educational functioning. Methods 44 CCSs and their parents were randomized. Intervention-arm parents participated in eight individual training sessions augmented by a 3-month telephone support period. Pre- and postparent measures and child performance on Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-II and School Motivation and Learning Strategies Inventory assessed intervention effects. Results 90% of intervention parents completed the program with high adherence/perceived benefit. Between-group effect sizes ranged from d ¼ 0.77 to d ¼ 1.45 for parent knowledge, efficacy, frequency of pro-learning behaviors, and d ¼ 0.21 to d ¼ 0.76 for child academic scores. Parental time spent in intervention activities was associated with academic change. Conclusions A parent-directed intervention to indirectly promote academic functioning in CCSs appears feasible and effective in improving targeted parenting outcomes and for selected child academic outcomes.
Anterograde Transneuronal Viral Tracing of Central Viscerosensory Pathways in Rats

Previous studies demonstrated that strain H129 of herpes simplex virus-1 undergoes anterograde transneuronal transport in mice and primates after peripheral or central injection. In this study, H129 was used in rats to identify CNS regions that receive relayed viscero-sensory inputs from the stomach wall. We also examined whether transneuronal viral transport in this model is exclusively anterograde. H129 or an established retrograde transneuronal viral tracer, pseudorabies virus (PRV), was injected into the ventral stomach wall in intact rats or in rats with previous subdiaphragmatic vagal sensory deafferentation. Rats were perfused with fixative 3–5 d later, and tissues were processed for immunocytochemical detection of transported virus. In intact rats, H129 was transported transneuronally via vagal and spinal viscerosensory neurons to postsynaptic target cells in the medullary dorsal vagal complex and thoracic dorsal horn, respectively, with subsequent transport to discrete regions of the medullary and pontine reticular formation, cerebellum, parabrachial nucleus, periaqueductal gray, thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and other central sites. Comparison of labeling patterns in intact and vagal deafferented rats indicated that H129 also produced first-order retrograde infection of autonomic neurons that project directly to virus injection sites, similar to PRV. Unlike PRV, however, H129 was not transported transneuronally in the retrograde direction from infected neurons to central sources of presynaptic input. We conclude that transneuronal transport of H129 occurs exclusively in the anterograde direction to reveal CNS regions that receive direct and relayed viscerosensory signals.
Lipopolysaccharide Depresses Cardiac Contractility and β-Adrenergic Contractile Response by Decreasing Myofilament Response to Ca2+ in Cardiac Myocytes

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plays a key role in the pathogenesis of sepsis. Cardiac function and the inotropic response to beta-adrenergic stimulation are impaired in sepsis. We hypothesized that LPS, in clinically relevant levels (1 ng/mL), directly depresses contractility and beta-adrenergic responses in cardiac myocytes. Cardiac myocytes were isolated from the left ventricle of adult rabbits using digestive enzymes (collagenase and protease). We depyrogenated the enzymes (LPS contamination lowered from 100 to 300 ng/mL to < 0.7 ng/mL) to minimize development of LPS tolerance during cell isolation. After 6 hours of incubation with 1 ng/mL LPS, there was a decrease in the extent of active cell shortening with no change in Ca2+ transients (measured with indo 1 fluorescence), indicating decreased myofilament responsiveness to Ca2+. This was related to NO pathways, since cGMP (a second messenger of NO) increased in cardiac myocytes and LPS effects were completely reversed with a 1 mmol/L NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA, a NO synthase inhibitor). LPS did not alter the intracellular Ca2+ response to beta-adrenergic stimulation with isoproterenol but attenuated the contractile response (maximal cell shortening, 15.5 +/- 1.0% versus 23.3 +/- 1.1% in control myocytes; P < .001). LPS attenuation of the contractile response to isoproterenol was restored completely by L-NMMA and almost completely restored (to 86% of the control response) by an inhibitor of cGMP-dependent protein kinase. We conclude that LPS depresses cardiac contractility and the contractile response to beta-adrenergic stimulation by a NO-cGMP-mediated decrease in myofilament responsiveness to Ca2+. The direct effects of low levels of LPS on cardiac myocytes may contribute to cardiac depression and hemodynamic decompensation during sepsis.
Photochemical production and evolution of selected C2-C5 alkyl nitrates in tropospheric air influenced by Asian outflow

