Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prognostic Significance of Basal-Like Phenotype and Fascin Expression in Node-Negative Invasive Breast Carcinomas

Purpose: Basal-like phenotype tumors are frequently found among BRCA1 germ-line mutated breast carcinomas. They are biologically aggressive and have a tendency towards visceral metastasis when untreated. Nevertheless, it has been suggested that they respond to chemotherapy better than other types of tumors. Fascin expression has been associated with lung metastasis in breast cancer. The aim of this study was to determine whether basal-like phenotype and fascin were related in both sporadic and familial tumors and with prognosis in node-negative sporadic breast cancers. Experimental design: 230 nonfamilial and 28 hereditary node-negative invasive breast carcinomas were immunohistochemically analyzed using tissue microarrays. Tumors that were estrogen receptor/HER2 negative and cytokeratin 5/6 and/or epidermal growth factor receptor positive were considered to have a basal-like phenotype. Results: A basal-like phenotype was found in 11.9% of sporadic cancers. Among patients not receiving adjuvant chemotherapy, a basal-like phenotype was associated with poor prognosis (P = 0.001, log-rank test) whereas no such association was found in patients receiving it. Tumors with a basal-like phenotype showed local recurrence (17.4%) or visceral metastasis (13%) but not bone metastasis (P = 0.001). Fascin expression was observed in 25.1% of sporadic invasive breast carcinomas and was associated with the basal-like phenotype, but not with prognosis or recurrence pattern. Fascin was expressed in 83.3% and 16.7% BRCA1- and BRCA2-associated carcinomas, respectively (P = 0.048). Conclusions: Basal-like tumors had a tendency towards visceral metastasis and their prognosis was dependent on the use of postoperative chemotherapy. Although fascin expression was associated with the basal-like phenotype, it was not associated with their metastatic behavior. Fascin expression is frequent in BRCA1-associated tumors.
The Model of Social Protection in Southern Europe : Enduring Characteristics?

SummaryDoes South European welfare have any specificity in dealing with the challenges and constraints shaping the evolution of social protection in the European Union? Is there any particular Mediterranean response to welfare developments in the EU different from the Corporatist, Liberal or Social-democratic regimes? Are the characteristics of the model of social protection in Southern Europe likely to endure in the near future or are they in a process of deep transformation? This article carries out an overview of societal transformations and welfare reform in South European countries related to three main areas of analysis: Socio-economic; Politico-institutional and Cultural-axiological. By discussing continuity and change concerning these analytical dimensions, the article aims at identifying thematic areas and key issues for future research which could test the resilience – or otherwise – of welfare arrangements in Southern Europe.
Mild traumatic brain injury and anxiety sequelae: A review of the literature

There is scattered but significant psychological and neuropsychological evidence to suggest that mild traumatic brain injury (mild TBI) plays a notable role in the emergence and expression of anxiety. Conversely, there is also empirical evidence to indicate that anxiety may exert a pronounced impact on the prognosis and course of recovery of an individual who has sustained a mild TBI. Although the relationship between mild TBI and anxiety remains unclear, the present body of research attempts to elucidate a number of aspects regarding this topic. Overall, the mild TBI research is rife with inconsistencies concerning prevalence rates, the magnitude and implications of this issue and, in the case of PTSD, even whether certain diagnoses can exist at all. This review obviates the need for greater consistencies across studies, especially between varying disciplines, and calls for a shift from studies overly focused on categorical classification to those concerned with dimensional conceptualization.
Constraints on Ultraviolet Absorption in the Intracluster Medium of Abell 1030

