Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multifactorial approach to predicting resistance to anthracyclines.

PURPOSE Validated biomarkers predictive of response/resistance to anthracyclines in breast cancer are currently lacking. The neoadjuvant Trial of Principle (TOP) study, in which patients with estrogen receptor (ER) -negative tumors were treated with anthracycline (epirubicin) monotherapy, was specifically designed to evaluate the predictive value of topoisomerase II-α (TOP2A) and develop a gene expression signature to identify those patients who do not benefit from anthracyclines. PATIENTS AND METHODS The TOP trial included 149 patients, 139 of whom were evaluable for response prediction analyses. The primary end point was pathologic complete response (pCR). TOP2A and gene expression profiles were evaluated using pre-epirubicin biopsies. Gene expression data from ER-negative samples of the EORTC (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer) 10994/BIG (Breast International Group) 00-01 and MDACC (MD Anderson Cancer Center) 2003-0321 neoadjuvant trials were used for validation purposes. RESULTS A pCR was obtained in 14% of the evaluable patients in the TOP trial. TOP2A amplification, but not protein overexpression, was significantly associated with pCR (P ≤ .001 v P ≤ .33). We developed an anthracycline-based score (A-Score) combining three signatures: a TOP2A gene signature and two previously published signatures related to tumor invasion and immune response. The A-Score was characterized by a high negative predictive value ([NPV]; NPV, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.90 to 1.00) overall and in the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) -negative and HER2-positive subpopulations. Its performance was independently confirmed in the anthracycline-based arms of the two validation trials (BIG 00-01: NPV, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.64 to 0.94 and MDACC 2003-0321: NPV, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.80 to 1.00). CONCLUSION Given its high NPV, the A-Score could become, if further validated, a useful clinical tool to identify those patients who do not benefit from anthracyclines and could therefore be spared the non-negligible adverse effects.
Determinants of Network News Coverage of the Oil Industry during the Late 1970s

e The single most important industry covered by network news broadcasts during the 1970s was the energy industry. ' Major oil crises severely affected the American economy in 1973 and 1979. This paper analyzes the determinants of oil news coverage during the second of these crises. We propose and test six hypotheses concerning oil industry news coverage by network television. We propose that product pricing within the oil industry is an important determinant of media coverage of the industry. We d o not mean to suggest that news reports largely describe product pricing within the industry. Indeed, many reports have nothing to d o with prices, per se. What we d o suggest is that oil industry news coverage is more likely to be large when prices are high. Because the oil industry is composed of a variety of firms and products, we examine which firms
Baseband-pulse-antenna techniques

Frequency-domain concepts and terminology are commonly used to describe antennas. These are very satisfactory for a CW or narrowband application. However, their validity is questionable for an instantaneous wideband excitation. Time-domain and/or wideband analyses can provide more insight and more effective terminology. Two approaches for this time-domain analysis have been described. The more complete one uses the transfer function, a function which describes the amplitude and phase of the response over the entire frequency spectrum. While this is useful for evaluating the overall response of a system, it may not be practical when trying to characterize an antenna's performance, and trying to compare it with that of other antennas. A more convenient and descriptive approach uses time-domain parameters, such as efficiency, energy pattern, receiving area, etc., with the constraint that the reference or excitation signal is known. The utility of both approaches, for describing the time-domain performance, was demonstrated for antennas which are both small and large, in comparison to the length of the reference signal. The approaches have also been used for other antennas, such as arrays, where they also could be applied to measure the effects of mutual impedance, for a wide-bandwidth signal. The time-domain ground-plane antenna range, on which these measurements were made, is suitable for symmetric antennas. However, the approach can be readily adapted to asymmetric antennas, without a ground plane, by using suitable reference antennas. <<ETX>>
Loop Partitioning for Cache-based Multiprocessors

In this paper, an eecient algorithm to implement loop partitioning is introduced and evaluated. We improve recent results of Agarwal, Kranz and Natarajan 1] in several directions. We derive a new formulation of the cumulative footprint, which enables us to deal with arbitrary parallelepiped-shaped tiles, as opposed to rectangular tiles in 1]. We design an eecient heuris-tic to determine the optimal tile shape. We illustrate the superiority of our algorithm on the same examples as in 1] to ensure the fairness of the comparisons.
Rice Husk Ash to Stabilize Heavy Metals Contained in Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Fly Ash: First Results by Applying New Pre-treatment Technology