Author(s): Simpson, IJ; Blake, NJ; Blake, DR; Atlas, E; Flocke, F; Crawford, JH; Fuelberg, HE; Kiley, CM; Meinardi, S; Rowland, FS | Abstract: The photochemical production and evolution of six C2-C5 alkyl nitrates (ethyl-, 1-propyl-, 2-propyl-, 2-butyl-, 2-pentyl-, and 3-pentyl nitrate) was investigated using selected data from 5500 whole air samples collected downwind of Asia during the airborne Transport and Chemical Evolution over the Pacific (TRACE-P) field campaign (February-April 2001). Air mass age was important for selecting appropriate field data to compare with laboratory predictions of C5 alkyl nitrate production rates. In young, highly polluted air masses, the ratio between the production rates of 3-pentyl nitrate and 2-pentyl nitrate from n-pentane was 0.60-0.65. These measured ratios show excellent agreement with results from a field study in Germany (0.63 ± 0.06), and they agree better with predicted ratios from older laboratory kinetic studies (0.63-0.66) than with newer laboratory results (0.73 ± 0.08). TRACE-P samples that did not show influence from marine alkyl nitrate sources were used to investigate photochemical alkyl nitrate evolution. Relative to 2-butyl nitrate/n-butane, the measured ratios of ethyl nitrate/ethane and 2-propyl nitrate/propane showed notable deviations from modeled values based on laboratory kinetic data, suggesting additional Asian sources of their alkyl peroxy radical precursors. By contrast, the measured ratios of 1-propyl-, 2-pentyl-, and 3-pentyl nitrate to their respective parent hydrocarbons were fairly close to modeled values. The 1-propyl nitrate findings contrast with field studies in North America, and suggest that air downwind of Asia was not significantly impacted by additional 1-propyl nitrate precursors. The sensitivity of modeled photochemical processing times to hydroxyl radical concentration, altitude, city ventilation times, and dilution is discussed.
A Fungal Kinesin Required for Organelle Motility, Hyphal Growth, and Morphogenesis

A gene (NhKIN1) encoding a kinesin was cloned from Nectria haematococca genomic DNA by polymerase chain reaction amplification, using primers corresponding to conserved regions of known kinesin-encoding genes. Sequence analysis showed that NhKIN1 belongs to the subfamily of conventional kinesins and is distinct from any of the currently designated kinesin-related protein subfamilies. Deletion of NhKIN1 by transformation-mediated homologous recombination caused several dramatic phenotypes: a 50% reduction in colony growth rate, helical or wavy hyphae with reduced diameter, and subcellular abnormalities including withdrawal of mitochondria from the growing hyphal apex and reduction in the size of the Spitzenkorper, an apical aggregate of secretory vesicles. The effects on mitochondria and Spitzenkorper were not due to altered microtubule distribution, as microtubules were abundant throughout the length of hyphal tip cells of the mutant. The rate of spindle elongation during anaphase B of mitosis was reduced 11%, but the rate was not significantly different from that of wild type. This lack of a substantial mitotic phenotype is consistent with the primary role of the conventional kinesins in organelle motility rather than mitosis. Our results provide further evidence that the microtubule-based motility mechanism has a direct role in apical transport of secretory vesicles and the first evidence for its role in apical transport of mitochondria in a filamentous fungus. They also include a unique demonstration that a microtubule-based motor protein is essential for normal positioning of the Spitzenkorper, thus providing a new insight into the cellular basis for the aberrant hyphal morphology.
Understanding of Abdominal Compartment Syndrome among Pediatric Healthcare Providers.

Background. The sparse reporting of abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) in the pediatric literature may reflect inadequate awareness and recognition among pediatric healthcare providers (HCP). Purpose. To assess awareness of ACS, knowledge of the definition and intraabdominal pressure (IAP) measurement techniques used among pediatric HCP. Method. A written survey distributed at two pediatric critical care conferences. Results. Forty-seven percent of 1107 questionnaires were completed. Participants included pediatric intensivists, pediatric nurses, and others. Seventy-seven percent (𝑛=513) of participants had heard of ACS. Only 46.8% defined ACS correctly. The threshold IAP value used to define ACS was variable among participants. About one-quarter of participants (83/343), had never measured IAP. Conclusion. Twenty-three percent of HCP surveyed were unaware of ACS. Criteria used to define ACS were variable. Focused education on recognition of ACS and measuring IAP should be promoted among pediatric HCP.
Hospitalization for Pneumonia Among Older Adults

