cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spinorial Formulations of Graph Problems

Beginning with an arbitrary finite graph, various spinor spaces are constructed within Clifford algebras of appropriate dimension. Properties of spinors within these spaces then reveal information about the structure of the graph. Spinor polynomials are introduced and the notions of degrees of polynomials and Fock subspace dimensions are tied together with matchings, cliques, independent sets, and cycle covers of arbitrary finite graphs. In particular, matchings, independent sets, cliques, cycle covers, and cycles of arbitrary length are all enumerated by dimensions of spinor subspaces, while sizes of maximal cliques and independent sets are revealed by degrees of spinor polynomials. The spinor adjacency operator is introduced and used to enumerate cycles of arbitrary length and to compute graph circumference and girth.
A simple method for removing 3-D radiative effects in satellite retrievals of surface irradiance

Abstract As the spatial resolution of satellite sensors increase, estimates of surface solar irradiance ( I SFC ) from space borne observations of top of the atmosphere reflected radiance ( R TOA ) can actually become less accurate because of enhanced three-dimensional (3-D) radiative effects that are not generally considered in most retrieval algorithms. An elementary approach to improving retrievals is to incorporate some form of spatial averaging through the use of superpixels. Determining the best approach for averaging and the optimum size of the superpixel is the objective of this study. It is achieved by examining the bias, correlation coefficient, and root-mean-square error (RMSE) between the true and estimated I SFC for a set of simulated cloud scenes and their radiative fields. Because of nonlinear effects, averaging within the superpixel should only be performed after I SFC is retrieved from R TOA independently for each pixel . For the combined set of stratocumulus and convective cloud fields that have a cloud fraction ranging from 0.25 to 1.0 used in this study, the optimal superpixel size is about 25 km. It is found that the bias is a function of solar and viewing angles and a correction is provided that improves the bias while leaving the correlation coefficient and root-mean-square error unchanged.
Estimating the effects of prescription drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries.

Objective To identify the effect of insurance coverage on prescription utilization by Medicare beneficiaries.
Neural Decoding of Cursor Motion Using a Kalman Filter

The direct neural control of external devices such as computer displays or prosthetic limbs requires the accurate decoding of neural activity representing continuous movement. We develop a real-time control system using the spiking activity of approximately 40 neurons recorded with an electrode array implanted in the arm area of primary motor cortex. In contrast to previous work, we develop a control-theoretic approach that explicitly models the motion of the hand and the probabilistic relationship between this motion and the mean firing rates of the cells in 70ms bins. We focus on a realistic cursor control task in which the subject must move a cursor to "hit" randomly placed targets on a computer monitor. Encoding and decoding of the neural data is achieved with a Kalman filter which has a number of advantages over previous linear filtering techniques. In particular, the Kalman filter reconstructions of hand trajectories in off-line experiments are more accurate than previously reported results and the model provides insights into the nature of the neural coding of movement.
On the study of four-parallelogram filter banks

The most commonly used 2-D filter banks are separable filter banks, which can be obtained by cascading two 1-D filter banks in the form of a tree. The supports of the analysis and synthesis filters in the separable systems are unions of four rectangles. The natural nonseparable generalization of such supports are those that are unions of four parallelograms. We study four parallelogram filter banks, which is the class of 2-D filter banks in which the supports of the analysis and synthesis filters consist of four parallelograms. For a given a decimation matrix, there could be more than one possible configuration (the collection of passbands of the analysis filters). Various types of configuration are constructed for four-parallelogram filter banks. Conditions on the configurations are derived such that good design of analysis and synthesis filters are possible. We see that there is only one category of these filter banks. The configurations of four-parallelogram filter banks in this category can always be achieved by designing filter banks of low design cost.
Quantum Chemical Many-Body Theory on Heterogeneous Nodes

The iterative solution of the coupled-cluster with single and double excitations (CCSD) equations is a very time-consuming component of the ``gold standard'' in quantum chemistry, the CCSD(T) method. In an effort to accelerate accurate quantum mechanical calculations, we explore two implementation strategies for the iterative solution of the CC equations on graphics procesing units (GPUs). We consider a communication-avoiding algorithm for the spin-free coupled cluster doubles (CCD) equations followed by a low-storage algorithm for the spin-free CCSD equations. In the communication-avoiding algorithm, the entire iterative procedure for the CCD method is performed on the GPU, resulting in accelerations of a factor of 4-5 relative to the pure CPU algorithm. The low-storage CCSD algorithm requires that a minimum of $4o^2v^2+2ov$ elements be stored on the device, where $o$ and $v$ represent the number of orbitals occupied and unoccupied in the reference configuration, respectively. The algorithm masks the transfer time for copying large amounts of data to the GPU by overlapping GPU and CPU computations. The per-iteration costs of this hybrid GPU/CPU algorithm are up to 4.06 times less than those of the pure CPU algorithm and up to 10.63 times less than those of the CCSD implementation found in the {\small Molpro} electronic structure package. These results provide insight into how to organize communication and computation as to maximize utilization of a GPU and multicore CPU at the same time.
Fire and gap dynamics over 300 years in an old-growth temperate forest