A new technology was recently developed for municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash stabilization, based on the employment of all waste and byproduct materials. In particular, the proposed method is based on the use of amorphous silica contained in rice husk ash (RHA), an agricultural byproduct material (COSMOS-RICE project). The obtained final inert can be applied in several applications to produce “green composites”. In this work, for the first time, a process for pre-treatment of rice husk, before its use in the stabilization of heavy metals, based on the employment of Instant Pressure Drop technology (DIC) was tested. The aim of this work is to verify the influence of the pre-treatment on the efficiency on heavy metals stabilization in the COSMOS-RICE technology. DIC technique is based on a thermomechanical effect induced by an abrupt transition from high steam pressure to a vacuum, to produce changes in the material. Two different DIC pre-treatments were selected and thermal annealing at different temperatures were performed on rice husk. The resulting RHAs were employed to obtain COSMOS-RICE samples, and the stabilization procedure was tested on the MSWI fly ash. In the frame of this work, some thermal treatments were also realized in O2-limiting conditions, to test the effect of charcoal obtained from RHA on the stabilization procedure. The results of this work show that the application of DIC technology into existing treatment cycles of some waste materials should be investigated in more details to offer the possibility to stabilize and reuse waste.
Development and Validation of a Measure of Relational Leadership:Implications for Leadership Theory and Policies

Problem statement: This study reports the development and validation of the Relational Leadership Questionnaire (RLQ). The consensus attributes of relational leadership are that the relational leader is caring, empowering, ethical, inclusive and has vision. These characteristics also reflect the newest theory and view of leadership in the psychological literature as well. Approach: For each of these 5 attributes, 10 Likert items were written using a 7 point response scale. These 50 items were administered to 141 high school teachers. Five factors were found for the RLQ and the 5 items with the highest factors loadings for each attribute were retained for the confirmatory study. Results: A confirmatory study was done with 434 elementary, middle and high school teachers who also responded to the LMX leadership scale (the “known marker” scale) and Mayer's trust scale. The hypothesized correlations with the LMX and trust scales were obtained as were the expected factor structures. The RLQ was in general validated, but gender, teaching level and teaching experience was found to significantly influence factor structures and scores on all three instruments. Conclusion: The meaning and implications of these findings are discussed as they are important to both research on and theories of leadership. These finding also have a number of key and important policy implications in the assessment and evaluation of educational leaders from school principals to university presidents and legislative committee members. These later implications are also discussed in detail and in terms of the different model of educational leadership and policy formulation they suggest.
Isolation and Characterization of Monomeric and Dimeric CP47-Reaction Center Photosystem II Complexes*

Using the detergents n-dodecyl β-d-maltoside and heptyl thioglycopyranoside, a subcore complex of photosystem II (PSII) has been isolated that contains the chlorophyll-binding protein, CP47, and the reaction center components, D1, D2, and cytochrome b 559. We have found, by using sucrose density centrifugation, that the resulting preparation consisted of a mixture of dimeric and monomeric forms of the CP47 reaction center (RC) complex, having molecular masses of 410 ± 30 and 200 ± 28 kDa, respectively, as estimated by size exclusion chromatography. The level of the dimer in the preparation is significantly higher than the monomeric form. Both the monomer and dimer contain the proteins CP47, D1, and D2 and the α- and β-subunits of cytochrome b 559. Analyses by mass spectrometry and N-terminal sequencing showed that both forms of the CP47-RC complex contain the products of the psbI,psbT c (chloroplast gene), and psbWwith molecular masses of 4195.5, 3849.6, and 5927.4 Da, respectively. In contrast to the monomeric form, the CP47-RC dimer contained two extra proteins with low molecular weights, identified as the products of the psbL and psbK genes having molecular masses of 4365.5 and 4292.1, respectively. It was also found that the dimer contained slightly more molecules of chlorophyll a(21 ± 2.5) than the monomer (18 ± 1.5), a characteristic also observed in the room temperature absorption spectrum by comparing the ratio of absorption at 416 and 435 nm. Of particular note was the finding that the dimer, but not the monomer, contained plastoquinone-9 (estimated to be 1.5 ± 0.3 molecules per RC). The results indicate that the CP47-RC monomer is derived from the dimeric form of the complex, and therefore the latter is likely to represent anin vivo conformation. The PsbTc as well as the PsbI and PsbW proteins are identified as being intimately associated with the D1 and D2 proteins, and in the case of the dimer, importance is placed on the PsbL and PsbK proteins in sustaining plastoquinone binding and maintenance of the dimeric organization. Assuming only one copy of the α- and β-subunits of cytochromeb 559, the monomeric and dimeric forms of the complex would be expected to contain 21 and 23 × 2 transmembrane helices, respectively.
Introgression the SALTOL QTL into Q5DB, the Elite Variety of Vietnam Using Marker- Assisted - Selection (MAS)