Background. Hospitalizations and mortality due to pneumonia increase steadily with age. The purpose of this study is to describe the frequency, costs, and risk factors for hospitalization for pneumonia among older adults with particular attention to the effect of functional disability. Methods. The Longitudinal Study of Aging (LSOA) is the follow-up to the Supplement on Aging, which was appended to the 1984 National Health Interview Survey. Participants included a nationally representative sample of 7,527 community-dwelling adults aged 70 and older in 1984 who were followed prospectively for 8 years. The LSOA data are linked to the National Death Index and to yearly abstracts from the Medicare Automated Data Retrieval System (1984-1991). Results. From 1984 to 1991, 617 subjects (8.2%) had at least one hospitalization for pneumonia, 4,333 (57.5%) had at least one hospitalization for any reason, and 2,867 (38.1%) of the LSOA subjects died. The yearly frequency of hospitalization for pneumonia increased over time from 0.6% in 1984 to 2.4% in 1991. The median length of stay was 8 days, and the median hospital charge was $5,100. Over 8 years, median discounted charges for a pneumonia hospitalization increased 75% while length of stay remained relatively constant. Patients hospitalized for pneumonia had greater comorbidity, total hospital resource use, and mortality, but over 80% survived their first hospitalization for pneumonia. Hospitalization for pneumonia was associated with age, male gender, malnutrition, history of hip fracture, prior hospitalizations, and lower body limitations. Conclusions. Hospitalization for pneumonia was frequent and accounted for 6% of the Medicare expenditures over 8 years among this cohort of older adults. Hospitalization for pneumonia occurred most often among subjects with prior evidence of failing health, but most subjects survived the first hospitalization for pneumonia. Even controlling for comorbidity, prior hospitalizations, and functional impairment, hospitalization for pneumonia was independently associated with age.
Anglicans and Dissenters in Georgia, 1758-1777

Georgia in the revolutionary period, not unlike many other provinces along the American seaboard, lacked social solidarity and unity. The lack was not the result of great ethnic diversity alone or of the disharmony arising from economic inequalities and political disagreement. To racial variety and divergences attributable to economic and political conditions were added many differences in customs and modes of living and in traditional thought which could be ascribed, in part at least, to the numerous religious sects attracted to the province by the liberal provisions of its charter. The religious conflicts of the period are best seen in the struggle over the establishment of the Church of England and in the relations of the dissenters with the civil government and with the religious establishment. The question of external ecclesiastical control, issues and grievances of a religious nature which appeared in the revolutionary argument, and the alignment of the sects on the question of open conflict with Great Britain, are interesting and important aspects of the whole religious situation. It is with these phases of the religious history of Georgia during two decades that this study is largely concerned.
NASA's Earth science data systems - past, present and future

The present state in the NASA's Earth science data and information systems has evolved over the last two decades from a rather desperate and disconnected set of data providers through significant efforts by several organizations. In the 1980s NASA's Earth science data were generally held by principal investigators or at specialized, non-interoperable data systems. Considerable progress has been made during the last decade in data access, interoperability, and management of very large volumes of data. Today, a suite of Earth observing satellites, funded research investigations, and data systems are operating to provide an unprecedented amount of data and information products to a broad user community. Many lessons have been learned in the process of the evolution to-date and are being applied for the benefit of data systems' evolution in the near-term. Also, visions for the longer-term future are being studied. Embryonic technologies of today are relevant to support such visions. Future data systems with "Intelligent Archives" could support true knowledge building systems in support of the NASA's future Earth science goals.
Cumulative distribution functions from Dempster-Shafer belief structures

We discuss the Dempster-Shafer belief structure. We introduce the idea of a cumulative distribution induced by a Dempster-Shafer belief structure. We call these belief-cumulative distribution (B-CDs) functions. We study the properties of these distribution functions and show that they are interval functions. We investigate the possibility of using these distribution functions as a tool for knowledge representation.
OBTAINING, PRESERVING, AND PREPARING BIRD SPECIMENS