Questions: What are the long-term patterns of wildfire occurrence and gap dynamics in an old-growth deciduous forest? Are there temporal patterns in fire and gap dynamics over the last ca. 300 yrs? How is drought related to fire occurrence? Are there temporal interactions between gap dynamics and fire? Location: Lilley Cornett Woods Appalachian Research Station, Southeastern Kentucky, USA. LCW; 37°05′ N, 83°00′ W. Methods: We cross-dated and analysed annually-resolved tree-ring data from 35 tree cross-sections in an old-growth deciduous forest to reconstruct historical fire and canopy disturbance and explore connections among these processes. Canopy disturbance patterns as indicated by tree growth release within this collection [fire history collection: (FHC)] were compared to cores from 26 trees collected in 1983 for the purposes of climate reconstruction [climate collection: (CC)]. Results: Initiation dates in the FHC ranged from ca. 1670 to 1925. Thirty-three fire scars were identified from 1678 to 1956. The mean interval between fire events was 9.3 yrs, and there were many more fires after 1800 than before that date. Gap dynamics, as reconstructed through growth release detection, were relatively constant through the FHC record and were supported by a similar result in the CC. The mean number of years between detected release events was 5.2 yrs. Many individual trees, and the mean growth chronology for the FHC, indicate that many oak trees exhibit growth release after long periods of suppression and, after a final release, exhibit a step-change in growth rate suggesting canopy accession. Conclusions: Fire and gap dynamics occurred through much of the last ca. 350 yrs in this old-growth forest. There was not evidence to support that these two processes were temporally linked – gap dynamics were ostensibly independent of fire occurrence. Even so, we posit that these two processes may have a synergistic effect on long-term dynamics, wherein fire ‘filters’ the seedling pool and gap openings provide canopy accession opportunities. We also note several instances where release events are associated with stand-wide growth increases suggesting large-scale canopy accession. These events could influence the overstorey composition of the forest for centuries.
On the Causality between Export Growth and GDP Growth: An Empirical Reinvestigation

Although conventional wisdom suggests that export growth contributes positively to economic growth, empirical studies on the causal links between exports and output have provided little support for the exportled growth hypothesis. This paper reexamines the direction of causation by handling properly two important issues in causality tests: the characteristics of the data, and the choice of optimal lags. The results of this study show that in a sample of 32 economies, the export-led hypothesis is supported by 17 economies and is strongly supported by 9 economies.
Through a Glass, Darkly: Recent Work on Sanctity and Society. A Review Article

A propos de deux monographies : (1) Aviad M. KLEINBERG, «Prophets in their own country : living saints and the making of sanctity in the Later Middle Ages» (Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 1992) et (2) Catia GALATARIOTOU, «The making of a saint : the life, times, and sanctification of Neophytos the Recluse» (Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 1991)
Protein polymers: Encoding phase transitions.

Intrinsically disordered protein polymers can be designed to encode tunable lower or upper critical solution temperatures in physiological solutions.
New materials based on a layered sodium titanate for dual electrochemical Na and Li intercalation systems

The electrochemical properties of materials derived from NaTi3O6(OH)·2H2O have been investigated for the first time. The parent compound has a corrugated layered structure consisting of {Ti6O14}4− units with hydrated sodium cations and protons in the interlayer spaces. Upon heating to 600 °C, water is removed irreversibly, the interlayer distances become smaller, and connecting bonds between the octahedral layers form. It was found that this material can reversibly intercalate both lithium and sodium. The initial specific discharge capacities, as measured in half-cells, varied with the state of hydration and the nature of the counter electrode (Na or Li). The electrochemical potential showed a non-linear sloping dependence with degree of intercalation, indicative of a solid-solution mechanism of intercalation. The process was centered at a low average potential of about 0.3 V vs. Na or Li, the lowest ever reported for titanate-based Li hosts. The higher density and potential for higher rate capability of this compound, in comparison to carbonaceous materials with similar voltage and reversible capacities, make a compelling case for its development as an anode material, for both lithium and sodium ion batteries.
A novel small molecule RAD51 inactivator overcomes imatinib-resistance in chronic myeloid leukaemia

RAD51 recombinase activity plays a critical role for cancer cell proliferation and survival, and often contributes to drug-resistance. Abnormally elevated RAD51 function and hyperactive homologous recombination (HR) rates have been found in a panel of cancers, including breast cancer and chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). Directly targeting RAD51 and attenuating the deregulated RAD51 activity has therefore been proposed as an alternative and supplementary strategy for cancer treatment. Here we show that a newly identified small molecule, IBR2, disrupts RAD51 multimerization, accelerates proteasome-mediated RAD51 protein degradation, reduces ionizing radiation-induced RAD51 foci formation, impairs HR, inhibits cancer cell growth and induces apoptosis. In a murine imatinib-resistant CML model bearing the T315I Bcr-abl mutation, IBR2, but not imatinib, significantly prolonged animal survival. Moreover, IBR2 effectively inhibits the proliferation of CD34+ progenitor cells from CML patients resistant to known BCR-ABL inhibitors. Therefore, small molecule inhibitors of RAD51 may suggest a novel class of broad-spectrum therapeutics for difficult-to-treat cancers.
Fetal Lower Urinary Tract Physiology: In Vivo Studies