We present results from an extensive Hubble Space Telescope (HST) spectroscopic search for UV absorption lines in the spectrum of the quasar B2 1028+313, which is associated with the central dominant galaxy in the cluster Abell 1030 (z = 0.178). This is one of the brightest known UV continuum sources located in a cluster and therefore provides an ideal opportunity to obtain stringent constraints on the column densities of any cool absorbing gas that may be associated with the intracluster medium (ICM). Our HST spectra were obtained with the Faint Object Spectrograph (FOS) and GHRS and provide continuous coverage at rest frame wavelengths from ~975 to 4060 Å, thereby allowing the investigation of many different elements and ionization levels. We utilize a new technique that involves simultaneous fitting of large numbers of different transitions for each species, thereby yielding more robust constraints on column densities than can be obtained from a single transition. This method yields upper limits of ≲1011-1013 cm-2 on the column densities of a wide range of molecular, atomic, and ionized species that may be associated with the ICM. We also discuss a possible Lyα and C IV absorption system associated with the quasar. We discuss the implications of the upper limits on cool intracluster gas in the context of the physical properties of the ICM and its relationship to the quasar.
The Legalization Countdown: A Third-Quarter Assessment.

ABSTRACT The Immigration Control and Reform Act of 1986 (IRCA) gives undocumented aliens a chance to be granted legal immigration status. This document is the third quarter assessment of the Act, which ends its application period on May 4, 1988. The overall finding is that the legalization program requires major policy intervention before it is over or the chance to bring order to the immigration structure will be lost. More specific findings and recommendations include the following: (1) the public information effort has been inadequate and should be enhanced by a broad-based partnership of public and private information services; (2) adjustments in the regulatory policy have removed some barriers to eligibility but family members must be assured that each case will be judged sympathetically on its own merits; (3) the application process is efficient, and timely final decisions must be the highest priority; (4) some assistance organizations are operating well, others that have experienced mistrust must receive more support from the Immigration and Naturalization Service; (5) since the exact number of eligible persons is not known, the success of the program should not be judged by numbers; and (6) special arrangements may have to be made if there is a surge of applications just before the deadline. (VM)
Correlation of the magnetic field and the intra-cluster gas density in galaxy clusters

We present a correlation between X-ray surface brightness and Faraday rotation measure in galaxy clusters, both, from radio and X-ray observations as well as from modeling of the intra-cluster medium. The ob- served correlation rules out a magnetic eld of constant strength throughout the cluster. Cosmological, magneto- hydrodynamic simulations of galaxy clusters are used to show that for a magnetic eld of cosmic origin this correlation is expected and excellently reproduces the observations showing that the rms scatter of the Faraday rotation increases linearly with the X-ray surface brightness. From the correlation between the observable quanti- ties, rotation measure and X-ray surface brightness, we infer a relation between the physical quantities: magnetic eld and gas density. For the best available observations, those of A119, we nd B/ n 0:9 e .
Contrasting patterns of litterfall seasonality and seasonal changes in litter decomposability in a tropical rainforest region

Abstract. The seasonality of litter inputs in forests has important implications for understanding ecosystem processes and biogeochemical cycles. We quantified the drivers of seasonality in litterfall and leaf decomposability using plots throughout the Australian wet tropical region. Litter fell mostly in the summer (wet, warm) months in the region, but other peaks occurred throughout the year. Litterfall seasonality was modelled well with the level of deciduousness of the site (plots with more deciduous species had lower seasonality than evergreen plots), temperature (higher seasonality in the uplands), disturbance (lower seasonality with more early secondary species) and soil fertility (higher seasonality with higher N : P/P limitation) (SL total litterfall model 1 = deciduousness + soil N : P + early secondary sp.: r2 = 0.63, n = 30; model 2 = temperature + early secondary sp. + soil N : P: r2 = 0.54, n = 30; SL leaf = temperature + early secondary sp. + rainfall seasonality: r2 = 0.39, n = 30). Leaf litter decomposability was lower in the dry season than in the wet season, driven by higher phenolic concentrations in the dry, with the difference exacerbated particularly by lower dry season moisture. Our results are contrary to the global trend for tropical rainforests; in that seasonality of litterfall input was generally higher in wetter, cooler, evergreen forests, compared to generally drier, warmer, semi-deciduous sites that had more uniform monthly inputs. We consider this due to more diverse litter shedding patterns in semi-deciduous and raingreen rainforest sites, and an important consideration for ecosystem modellers. Seasonal changes in litter quality are likely to have impacts on decomposition and biogeochemical cycles in these forests due to the litter that falls in the dry season being more recalcitrant to decay.
Compact Broadband Gysel Power Divider With Arbitrary Power-Dividing Ratio Using Microstrip/Slotline Phase Inverter