Abstract The scientific value of avian research specimens is immense, but the accumulation rate of this resource is too low to meet either present or future needs. This may be due, in part, to the fact that few students are currently being taught to prepare specimens. Modern specimen preparation is a routine but detailed and meticulous process in which comparatively few are expert. I summarize methods for obtaining bird specimens and preserving them both for the short term and for the long term as high quality scientific research specimens. The preparation method outlined preserves skin, partial skeleton, stomach contents and two duplicate tissue samples for every specimen, maximizing the scientific usefulness of each bird. The resulting skins and skeletons augment current samples, simultaneously increasing the sample sizes available for studies involving either type of specimen. These methods allow a diverse array of data to be taken from every individual, and are thus suitable for general preparation or...
Relaxing Media Requirements by Using Multi-Island Two-Dimensional Magnetic Recording on Bit-Patterned Media

We introduce and investigate a new multi-island bit representation scheme with bit-patterned media (BPM) to increase the tolerance to the reader noise and the media noise compared with the standard BPM with a single island/bit and to granular media. The key idea is to use multiple islands in two dimensions to represent one bit. The redundancy in such a multi-island representation reduces the impact of the write in errors and decreases the effect of the media noise. We show that these multi-island representations offer improved bit error rate (BER), although only one readback sample per bit is used for equalization and detection. Here, a micromagnetic writing model and a read channel including media noise are used for the simulations, where optimized writer and reader architectures with one, two, and three read elements are investigated. Simulations at a 1 ${\rm Tb}/{\rm in}^{2}$ channel bit density, for the target BER of $10^{-2}$ and readback with two readers, indicate that the readback of BPM recording (BPMR) based on 1 ${\rm Tdot}/{\rm in}^{2}$ (1 dot/bit), 2 ${\rm Tdots}/{\rm in}^{2}$ (2 dots/bit), and 4 ${\rm Tdots}/{\rm in}^{2}$ (4 dots/bit) island density can tolerate 1, 3.1, and 3.3 dB more reader noise compared with the granular media. For readback with two readers, at $10^{-2}$ target BER, writing with 4 ${\rm Tdots}/{\rm in}^{2}$ and 2 ${\rm Tdots}/{\rm in}^{2}$ island density can tolerate the media noise (modeled by island position jitter and island size fluctuation) levels of 11% and 8.5% compared with the 1 ${\rm Tdot}/{\rm in}^{2}$ with the media noise level of 5%. When the channel bit density is increased to 1.5 ${\rm Tb}/{\rm in}^{2}$ , such a multi-island approach can still provide improved reader noise and media noise tolerances compared with the standard BPMR with one bit per island and to granular media at the same density.
Wigner representation of the rotational dynamics of rigid tops

We propose a methodology to design Wigner representations in phase spaces with nontrivial topology having evolution equations with desired mathematical properties. As an illustration, two representations of molecular rotations are developed to facilitate the analysis of molecular alignment in moderately intense laser fields, reaction dynamics, scattering phenomena, and dissipative processes.
Criteria and indicators for a bioenergy production industry identified via stakeholder participation

ABSTRACTAs bioenergy production expands and new bioenergy-based technologies emerge, there is a growing concern regarding the sustainability of their ecological and socioeconomic impacts. Comprehensive sustainability assessments are needed to address this concern and to assure that the development of the bioenergy industry meets sustainability goals. Most sustainability assessments for bioenergy are expert-driven, broad, and largely motivated by an interest in optimizing international trade in bioenergy. As a result, social and cultural sustainability targets are vague or underdeveloped. In this study, we developed a sustainability assessment for a regional bioenergy production industry in Upper Michigan, using stakeholder participation. Semi-structured interviews and focus group meetings were used to elicit participants’ concerns and opinion. These concerns were translated into sustainability Criteria and Indicators (C&Is), many of which could be supported with available science. Some of the C&Is identif...
A seismic investigation of the upper mantle to the west of Lake Superior