Fetal urine is an important contributor to amniotic fluid, and hence there is no question that the fetus voids in utero. However, the maturation of the fetal lower urinary tract function has not been studied extensively. Nonetheless, defining the developmental changes is critical to understanding the pathophysiology of abnormal voiding, both pre- and post-natally. For example, the long-term bladder problems in patients with posterior urethral valves, which can cause renal insufficiency, are directly related to developmental changes owing to the obstruction. Furthermore, abnormalities of lower urinary tract function are seen prenatally and result in problems with urine storage and elimination even before birth. As a consequence, some instances of prenatal hydronephrosis may be caused by in utero vesico-sphincteric dysfunction (Kopp and Greenfield 1993). Furthermore, the advent of many new technologies in the evaluation and treatment of fetal abnormalities now allows for intervention, in the form of decompression of the urinary tract, in cases of in utero hydronephrosis. Because these interventions are technically feasible, it behooves us to understand better the physiology of fetal lower urinary tract function in to direct treatment more effectively. As we improve our understanding of normal bladder and sphincteric function in the fetus, we will be able to distinguish better between innocent urinary tract changes worthy of observation and significant lower urinary tract disorders for which therapeutic intervention would be advantageous.
Linear analysis and optimization of stream programs

As more complex DSP algorithms are realized in practice, there is an increasing need for high-level stream abstractions that can be compiled without sacrificing efficiency. Toward this end, we present a set of aggressive optimizations that target linear sections of a stream program. Our input language is StreamIt, which represents programs as a hierarchical graph of autonomous filters. A filter is linear if each of its outputs can be represented as an affine combination of its inputs. Linearity is common in DSP components; examples include FIR filters, expanders, compressors, FFTs and DCTs.We demonstrate that several algorithmic transformations, traditionally hand-tuned by DSP experts, can be completely automated by the compiler. First, we present a linear extraction analysis that automatically detects linear filters from the C-like code in their work function. Then, we give a procedure for combining adjacent linear filters into a single filter, as well as for translating a linear filter to operate in the frequency domain. We also present an optimization selection algorithm, which finds the sequence of combination and frequency transformations that will give the maximal benefit.We have completed a fully-automatic implementation of the above techniques as part of the StreamIt compiler, and we demonstrate a 450% performance improvement over our benchmark suite.
Roles of GRK and PDE4 Activities in the Regulation of β2 Adrenergic Signaling

An important focus in cell biology is understanding how different feedback mechanisms regulate G protein-coupled receptor systems. Toward this end we investigated the regulation of endogenous beta(2) adrenergic receptors (beta2ARs) and phosphodiesterases (PDEs) by measuring cAMP signals in single HEK-293 cells. We monitored cAMP signals using genetically encoded cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels. This high resolution approach allowed us to make several observations. (a) Exposure of cells to 1 muM isoproterenol triggered transient increases in cAMP levels near the plasma membrane. Pretreatment of cells with 10 muM rolipram, a PDE4 inhibitor, prevented the decline in the isoproterenol-induced cAMP signals. (b) 1 muM isoproterenol triggered a sustained, twofold increase in phosphodiesterase type 4 (PDE4) activity. (c) The decline in isoproterenol-dependent cAMP levels was not significantly altered by including 20 nM PKI, a PKA inhibitor, or 3 muM 59-74E, a GRK inhibitor, in the pipette solution; however, the decline in the cAMP levels was prevented when both PKI and 59-74E were included in the pipette solution. (d) After an initial 5-min stimulation with isoproterenol and a 5-min washout, little or no recovery of the signal was observed during a second 5-min stimulation with isoproterenol. (e) The amplitude of the signal in response to the second isoproterenol stimulation was not altered when PKI was included in the pipette solution, but was significantly increased when 59-74E was included. Taken together, these data indicate that either GRK-mediated desensitization of beta2ARs or PKA-mediated stimulation of PDE4 activity is sufficient to cause declines in cAMP signals. In addition, the data indicate that GRK-mediated desensitization is primarily responsible for a sustained suppression of beta2AR signaling. To better understand the interplay between receptor desensitization and PDE4 activity in controlling cAMP signals, we developed a mathematical model of this system. Simulations of cAMP signals using this model are consistent with the experimental data and demonstrate the importance of receptor levels, receptor desensitization, basal adenylyl cyclase activity, and regulation of PDE activity in controlling cAMP signals, and hence, on the overall sensitivity of the system.
The Effect of Sampling Time on the Overall Performance of Portable Microbial Impactors