Rice is a main food crop in Vietnam and plays a key role in economic growth in this country. However, its production and cultivating areas are severely affected from the threats of devastation caused by the rise of sea level. In this study, we have focused on developing new rice lines with salinity tolerance and high yield by applying markers assisted selection (MAS). Total of 21 primers in the Saltol QTL region were checked with the two parents varieties to identify polymorphic primers for screening the Saltol QTL region of the breeding populations. The individual plants in BC1, BC2, and BC3 generations of the Q5DB/FL478 were analyzed to evaluate the introgression of Saltol fragment into Q5DB cultivar. After screening of 3 BC generations, the best individual plants of BC3F1 of the plant numbers QF-3-1, QF-3-2, QF4-3-3, QF6-3 with almost the recipient alleles were selected. Conventional breeding was developed on BC3F2 for selection of the new salt tolerance rice lines with high yield, resistance to the biotic stress. The salinity tolerance of the new lines was also performed using the standard system of screening.
Peer relations as a source of stress? Assessing affiliation- and status-related stress among adolescents

In this study, we applied a general stress scale (Perceived Stress Scale; Cohen et al., 1983) in the peer context, resulting in a new Peer-Relational Stress Scale (PRS), which assesses both affiliation-related and status-related stress. The self-rating questionnaire was filled out by 345 Norwegian adolescents, who also reported their experiences of victimization and peer support. We investigated the construct validity of the PRS by using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and tested its measurement invariance across two randomly selected subsamples as well as across gender. It was shown that affiliation-related and status-related stress are two distinct, although correlated, dimensions of stress in the peer context. Criterion validity of affiliation- and peer-related stress was tested by correlating the two stress dimensions with victimization and peer support. As hypothesized, victimization was positively and peer support negatively associated with individual differences in experienced stress.
Neurotrophic Effects of Serum- and Glucocorticoid-Inducible Kinase on Adult Murine Mesencephalic Dopamine Neurons

Mesencephalic dopamine neurons are central to many aspects of human cognition, motivational, and motor behavior, and they are uniquely vulnerable to degenerative neurologic disorders such as Parkinson's disease. There is growing evidence that in the mature brain these neurons not only remain responsive to neurotrophic support, but are dependent on it for viability and function. Little is known of the cellular signaling pathways that mediate this support, although some evidence suggests that protein kinase Akt/PKB may play such a role. Another candidate for such a role is serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase (SGK), a member of the AGC kinase family that is closely related to Akt. We have herein examined the responsiveness of adult mouse dopamine neurons in vivo to overexpression of wild-type and a constitutively active form of SGK by use of viral vector transfer in normal mice and both before and after 6-OHDA lesion. We find that SGK induces a broad spectrum of neurotrophic effects on these neurons, including induction of neuronal hypertrophy, protection from both neuron death and neurotoxin-induced retrograde axonal degeneration, and axon regeneration. Given the diverse and robust effects of SGK on these neurons, and its abundant expression in them, we suggest that SGK, like closely related Akt, may play a role in their responsiveness to neurotrophic factors and in adult maintenance. It therefore offers a novel target for therapeutic development.
Single Layer Centrifugation Can Be Scaled-Up Further to Process up to 150 mL Semen

Single-Layer centrifugation has been used to improve the quality of sperm samples in several species. However, where stallion or boar semen is to be used for AI, larger volumes of semen have to be processed than for other species, thus limiting the effectiveness of the original technique. The objective of the present study was to scale up the SLC method for both stallion and boar semen. Stallion semen could be processed in 100 mL glass tubes without a loss of sperm quality, and similarly, boar semen could be processed in 200 mL and 500 mL tubes without losing sperm quality. The results of these preliminary studies are encouraging, and larger trials are underway to evaluate using these methods in the field.
Parent Management of School Choice in a Large Urban District

With No Child Left Behind legislation permitting students to switch from so-called failing schools, key questions are whether parents will act to select another school and which schools they will choose. Long-standing school choice systems provide evidence about low-income parents’strategies to gather information and negotiate the application process. Interviews with parents of eighth graders in Philadelphia indicate that faced with little high-quality official information about schools, parents’ social networks played an important role in the decision. Most parents were hungry for information about schools but lacked specifics on academic performance or children’s chances of admission. The data suggest that more detailed school information and a district commitment to counseling parents are essential for making well-informed choices. Even so, in districts with few good school options for students, there are limits to parents’ability to find a school that represents a substantial improvement over the school their child already attends.
Non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma in children. A comparative study of two modalities of therapy

Eighty‐six children with non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma were studied from 1964 to January 31, 1975. Seventy‐six percent of the 43 patients in the nonprotocol group had far advanced disease, and 76% had Rappaport's diffuse histology. Only 11% of these patients survived free of disease. The second group of 43 patients received the LSA2L2 protocol. Seventy‐six percent had advanced disease and 86% diffuse histology. Of these patients 76% are surviving free of disease with a median observation time of 25+ months. Fifty‐one percent of the survivors are off therapy and without evidence of disease. Prognostic factors such as primary sites, stages, histology, and others are discussed. The most important prognostic factor is early and aggressive therapy, and the achievement of a complete response status within 1–2 months from onset of therapy.
Different roads lead to Rome: the case of principle-based cognitive skills