Observations of seismic waves generated by explosions in Lake Superior during the Early Rise Experiment have been made westward to a range of 2600 km. A phase filtering technique involving the vertical and horizontal motion, used to enhance the body phases, is applied to both the compressional and shear wave portions of the seismograms, presented in record section form. Our interpretation of these data implies that the P velocity increases in a series of discontinuities to a depth of 500 km (the extent of our data); the most important of these being increases from 8.2 km/sec to 8.47 km/sec at 126 km, and from 8.9 km/sec to 9.5 km/sec at 450 km. Q for P waves appears to decrease below 126 km. Although the shear-wave data is not as convincing as the P -wave data, it is probable that the increase in P velocity at 126 km is accompanied by a decrease in shear velocity from about 4.7 km/sec to 3.9 km/sec, with a corresponding increase of Poisson's ratio, bulk modulus and density, and decrease in rigidity. The shear velocity then increases to 5.0 km/sec at 220 km. The lowest value of the shear velocity is necessitated by the relatively small ranges at which the turning point of the cusp associated with this low-velocity channel seems to occur. A comparison of the Rayleigh wave phase velocities computed for this model (using Birch's relationship between density and P velocity) with the Canadian Shield data of Brune and Dorman and the midwest United States data of McEvilly is favorable.
Geographic variation in gorilla limb bones.

Abstract Gorilla systematics has received increased attention over recent decades from primatologists, conservationists, and paleontologists. Studies of geographic variation in DNA, skulls, and teeth have led to new taxonomic proposals, such as recognition of two gorilla species, Gorilla gorilla (western gorilla) and Gorilla beringei (eastern gorilla). Postcranial differences between mountain gorillas ( G. beringei beringei ) and western lowland gorillas ( G. g. gorilla ) have a long history of study, but differences between the limb bones of the eastern and western species have not yet been examined with an emphasis on geographic variation within each species. In addition, proposals for recognition of the Cross River gorilla as Gorilla gorilla diehli and gorillas from Tshiaberimu and Kahuzi as G. b. rex-pymaeorum have not been evaluated in the context of geographic variation in the forelimb and hindlimb skeletons. Forty-three linear measurements were collected from limb bones of 266 adult gorillas representing populations of G. b. beringei , Gorilla beringei graueri , G. g. gorilla , and G. g. diehli in order to investigate geographic diversity. Skeletal elements included the humerus, radius, third metacarpal, third proximal hand phalanx, femur, tibia, calcaneus, first metatarsal, third metatarsal, and third proximal foot phalanx. Comparisons of means and principal components analyses clearly differentiate eastern and western gorillas, indicating that eastern gorillas have absolutely and relatively smaller hands and feet, among other differences. Gorilla subspecies and populations cluster consistently by species, although G. g. diehli may be similar to the eastern gorillas in having small hands and feet. The subspecies of G. beringei are distinguished less strongly and by different variables than the two gorilla species. Populations of G. b. graueri are variable, and Kahuzi and Tshiaberimu specimens do not cluster together. Results support the possible influence of higher-altitude Pleistocene refugia on patterns of geographic variation in gorillas.
Multi-agent formation control with maintaining and controlling network connectivity

In this paper, we investigate a target-centric formation controller for multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and explore its ability to maintain as well as to control network connectivity. Desired formations and connectivities of multi-agent system are achieved using a distributed nonlinear controller. We present a sufficient condition to maintain network connectivity by posing bounds on the controller gains. Moreover, we show how a desired network connectivity profile can be obtained by varying controller gains during dynamics. Simulation results validate the effectiveness of the decentralized formation controller in controlling as well as maintaining connectivity.
Automated Highway System Deployment

Automated Highway Systems (AHS) have the potential for a large highway capacity gain without requiring significant right-of-way acquisition. However, it is the most technology-intensive component of ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems), and its deployment could be costly. In this high-yield but high-risk environment, it is particularly important to identify the critical issues, technical or not, that need to be resolved to ensure timely and efficient deployment of AHS.
Evaluation of a Technology to Support a Translational Diabetes Prevention Intervention.

Diabetes is now one of the greatest threats to our public health. There are now over 26 million Americans with diabetes, which exert considerable social and fiscal impact (1). More disturbingly, there are now more than 86 million people in the U.S. with prediabetes, a metabolic condition that significantly increases risk for developing type 2 diabetes (1,2). Fortunately, there is now substantial evidence that this risk can be significantly reduced by lifestyle interventions that result in modest reductions in weight and increased physical activity (3,4). Thus, there have been increasing efforts to translate these interventions into programs that can be more readily accessed by the public, and there is growing evidence that many are effective in producing weight loss that is associated with risk reduction (5). Unfortunately, many people, particularly low-income and minority populations, find it difficult to commit to a weight-loss intervention that requires structured attendance at specific venues (5,6). This has given rise to investigators trying new approaches for diabetes prevention, including the application of mobile technology, which is the basis of the study reported by Fischer et al. (7) in this issue of Diabetes Care . The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), a multicenter study of strategies to prevent type 2 diabetes in high-risk individuals, demonstrated that modest …
Study of the aromatic hydrocarbons poisoning of platinum cathodes on proton exchange membrane fuel cell spatial performance using a segmented cell system