In this study we analyzed the sampling time effect on the overall performance of seven portable impactors (SMA MicroPortable, BioCulture, Microflow, MAS-100, Millipore Air Tester, SAS Super 180, and RCS High Flow) as well as a stationary impactor (BioStage) when collecting airborne bacteria and fungi from 2 to 30 minutes indoors and outdoors. Their performance was compared against the reference BioStage impactor collecting samples for 2 minutes. When bacteria were collected outdoors, the average concentration ratio of all test samplers relative to the reference sampler was 0.64, but it decreased to 0.04 when bacteria were collected for 2 min first and subsequently exposed to particle-free air for 28 min (30 min total sampling time). For fungi, the average concentration ratio decreased from 0.35 to 0.03 under the same conditions. When the test impactors sampled particle-free air first and then collected bioaerosols outdoors for 2 min, the concentration ratio for bacteria averaged for all test samplers decr...
An adaptive multiparty protocol for secure data protection

To better protect information systems, computation time data protection needs to be considered such that even when the system is partially compromised, the security of the system is still assured. Secure multiparty computation approaches provides a possible solution for computation time data protection, but are too costly (in communication) to be practical. In this paper, we design an adaptive multi-level secure computation algorithm with the goals of reducing the average communication overheads. The adaptive algorithm runs a less secure protocol to reduce the communication overhead when there is no threat. The system adapts to a more secure but less efficient protocol when security threat is detected. Thus, the system yields better performance at normal execution time while still assures security protection at the presence of security threats.
Nutrition impacts the prevalence of peripheral arterial disease in the United States.

Objective Traditional recommendations for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) risk factor reduction include smoking cessation, low-fat/low-salt diet, exercise, and optimal medical management of chronic disease. Little attention has been paid to the role of dietary supplementation of specific nutrients in the prevention of PAD. Methods This cross-sectional study used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to determine specific nutrients that are associated with prevalent PAD in the United States (US) population. NHANES data include nationwide sampling of the US population, using physical examination, questionnaire, and laboratory testing. PAD status was defined by an ankle-brachial index (ABI) of Results NHANES data for 1999 to 2004 included 7203 lower extremity examinations, of which 422 individuals had prevalent PAD (5.9%). Examinees with PAD had significantly higher rates of hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes, and smoking than those without PAD. Univariate analysis revealed that consumption of all nutrients considered were associated with lower odds of PAD, including antioxidants (vitamins A, C, and E), folate, other B vitamins (B 6 , B 12 ), fiber, and polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids. After adjustment for traditional risk factors, nutrients associated with reduced prevalence of PAD were vitamin A (odds ratio [OR], 0.79; P = .036), vitamin C (OR, 0.84; P P = .011), vitamin B 6 (OR, 0.71; P = .023), fiber (OR, 0.65; P P = .006), and ω-3 (α-linolenic) fatty acid (OR, 0.79; P = .028). Conclusions Improved nutrition is associated with a reduced prevalence of PAD in the US population. Higher consumption of specific nutrients, including antioxidants (vitamin A, C, and E), vitamin B 6 , fiber, folate, and ω-3 fatty acids have a significant protective effect, irrespective of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. These findings suggest specific dietary supplementation may afford additional protection, above traditional risk factor modification, for the prevention of PAD.
Holographic fingerprint sensor

A prism fingerprint sensor is described which uses a holographic grating glued to a right angled prism. The quality of the fingerprint is very good; the pores on the ridges can be seen.
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone signaling in behavioral plasticity

Sex and reproduction sculpt brain and behavior throughout life and evolution. In vertebrates, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is essential to these processes. Recent advances have uncovered novel regulatory mechanisms in GnRH signaling, such as the initiation of sexual maturation by kisspeptins. Yet despite our increasing molecular knowledge, we know very little about environmental influences on GnRH signaling and reproductive behavior. Alternative model systems have been crucial for understanding the plasticity of GnRH effects within an organismal context. For instance, GnRH signaling is under the control of seasonal cues in songbirds, whereas social signals regulate GnRH in cichlid fishes, with crucial consequences for reproduction and behavior. Analyzing cellular signaling cascades within an organismic context is essential for an integrative understanding of GnRH function.
COMPANION: A Constraint-Optimizing Method for Person-Acceptable Navigation

This paper introduces the COMPANION framework: a Constraint-Optimizing Method for Person-Acceptable NavigatION. In this framework, human social conventions, such as personal space and tending to one side of hallways, are represented as constraints on the robot's navigation. These constraints are accounted for at the global planning level. In this paper, we present the rationale for, and implementation of, this framework, and we describe the experiments we have run in simulation to verify that the method produces human-like behavior in a mobile robot. Our approach is novel in that it can express an arbitrary number of social conventions and explicitly accounts for these conventions in the planning phase.
Joint Spectral Efficiency and Power Allocation Optimization in IEEE 802.16m