A compact broadband Gysel power divider with arbitrary power-dividing ratio is proposed. This divider is derived from the conventional Gysel power divider by substituting an ideal phase inverter for the 180° phase shifter, which significantly improves the bandwidth and reduces the circumference to 1 λg evaluated at the center frequency. A wide range of power-dividing ratio (1-6.25) is supported by changing the impedance ratio of the transmission lines, while the dual-band impedance matching characteristic with frequency ratio (1-2.9) is obtained only by varying the impedances of the transmission lines (20-135 Ω). Closed-form equations are derived for design parameters. The ideal phase inverter is realized by two transitions: microstrip-to-slotline and slotline-to-microstrip transitions. By utilizing this phase inverter, two microstrip Gysel dividers with power-dividing ratios of 1:1 and 2:1 and operating at 1.5/2.5 and 1/2 GHz, respectively, are designed, fabricated, and measured. The measured results are in good agreement with the simulated ones. The first measured results show a bandwidth of 80% with better than 15-dB return loss and 29-dB isolation from 1.19 to 2.76 GHz. The second measured results show a bandwidth of 95.8% with better than 12-dB return loss and 24-dB isolation from 0.8 to 2.27 GHz. To the authors' knowledge, the most wideband Gysel power divider using microstrip technology is proposed for the first time.
Localized eigenfunctions in Šeba billiards

We describe some new families of quasimodes for the Laplacian perturbed by the addition of a potential formally described by a Dirac delta function. As an application, we find, under some additional hypotheses on the spectrum, subsequences of eigenfunctions of Seba billiards that localize around a pair of unperturbed eigenfunctions.
An analytical solution to calculate bulk mole fractions for any number of components in aerosol droplets after considering partitioning to a surface layer

Abstract. Calculating the equilibrium composition of atmospheric aerosol particles, using all variations of Kohler theory, has largely assumed that the total solute concentrations define both the water activity and surface tension. Recently however, bulk to surface phase partitioning has been postulated as a process which significantly alters the predicted point of activation. In this paper, an analytical solution to calculate the removal of material from a bulk to a surface layer in aerosol particles has been derived using a well established and validated surface tension framework. The applicability to an unlimited number of components is possible via reliance on data from each binary system. Whilst assumptions regarding behaviour at the surface layer have been made to facilitate derivation, it is proposed that the framework presented can capture the overall impact of bulk-surface partitioning. Demonstrations of the equations for two and five component mixtures are given while comparisons are made with more detailed frameworks capable at modelling ternary systems at higher levels of complexity. Predictions made by the model across a range of surface active properties should be tested against measurements. Indeed, reccomendations are given for experimental validation and to assess sensitivities to accuracy and required level of complexity within large scale frameworks. Importantly, the computational efficiency of using the solution presented in this paper is roughly a factor of 20 less than a similar iterative approach, a comparison with highly coupled approaches not available beyond a 3 component system.
Intrusion tolerance in distributed computing systems

An intrusion-tolerant distributed system is a system which is designed so that any intrusion into a part of the system will not endanger confidentiality, integrity and availability. This approach is suitable for distributed systems, because distribution enables isolation of elements so that an intrusion gives physical access to only a part of the system. In particular, the intrusion-tolerant authentication and authorization servers enable a consistent security policy to be implemented on a set of heterogeneous, untrusted sites, administered by untrusted (but nonconspiring) people. The authors describe how some functions of distributed systems can be designed to tolerate intrusions. A prototype of the persistent file server presented has been successfully developed and implemented as part of the Delta-4 project of the European ESPRIT program. <<ETX>>
Chimpanzee fathers bias their behaviour towards their offspring