Abstract Aromatic hydrocarbons are produced and used in many industrial processes, which makes them hazardous air pollutants. Currently, air is the most convenient oxidant for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), and air quality is an important consideration because airborne contaminants can negatively affect fuel cell performance. The effects of exposing the cathode of PEMFCs to benzene and naphthalene were investigated using a segmented cell system. The introduction of 2 ppm C 6 H 6 resulted in moderate performance loss of 40–45 mV at 0.2 A cm −2 and 100–110 mV at 1.0 A cm −2 due to benzene adsorption on Pt and its subsequent electrooxidation to CO 2 under operating conditions and cell voltages of 0.5–0.8 V. In contrast, PEMFC poisoning by ∼2 ppm of naphthalene led to a decrease in cell performance from 0.66 to 0.13 V at 1.0 A cm −2 , which was caused by the strong adsorption of C 10 H 8 onto Pt at cell voltages of 0.2–1.0 V. Naphthalene desorption and hydrogenation only occurred at potentials below 0.2 V. The PEMFCs' performance loss due to each contaminant was recoverable, and the obtained results demonstrated that the fuel cells' exposure to benzene and naphthalene should be limited to concentrations less than 2 ppm.
Citizens as sensors: the world of volunteered geography

In recent months there has been an explosion of interest in using the Web to create, assemble, and disseminate geographic information provided voluntarily by individuals. Sites such as Wikimapia and OpenStreetMap are empowering citizens to create a global patchwork of geographic information, while Google Earth and other virtual globes are encouraging volunteers to develop inter- esting applications using their own data. I review this phenomenon, and examine associated issues: what drives people to do this, how accurate are the results, will they threaten individual privacy, and how can they augment more conventional sources? I compare this new phenomenon to more traditional citizen science and the role of the amateur in geographic observation.
Changes in Chromatographic Profile of Anthocyanins of Red Onion During Extraction.

The role of acidifying agent in extracting anthocyanins from red onions was investigated. Cl- of HCl disrupted complex structures present in onion tissue to release anthocyanins and also induced formation of other complexes containing the pigment. Formate did not produce these effects. A schematic was developed to illustrate the interaction and decomposition of anthocyanin fractions during HCl extraction. The implications of the presence of Cl- in the extractant on interpretation of extraction results were discussed. Anthocyanins possibly acylated with non-cinnamic acids were considered to be particularly affected by mineral acids in the extractant.
Combining ATAC-seq with nuclei sorting for discovery of cis-regulatory regions in plant genomes.

Author(s): Lu, Zefu; Hofmeister, Brigitte T; Vollmers, Christopher; DuBois, Rebecca M; Schmitz, Robert J | Abstract: Chromatin structure plays a pivotal role in facilitating proper control of gene expression. Transcription factor (TF) binding of cis-elements is often associated with accessible chromatin regions. Therefore, the ability to identify these accessible regions throughout plant genomes will advance understanding of the relationship between TF binding, chromatin status and the regulation of gene expression. Assay for Transposase Accessible Chromatin sequencing (ATAC-seq) is a recently developed technique used to map open chromatin zones in animal genomes. However, in plants, the existence of cell walls, subcellular organelles and the lack of stable cell lines have prevented routine application of this technique. Here, we describe an assay combining ATAC-seq with fluorescence-activated nuclei sorting (FANS) to identify and map open chromatin and TF-binding sites in plant genomes. FANS-ATAC-seq compares favorably with published DNaseI sequencing (DNase-seq) results and it requires less than 50 000 nuclei for accurate identification of accessible genomic regions.SummaryApplication of ATAC-seq to sorted nuclei identifies accessible regions genome-wide.
Metasurface-based freeform optics for biosensing and augmented reality systems