With today’s limited bandwidth, high data rate services, and energy efficiency requirements, maximizing the spectral efficiency and minimizing the consumed power becomes essential. Investigating the issues impeding spectral efficiency maximization and consumed power minimization for mobile systems is crucial for solving this contemporary problem. This paper aims to optimize the utilization of the scarce mobile spectrum and the amount of power consumption in the multi-cell IEEE 802.16m networks. A return on investment model adopting a utility optimization technique is proposed; the model objective is to increase the revenue of the mobile service providers by maximizing the normalized spectral efficiency and decrease the operational cost by minimizing the power consumed in the network. Based on this model, we propose two phases scheme (distributed and centralized) to solve the joint spectral and power optimization problem. The problem is solved to identify the optimal distributed resources assignment and the central down-link frequency partition configuration that achieves the model objective. Simulation results show that the optimal solution significantly improves the system power consumption while maintaining the normalized spectral efficiency, yet with high computational complexity. Accordingly, an effective suboptimal solution utilizing a polynomial-time heuristic is proposed for practical implementations.
Activation of autophagy during cell death requires the engulfment receptor Draper

Autophagy degrades cytoplasmic components that are required for cell survival in response to starvation. Autophagy has also been associated with cell death, but it is unclear how this is distinguished from autophagy during cell survival. Drosophila salivary glands undergo programmed cell death that requires autophagy genes, and engulfment of salivary gland cells by phagocytes does not appear to occur. Here we show that Draper (Drpr), the Drosophila melanogaster orthologue of the Caenorhabditis elegans engulfment receptor CED-1, is required for autophagy during cell death. Null mutations in, and salivary gland-specific knockdown of, drpr inhibit salivary gland degradation. Knockdown of drpr prevents the induction of autophagy in dying salivary glands, and expression of the Atg1 autophagy regulator in drpr mutants suppresses the failure in degradation of salivary glands. Surprisingly, drpr is required in the same dying salivary gland cells in which it regulates autophagy induction, but drpr knockdown does not prevent starvation-induced autophagy in the fat body, which is associated with survival. In addition, components of the conserved engulfment pathway are required for clearance of dying salivary glands. To our knowledge, this is the first example of an engulfment factor that is required for self-clearance of cells. Further, Drpr is the first factor that distinguishes autophagy that is associated with cell death from autophagy associated with cell survival.
Disruptions in a cluster of computationally identified enhancers near FOXC1 and GMDS may influence brain development

Regulatory elements are more evolutionarily conserved and provide a larger mutational target than coding regions of the human genome, suggesting that mutations in non-coding regions contribute significantly to development and disease. Using a computational approach to predict gene regulatory enhancers, we found that many known and predicted embryonic enhancers cluster in genomic loci harboring development-associated genes. One of the densest clusters of predicted enhancers in the human genome is near the genes GMDS and FOXC1. GMDS encodes a short-chain mannose dehydrogenase enzyme involved in the regulation of hindbrain neural migration, and FOXC1 encodes a developmental transcription factor required for brain, heart, and eye development. We experimentally validate four novel enhancers in this locus and demonstrate that these enhancers show consistent activity during embryonic development in domains that overlap with the expression of FOXC1 and GMDS. These four enhancers contain binding motifs for several transcription factors, including the ZIC family of transcription factors. Removal of the ZIC binding sites significantly alters enhancer activity in three of these enhancers, reducing expression in the eye, hindbrain, and limb, suggesting a mechanism whereby ZIC family members may transcriptionally regulate FOXC1 and/or GMDS expression. Our findings uncover novel enhancer regions that may control transcription in a topological domain important for embryonic development.
RES 701-1

RES 701-1 is a selective ET-B endothelin receptor antagonist that is isolated from a microbial source …
Effect of Low Vitamin D on Volumetric Bone Mineral Density, Bone Microarchitecture, and Stiffness in Primary Hyperparathyroidism

Context: Patients with 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency (25OHD <20 ng/ml) and primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) have more severe disease reflected by higher serum PTH levels compared to those with vitamin D levels in the insufficient (20–29 ng/ml) or replete range (≥30 ng/ml). Objective: To study the effect of low vitamin D in PHPT on volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD), bone microarchitecture, and bone strength. Design, Setting, and Participants: This is a cross-sectional analysis of 99 PHPT patients with and without 25OHD insufficiency and deficiency from a university hospital. Outcome Measures: Bone microarchitecture and strength were assessed with high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HRpQCT), microfinite element analysis, and individual trabecula segmentation. Results: In this cohort, 25OHD levels were deficient in 18.1%, insufficient in 35.4% and replete in 46.5%. Those with lower 25OHD levels had higher PTH (P < .0001), were younger (P = .001) and tended to weigh more (P = ...
327PSURVIVAL ANALYSIS OF BREAST CANCER PATIENTS TREATED AT A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE IN SOUTHERN INDIA