Promiscuous mating was traditionally thought to curtail paternal investment owing to the potential costs of providing care to unrelated infants. However, mounting evidence suggests that males in some promiscuous species can recognize offspring. In primates, evidence for paternal care exists in promiscuous Cercopithecines, but less is known about these patterns in other taxa. Here, we examine two hypotheses for paternal associations with lactating mothers in eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii): paternal effort, whereby males associate and interact more with their own infants, and mating effort, whereby males invest in mothers and offspring for mating privileges. We found that fathers associated more with their offspring than they did with non-kin infants, particularly early in life when infanticide risk is highest. Additionally, fathers and their infant offspring interacted more than expected. Notably, association between fathers and mother–infant pairs did not predict the probability of siring the mother's next offspring. Our results support the paternal effort, but not the mating effort hypothesis in this species. Chimpanzees are one of the most salient models for the last common ancestor between Pan and Homo, thus our results suggest that a capacity for paternal care, possibly independent of long-term mother–father bonds, existed early in hominin evolution.
Trial-Type Dependent Frames of Reference for Value Comparison

A central question in cognitive neuroscience regards the means by which options are compared and decisions are resolved during value-guided choice. It is clear that several component processes are needed; these include identifying options, a value-based comparison, and implementation of actions to execute the decision. What is less clear is the temporal precedence and functional organisation of these component processes in the brain. Competing models of decision making have proposed that value comparison may occur in the space of alternative actions, or in the space of abstract goods. We hypothesized that the signals observed might in fact depend upon the framing of the decision. We recorded magnetoencephalographic data from humans performing value-guided choices in which two closely related trial types were interleaved. In the first trial type, each option was revealed separately, potentially causing subjects to estimate each action's value as it was revealed and perform comparison in action-space. In the second trial type, both options were presented simultaneously, potentially leading to comparison in abstract goods-space prior to commitment to a specific action. Distinct activity patterns (in distinct brain regions) on the two trial types demonstrated that the observed frame of reference used for decision making indeed differed, despite the information presented being formally identical, between the two trial types. This provides a potential reconciliation of conflicting accounts of value-guided choice.
The Global Diffusion Patterns of Successive Technology Generations: Modeling Analog and Digital Wireless Phone Growth

IT is a proven driver of economic growth and social development. Recent large-scale adoption of digital wireless phones among developed and developing countries has driven the expectation that high penetration will eventually pay off in economic returns and social benefits. We examine growth models to discover diffusion patterns of analog and digital wireless phones in the global context. We ask: What models might characterize diffusion growth for analog and digital wireless phones? Do developed and developing countries experience different growth patterns? Do analog and digital technologies follow different diffusion patterns? We use a matched sub-sample of twenty countries, with an equal share of developed countries and other less well-developed countries. We fitted internal, external and mixed influence diffusion models, models that allow asymmetric diffusion patterns around an inflection point for growth, and also models with a flexible inflection point for growth. The results provide a rich source of insights on wireless phone diffusion across its two key technological generations
Arsenic Trioxide-Induced Death of Neuroblastoma Cells Involves Activation of Bax and Does Not Require p53