We demonstrate the capability of metasurfaces for freeform optics by performing FDTD simulations of a metasurface-based lens with adjustable focal length, and conducting ray optics analysis to enable a small form-factor diffractive augmented reality visor.
Special Equipment for the Bariatric Patient

The bariatric patient represents a patient population that requires dedicated hospital equipment. The standard hospital equipment is not sufficient for these patients. Hospital beds, patient chairs, OR tables, wheelchairs, radiologic tables, surgical instruments, etc., are rated for a specific weight maximum. For the bariatric patient, this needs to be taken into consideration.
Trade and State Formation in Ancient East African Coast and Southern Zambezia

Why is social inequality a feature of so many societies? Every generation of archaeologists has sought to understand the transformation from egalitarian bands to today’s world of ‘savage inequalities.’ In this chapter, we draw from recent archaeological research in Eastern and Southern Africa to explain the emergence of socially and politically hierarchical chiefdoms, polities, and states. We identify three main sources of social power: trade, investment in extractive technologies , and elite monopolization of wealth-creating resources. Along the East African Coast, we find that autonomous city-states developed here on local, regional, and trans-continental scales because of Indian Ocean trade. In spite of the wealth the Swahili elites amassed, their city-states remained independent. In Southern Africa, the Southern Zambezian Culture developed similar political formations, but in this highland fertile plain some polities were able to extend their political control over larger geographical areas. Like the Swahili , the Zimbabwe elites were wealthy through trade, taking tribute from foot caravans of gold and ivory bound for the southern Swahili Coast. In the case of Zimbabwe, militarism was a second strategy to consolidate power over the geography of these trade conduits. Studying the evolution of social complexity among the Swahili city-states and the Zimbabwe Plateau demonstrates that trade and militarism are sources of political power for African elites, as they were in other parts of the ancient world. We discuss the impact of these findings in understanding today’s dilemmas of power and inequality.
Accessibility and Inclusion Issues in Library Acquisitions: A Guideline to Evaluating and Marketing the Accessibility of Library E-Resources

The purpose of this study is to emphasize accessibility and inclusion issues within academic libraries in the United States, specifically in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other federal laws relevant to acquisition services. A review of best practices for evaluating, purchasing, and marketing electronic resources is undertaken with an understanding of U.S. federal law and regulations in relation to purchasing and marketing, specifically Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the ADA Standards for Accessible Design (2010). Few other recent studies document the exact application of evaluating products and services for users with disabilities in acquisition workflows and electronic resource implementation practices. As a model for other libraries, the author discusses using LibGuides as an outreach tool to disseminate information and documentation dedicated to disability issues among City University of New York (CUNY) librarians. The methodology of this study is to share best practices at the College of Staten Island (CSI) Library–CUNY with other academic libraries. The results will hopefully lead to more inclusive acquisition purchasing practices and more diverse marketing initiatives within academic libraries. The conclusion of the study is that purchasing and marketing workflows need to be redesigned to be universally applicable to all library users.
Environmental Marketplace Advocacy: Influences and Implications of U.S. Public Response:

Environmental marketplace advocacy represents a form of corporate issue advocacy and a significant source of environmental communication for the U.S. public. This study tested a model of environmen...
Dissociation of Microsomal Ethanol Oxidation from Cytochrome P-450 Catalyzed Drug Metabolism

Considerable evidence is currently available which strongly suggests that, in addition to the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)-catalyzed reaction, a pyrazole-insensitive pathway participates in the metabolism of ethanol in vivo (Israel et al., 1970; Lieber and DeCarli, 1972), in the isolated perfused rat liver (Papenberg et al., 1970; Thurman and McKenna, 1974), in rat and mouse liver slices (Thieden, 1971; Lieber and DeCarli, 1970; Vatsis and Schulman, 1973a; Vatsis et al., 1973), and in isolated rat liver parenchymal cells (Grunnet et al., 1973). The non-ADH pathway has two distinguishing properties, namely, it becomes increasingly important at ethanol concentrations (20–80 mM) well above the Km of AHD (Thieden, 1971; Vatsis et al., 1973; Lieber and DeCarli, 1973), and appears to be inducible by chronic ethanol feeding (Lieber and DeCarli, 1970, 1972) as well as by treatment of animals with phenobarbital (Carter and Isselbacher, 1971; Khanna et al., 1972; Vatsis and Schulman, 1974).