ABSTRACT Aim: To analyse the 5 yr survival of breast cancer patients treated at a tertiary care centre in Southern India and the impact of various prognostic factors includind age, luminal subtypes and stage on survival. Methods: This is a retrospective study of 324 patients with breast cancer treated at a tertiary care centre in southern Indian in the years 2008-09 with a followup of 5 yrs. Case records of these patients were analysed for baseline characteristics including receptor status and other prognostic factors, treatment given and survival. Overall survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan Meier method. A multivariate analysis and log rank test was done to analyse the interaction of various prognositc factors and survival. Results: A total of 324 patients were included in the analysis. Among these patients 60% had early breast cancer(stageI & II), 24% locally advanced and 4% metastatic disease at presentation. A relatively high incidence of triple negative cancers were seen(24%) while Her2 positive disease was seen only in 8%. The 5 yr overall survival for stage I patients was 95%, stage II was 92%, stage III was 70% and stage IV 21%. Her2 positive patients with early breast cancer fared significantly worser when compared to luminal types (74% for Her2 type, 77% for TNBC, 90% for Luminal A and 99% for luminal B cancers. Conclusions: Survival data on breast cancer patients in developing countries like India is largely lacking in the literature. Previously reported data from a few tertiary care centres mostly in northern and western parts of India revealed a relatively poorer prognosis stage wise compared to western literature. India is a vast country with differing cultures, food habits and a varied population. The inherent biology of the disease, stage at presentation and response to treatment is likely to differ within different parts of the country.This study is one of the few that provide data on the survival patterns of breast cancer patients in Southern India. Our study revealed that a substantial number of patients present with early disease and they have a good survival on par with western literature. The shift to earlier stages of presentation with consequent better survival could be due to increasing awareness of the disease, higher literacy rates in this part of the country, availability of specialised treatment centres and better socio-economic conditions. Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
Measuring the Soil Water–Retention Curve Under Positive and Negative Matric Suction Regimes

The soil water–retention curve (SWRC) is commonly theorized and measured in the positive matric suction or negative pore water pressure domain. However, all soils do not reach full saturation when matric suction decreases to zero. To date, few methods or theories have been developed to understand the SWRC in the negative matric suction domain, which could play important roles in field mechanical stability conditions, such as slopes under heavy rainfall or levees under rapidly rising water table conditions. A method employing both the transient water release and imbibition method (TRIM) and a constant flow method (CFM) is devised to measure a soil’s complete loop of the SWRC under both wetting and drying, and positive and negative matric suction conditions. Although the TRIM is used to measure both drying and wetting paths of the SWRC in the positive matric suction domain, the CFM is used to quantify the soil water–retention behavior in the negative matric suction domain. The TRIM method has been previously validated and extensively tested. The novel feature is the cyclic application of the CFM in the negative matric suction domain. The head loss in the high air entry ceramic stone because of the application of the CFM is calibrated in the range of the applied flow rates. Similar sets of flow rates are used to validate the repeatability of the measured SWRC behavior in the negative matric suction domain. Three different soils, sandy, silty, and clayey soils, are used to demonstrate the applicability of the methodology for various soil types. It is shown that, for the sandy soil, a few kPa of negative matric suction are needed to fully saturate the specimen, whereas for the clayey soil, over 10 kPa of negative matric suction are needed to fully saturate the specimen.
DISTINCTION AMONG FOUR FORMS OF HURLER'S SYNDROME.

SummaryAnalysis of the urinary AMPS from individuals with Hurler's syndrome indicates there are 4 forms that can be distinguished by their excretion pattern. The classical autosomal recessive form was shown to excrete significantly more chondroitin sulfate B in proportion to heparitin sulfate than the classical sex-linked cases. Both forms were shown to excrete a fraction of chondroitin sulfate B that would precipitate as the calcium salt with 10% alcohol which is in contrast to the behavior of this substance isolated from other sources. An atypical “adult form” (autosomal recessive) was shown to excrete chondroitin sulfate B and heparitin sulfate in excess, but no fraction of con-droitin sulfate B was obtained that would precipitate as the calcium salt with 10% alcohol. Another atypical form, which shows primarily degeneration associated with the nervous system, was shown to be inherited in an autosomal recessive manner and to excrete only heparitin sulfate in excess.The authors extend their thanks to Dr...
A Lyapunov design approach to magnetic nutation damping

Launch vehicle volume and payload geometry can often guide spacecraft design toward spin stabilization about a minor principal axis. But this requires full time control throughout the satellite’s mission life. For smaller satellites, magnetic control provides a simple and inexpensive method which requires no expendables and therefore does not limit the lifetime of the satellite. Currently, two magnetic nutation damping laws have been used in such applications. Both laws are based on heuristic derivations. A new magnetic nutation damping law is developed here, using a Lyapunov approach. This new law is equivalent to the previously available laws when the vehicles are axisymmetric; however, in the case of asymmetric vehicles, the Lyapunov-based law is superior in terms of nutation damping time. The Lyapunov development provides rigorous justification for the two existing magnetic nutation damping laws when applied to symmetric satellites. The new law also guarantees global convergence, within certain restrictions, thus providing for autonomous flat spin recovery of minor-axis spinning satellites.
Chemosterilization of Male European Corn Borers by Feeding of Tepa and Apholate to Larvae