Purpose: On the basis of clinical studies showing that arsenic trioxide (As2O3), via an apoptotic mechanism, and with minimal toxicity induces complete remission in patients with refractory acute promyelocytic leukemia and that multidrug-resistant and p53-mutated neuroblastoma cells are sensitive to As2O3 both in vitro and in vivo, we searched for molecular mechanisms involved in the As2O3-induced neuroblastoma cell death. Experimental Design: We have studied the effect of As2O3 on the expression and cellular localization of proteins involved in drug-induced death in two neuroblastoma cell lines with intact p53 and two with mutated p53, the latter two displaying multidrug resistance. Results: As2O3 provoked Bax expression in all tested neuroblastoma cell lines, including SK-N-BE(2) cells with mutated p53 and LA-N-1 cells, which have a deleted p53. In all cell lines exposed to As2O3, p21 Bax was proteolytically cleaved in a calpain-dependent way into the more proapoptotic p18 Bax, which was detected exclusively in a mitochondria-enriched subcellular fraction. As2O3 also caused an increase of cytoplasmic cytochrome c, translocation of antiapoptosis-inducing factor to the nuclei, and a slight activation of caspase 3. However, inhibition of caspase 3 did not prevent cell death, whereas inhibition of Bax cleavage was associated with a decreased As2O3-induced cell death. Conclusions: We show that multidrug-resistant neuroblastoma cells die after exposure to As2O3, independent of functional p53, suggesting activation of a cytotoxic pathway different from that induced by conventional chemotherapeutic agents. We further propose that proteolytic activation of Bax is an important event in As2O3-induced cell death.
N-CAM at the vertebrate neuromuscular junction

We have detected the neural cell adhesion molecule, N-CAM, at nerve- muscle contacts in the developing and adult mouse diaphragm. Whereas we found N-CAM staining with fluorescent antibodies consistently to overlap with the pattern of alpha-bungarotoxin staining at nerve-muscle contacts both during development and in the adult, we observed N-CAM staining on the surfaces of developing myofibers and at much lower levels on adult myofibers. Consistent with its function, N-CAM was also detected on axons and axon terminals. Immunoblotting experiments with anti-N-CAM antibodies on detergent extracts of embryonic (E) diaphragm muscle revealed a polydisperse polysialylated N-CAM polypeptide, which in the adult (A) was converted to a discrete form of Mr 140,000; this change, called E-to-A conversion, was previously found to occur in different neural tissues at different rates. The Mr 140,000 component was not recognized by monoclonal antibody anti-N-CAM No. 5, which specifically recognizes antigenic determinants associated with N-linked oligosaccharide determinants on N-CAM from neural tissue. The relative concentration of the Mr 140,000 component prepared from diaphragm muscle increased during fetal development and then decreased sharply to reach adult values. Nevertheless, expression of N-CAM in muscle could be induced after denervation: one week after the sciatic nerve was severed, the relative amount of N-CAM increased dramatically as detected by immunoblots of extracts of whole muscle. Immunofluorescent staining confirmed that there was an increase in N-CAM, both in the cell and at the cell surface; at the same time, however, staining at the motor endplate was diminished. Our findings indicate that, in muscle, in addition to chemical modulation, cell-surface modulation of N-CAM occurs both in amount and distribution during embryogenesis and in response to denervation.
A Comprehensive Proteomic Survey of ABA-Induced Protein Phosphorylation in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

abscisic acid (ABA) is a key phytohormone regulating plant development and stress response. The signal transduction of ABA largely relies on protein phosphorylation. However; little is known about the phosphorylation events occurring during ABA signaling in rice thus far. By employing a label-free; MS (Mass Spectrometry)-based phosphoproteomic approach; we identified 2271 phosphosites of young rice seedlings and their intensity dynamics in response to ABA; during which 1060 proteins were found to be differentially phosphorylated. Western-blot analysis verified the differential phosphorylation pattern of D1, SMG1 and SAPK9 as indicated by the MS result; suggesting the high reliability of our phosphoproteomic data. The DP (differentially phosphorylated) proteins are extensively involved in ABA as well as other hormone signaling pathways. It is suggested that ABA antagonistically regulates brassinosteroid (BR) signaling via inhibiting BR receptor activity. The result of this study not only expanded our knowledge of rice phosphoproteome, but also shed more light on the pattern of protein phosphorylation in ABA signaling.