In discussions about how to best foster principle-based cognitive skills, there are typically two points of dissent among researchers in the field of learning and instruction: First, should information be provided, as typical of direct instruction, or should this information be generated by the students, as typical of guided discovery or inquiry learning? Second, which type of learning activities should be emphasized, for example, hands-on activities or mental activities? It is argued that neither the question about the effectiveness of different learning methods nor that about the type of learner activities should be central issues. Instead, it is argued that (1) the learners’ attention should be directed to the central concepts and principles of the learning domain and (2) that different learning methods can accomplish such focused processing of central concepts and principles.
Maternal Attributions and Observed Maternal Behaviour: Are They Linked?

Mothers of children with behaviour problems have more negative attributions about their children than other mothers; they also report reacting differently to their children's misbehaviour. The present study explored whether maternal attributions were associated with actual maternal behaviour observed in the home. Fifty-seven mothers and their 3-year-old children were observed in the home carrying out a range of everyday tasks and behaviour was coded using Gardner's observational coding scheme. Mothers were interviewed about their attributions, using an adaptation of Walker's PAQ and level of behaviour problems was measured using the Child Behaviour Check List (CBCL). Mothers who thought the causes of the child's misbehaviour were more internal to the child had more conflict with their child, used more negative strategies and were more likely to use reactive strategies only, even when controlling for level of behaviour problem in the child. Mothers who thought the causes of the child's misbehaviour were more stable were more likely to use reactive strategies only and mothers who thought the causes of the child's misbehaviour were more global used fewer positive strategies. This study is part of the growing body of literature that suggests observed maternal behaviour is associated with maternal attributions.
Hexagonal Meshes with Planar Faces

Free-form meshes with planar hexagonal faces, to be called P-Hex meshes, provide a useful surface representation in discrete differential geometry and are demanded in architectural design for representing surfaces built with planar glass/metal panels. We study the geometry of P-Hex meshes and present an algorithm for computing a free-form P-Hex mesh of a specified shape. Our algorithm first computes a regular triangulation of a given surface and then turns it into a P-Hex mesh approximating the surface. A novel local duality transformation, called Dupin duality, is introduced for studying relationship between triangular meshes and for controlling the face shapes of P-Hex meshes. This report is based on the results presented at Workshop ”Polyhedral Surfaces and Industrial Applications” held on September 1518, 2007 in Strobl, Austria. CR Categories: I.3. 5 [Computer Graphics]: Computational Geometry and Object Modeling—Geometric algorithms, languages, and systems; I.3. 5 [Computer Graphics]: Computational Geometry and Object Modeling—Curve, surface, solid, and object representations
Association between the risk of coronary artery disease in South Asians and a deletion polymorphism in glutathione S-transferase M1

South Asians living in Western societies show a greater risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) than the indigenous Caucasian population, probably related to the change to a Westernised lifestyle and an associated genetic susceptibility. Modulation of DNA damage and mutation caused by polymorphisms in detoxification enzymes, including the glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), is a well-established risk factor for tobacco-related carcinogenesis, and a similar change in cellular damage may be involved in the risk of vascular disease associated with tobacco smoking. In this study we examined whether polymorphisms in GST genes influence the risk of CAD in a case-control group of South Asians, following our recent observation of such an association in Caucasians from the same region of the UK. Blood was obtained from 170 patients of South Asian origin admitted for angiographic investigation of chest pain and from 203 controls. Patients were subdivided into those with and without previous acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and DNA was analysed for deletions in the GSTM1 and GSTT1 genes. An association was found between the prevalence of the GSTM1 null genotype and the risk of developing CAD in this study population. The frequency of the null genotype was 52.7% in healthy controls and 41.2% in patients (odds ratio [OR] 0.63, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.42-0.95, p = 0.029). The effect was similar in subjects with or without a prior history of AMI. The association was also independent of smoking history, with both non-smokers and smokers showing a similar pattern of genotype distribution, the frequency of the null genotype being 51.2% in controls versus 37.0% in patients in 'never' smokers (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.33-0.94, p = 0.037) and 60.0% in controls versus 46.2% in patients in 'ever' smokers (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.25-1.28, p = 0.223). The association remained after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index and the presence or absence of stenosis. No significant associations were observed between the GSTT1 genotype and cardiovascular disease (χ2 test, p > 0.1). The results of this study indicate that the GSTM1 null genotype is protective against both CAD and AMI. However, further study is required in order to elucidate the, as yet unexplained, mechanisms underlying this association.