Larvae of 7-day-old European corn borers, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), were fed media that was topically treated with 0.2 ml of diluted tepa and apholate. Dilutions of tepa at 7.5 and 8.5% and apholate at 7.5% active ingredient sterilized the emerging adult males. Tepa reduced mating of adults.
IN VIVO TURNOVER OF DIFFERENT CHOLESTEROL ESTERS IN RAT LIVER AND PLASMA.

Turnover rates of different cholesterol esters in rat liver and plasma were determined after injecting fasting rats intravenously with mevalonate-2-C14. Liver and plasma samples were collected at time intervals of 21 min to 24 hr. Gas–liquid chromatography and thin-layer chromatography on silica gel impregnated with silver nitrate were used to determine specific radioactivities of saturated, mono-, di-, and tetra-unsaturated cholesterol esters. The liver samples showed considerable variability from animal to animal, whereas the plasma showed very little individual variability. In liver cholesterol esters, the rate of appearance of total radioactivity in the monounsaturated esters was greater than that in any of the other esters, and the fractional turnover rate of the mono- and diunsaturated esters was greater than that of the saturated esters and arachidonate. These findings are consistent with the results of previous in vitro studies on the hydrolysis and formation of cholesterol esters in liver. All the plasma samples showed a much more rapid fractional turnover of the monounsaturated, compared with the other, esters. The plasma findings can be explained by a more rapid turnover of the very low density lipoprotein cholesterol esters, which contain relatively more cholesteryl oleate, although other explanations are also possible.
Profile of IGF-binding proteins secreted by intestinal epithelial cells changes with differentiation

Previous reports have shown that gastrointestinal epithelial cells produce insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins (IGF-BP), which modulate the actions of IGF. This study aims to examine the relationship between differentiation and IGF-BP secretion by human intestinal epithelial cells and the effect of growth factors on their production. Caco-2 cells were cultured in serum-free media. IGF-BP secretion into the incubation media was analyzed by Western ligand blotting and immunoblotting. Caco-2 cells produced IGF-BP-2, IGF-BP-3, and IGF-BP-4. Secretion of IGF-BP-2 and IGF-BP-3 increased with differentiation, but IGF-BP-4 secretion diminished. The effect of exogenous growth factors on IGF-BP secretion was maximal at earlier stages of differentiation. IGF-I stimulated mainly IGF-BP-3 production, but epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) stimulated predominantly IGF-BP-4 secretion. Adding an anti-EGF receptor antibody to block autocrine TGF-alpha activity inhibited IGF-BP-4 production but stimulated IGF-BP-2 and IGF-BP-3. In conclusion, the profile of IGF-BP secretion changes with differentiation. IGF-I and EGF (or TGF-alpha) stimulate different types of IGF-BP, with autocrine TGF-alpha activity being a factor affecting IGF-BP production during differentiation.
Their Lives, Their Wills: Women in the Borderlands, 1750–1846 . By Amy M. Porter.

Their Lives, Their Wills: Women in the Borderlands, 1750–1846 . Women, Gender, and the West Series. By Amy M. Porter. Foreword by Nancy E. Baker . (Lubbock: Texas Tech University Press, 2015. xvii + 193 pp. Tables, appendices, notes, bibliography, index. $39.95, paper.) T heir Lives, Their Wills is a comprehensive study of women’s everyday lives as gleaned from their wills. Focusing on five settlements—Saltillo, San Esteban de Nueva Tlaxcala, San Fernando de Bexar, Santa Fe, and El Paso del Norte—Amy M. Porter argues that, despite rigid gender expectations, women on the frontier had the opportunity to act outside of that patriarchal structure, exerting their own power and influence in areas such as spirituality and economics. Wills provide a rich documentary source to understand women who often left no other documents. Wills tell us about “religion, family, economics, and material … yleyva{at}utep.edu
Meshable: searching PubMed abstracts by utilizing MeSH and MeSH-derived topical terms

UNLABELLED Medical Subject Headings (MeSH(®)) is a controlled vocabulary for indexing and searching biomedical literature. MeSH terms and subheadings are organized in a hierarchical structure and are used to indicate the topics of an article. Biologists can use either MeSH terms as queries or the MeSH interface provided in PubMed(®) for searching PubMed abstracts. However, these are rarely used, and there is no convenient way to link standardized MeSH terms to user queries. Here, we introduce a web interface which allows users to enter queries to find MeSH terms closely related to the queries. Our method relies on co-occurrence of text words and MeSH terms to find keywords that are related to each MeSH term. A query is then matched with the keywords for MeSH terms, and candidate MeSH terms are ranked based on their relatedness to the query. The experimental results show that our method achieves the best performance among several term extraction approaches in terms of topic coherence. Moreover, the interface can be effectively used to find full names of abbreviations and to disambiguate user queries. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/IRET/MESHABLE/ CONTACT: sun.kim@nih.gov SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Making sense of state health data: the case of Kentucky.

OBJECTIVE State health rankings present oversimplified and potentially damaging accounts of health status. Using the example of Kentucky, this article illustrates the realities masked by rankings that use averages and fail to account for social determinants of health. METHODS Findings from a range of publicly available data are combined to shed light on factors that influence or are associated with health status indicators, including demographic data, health services utilization, health system elements, poverty, and educational attainment. RESULTS Despite its low overall performance, Kentucky includes counties with health status that is equal to the highest-ranking states. Poverty and loss of healthy, working-age populations are closely associated with low health status, as are low rates of high school graduation. CONCLUSIONS Rankings that average health status indicators across widely diverse areas may yield findings that are only marginally relevant for health policy development. A high burden of morbidity pulls resources from population health to high-cost health services, challenging the viability of long-range initiatives; however, a comprehensive approach to health status improvement will be necessary to bring more southern US states like Kentucky into higher-ranking positions.
A polymorphism in human estrogen-related receptor beta (ESRRβ) predicts audiometric temporary threshold shift

AbstractObjective: A non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (rs61742642; C to T, P386S) in the ligand-binding domain of human estrogen-related receptor beta (ESRRβ) showed possible association to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in our previous study. Design: This study was conducted to examine the effect of the ESRRβ rs61742642 T variant on temporary threshold shift (TTS). TTS was induced by 10 minutes of exposure to audiometric narrow-band noise centered at 2000 Hz. Hearing thresholds and distortion product otoacoustic emissions input output function (DP IO) at 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz were measured before and after the noise exposure. Study sample: Nineteen participants with rs61742642 CT genotype and 40 participants with rs61742642 CC genotype were recruited for the study. Results: Participants with the CT genotype acquired a significantly greater TTS without convincing evidence of greater DP IO temporary level shift (DPTLS) compared to participants with the CC genotype. Conclusion: The results...
The Anglo-Soviet Cold War over Austria, 1945/6

The Red Army remembered that Austrians had participated in the Wehrmacht’s spoliation of their homeland. When it liberated the Ostmark, in spite of professing to the contrary, it treated Austria like a defeated country. The “liberated” population was humiliated in a ruthless campaign of raping women and looting cities and countryside. Soon special teams began to remove industrial plants from Austria as war booty. The undisciplined behaviour of the raging soldateska left an indelible mark on the Austrian population and eerily reconfirmed the anticommunism preached by Nazi Greuelpropaganda. Large-scale Soviet extraction of reparations from Austria threatened the economic viability of the country. There is no evidence that Stalin planned to incorporate Austria into its extensive postwar security sphere.
Masters of Illusion: We're Different Now

A friend of ours boarded a plane recently in a European city to fly home to New York. The seat beside her was empty. Not long after takeoff she fell asleep, after all other passengers in the row of seats in front of her and in back were already asleep . Suddenly she was awakened in the middle of the night; flight attendants were putting into the seat next to our friend a woman concealed from head to foot in a chadrah. To our friend's astonishment, the woman was stretched out in the chair, which had been reclined as far as it would go, and the flight attendants were giving her oxygen. Standing behind the woman and gripping her hand was a man dressed in the full regalia of an Afghan – a turban, flowing robes, a wide belt, baggy pants, and wearing a long black beard . “My God,” thought our friend, “that man's the perfect image of a terrorist.” She reached over and grabbed the sleeve of a flight attendant. “Who's that?” she asked, whispering . “The woman is traveling in back with a group of children” the attendant whispered back, “and she fell ill.” “Who's that with her?” “That's her son.” Our friend looked closely at the man. Then she studied the woman lying beside her. “They're each about thirty years old,” she told herself. “So the man isn't her son at all, but someone else.”
The Syntax of Mandarin Bă: Reconsidering the Verbal Analysis

The ba construction is central to the study of Mandarin grammar. It has received many attempts at analysis and comes up frequently as a syntactic test in discussions of other phenomena. Yet, not even its part of speech has ever been convincingly established. This paper presents the case for treating ba as a verb, considering both language-internal arguments and arguments from universal properties of parts of speech. These arguments are intended to have cross-theoretic validity.On the basis of the conclusion that ba is a verb, an analysis is developed within the framework of Lexical Functional Grammar. On this analysis, ba selects for a subject, an object, and a complement clause, and further stipulates that its object controls the TOPIC function of its complement clause.This analysis is shown to account for both the core data and the data which is problematic for other analyses. Finally, the analysis is confirmed by evidence from telicity effects in the ba construction, universal properties of verbs and prepositions, and its compatibility with the known historical development of the construction.