Triple‐negative breast carcinomas are a heterogeneous entity that differs between young and old patients

OBJECTIVE: To compare the frequency and immunohistochemical profiles of triple-negative breast carcinomas in younger and older women. METHODS AND RESULTS: We selected patients diagnosed with triple-negative breast carcinomas. The groups examined were women who were 35 years old or younger between 1997 and 2007 (n = 74) and, for comparison, women who were 60 years old or older (n = 19, consecutive cases). All formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tumor samples were reviewed and immunohistochemically stained for ER, PR, HER2, Ki-67 antigen, epidermal growth factor receptor, cytokeratin 5/6, p53, vimentin, CD117, and p63 using tissue microarrays blocks. Triple-negative breast carcinomas corresponded to 34.6% (74/213) of the carcinomas from the younger patients and 16.2% (19/117) of the carcinomas from the older patients (p = 0.002). No significant differences in the frequency of the basal phenotype were observed in the two patient groups based on CK5/6 and/or epidermal growth factor receptor expression (74.3% vs. 68.4%). However, triple-negative breast carcinomas in the older patients presented a higher frequency of CK5/6 expression compared to those of younger patients (42.1% vs. 9.6%; p = 0.005), whereas triplenegative breast carcinomas of younger patients had a higher expression level of epidermal growth factor receptor (71.6% vs. 47.3%). CONCLUSIONS: These results show that there were significant molecular differences between the triple-negative basal-like breast carcinomas that were diagnosed in younger women and those that were diagnosed in older women. These findings may provide a basis for describing the more aggressive phenotype of the triple-negative breast carcinomas observed in younger women

Deriving a practical analytical-probabilistic method to size flood routing reservoirs

In the engineering practice routing reservoir sizing is commonly performed by using the design storm method, although its effectiveness has been debated for a long time. Conversely, continuous simulations and direct statistical analyses of recorded hydrographs are considered more reliable and comprehensive, but are indeed complex or seldom practicable. In this paper a handier tool is provided by the analytical-probabilistic approach to construct probability functions of peak discharges issuing from natural watersheds or routed through on-line and off-line reservoirs. A simplified routing scheme and a rainfall-runoff model based on a few essential hydrological parameters were implemented. To validate the proposed design methodology, on-line and off-line routing reservoirs were firstly sized by means of a conventional design storm method for a test watershed located in northern Italy. Their routing efficiencies were then estimated by both analytical-probabilistic models and benchmarking continuous simulations. Bearing in mind practical design purposes, adopted models evidenced a satisfactory consistency

Multivariate statistical analysis of flood variables by copulas: two italian case studies

Multivariate statistics are important to determine the flood hydrograph for the design of hydraulic structures and for the hydraulic risk assessment. In the last decade, the copula approach has been investigated in hydrological practice to assess the design flood hydrograph in terms of flood peak, volume and duration. In this paper, the copula approach is exploited to perform pair analyses of these three random variables for two Italian watersheds, in the Apennine and the Alps respectively. The criterion to separate continuous flow series into independent events is discussed along with its implications on the dependence structure. The goodness-of-fits of the proposed copulas are then assessed by non-parametric tests. Marginal distributions to derive joint distributions are briefly suggested. The possibility of generating flood events according to the proposed model and potential applications to hydraulic structure design and flood management are finally examined

Diffuse radio sources in the cluster of galaxies Abell 548b

We report extensive VLA and ATCA observations of the two diffuse radio sources in the cluster of galaxies Abell 548b, which confirm their classification as relics. The two relics (named A and B) show similar flux density, extent, shape, polarization and spectral index and are located at projected distances of about 430 and 500 kpc from the cluster center, on the same side of the cluster's X-ray peak. On the basis of spectral indices of discrete radio sources embedded within the diffuse features, we have attempted to distinguish emission peaks of the diffuse sources from unrelated sources. We have found that both relics, in particular the B-relic, show possible fine structure, when observed at high resolution. Another diffuse source (named C) is detected close in projection to the cluster center. High-resolution images show that it contains two discrete radio sources and a diffuse component, which might be a candidate for a small relic source. The nature and properties of the diffuse radio sources are discussed. We conclude that they are likely related to the merger activity in the cluster.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 11 pages, 7 figures. Some figures are degraded to reduce their size. A version with high resolution images is available at http://www.ira.inaf.it/~lferetti/OUTGOING/papA548b.ps.g

Two crystal forms of a hydrated 2:1 b-cyclodextrin× fluconazole complex: Single crystal x-ray structures, dehydration profiles, and conditions for their individual isolation

Inclusion complexes between cyclodextrins (CDs) and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) have potential for pharmaceutical formulation. Since crystallization of a given complex may result in the isolation of multiple crystal forms, it is essential to characterize these forms with respect to their structures and physicochemical properties to optimize pharmaceutical candidate selection. Here, we report the preparation and characterization of two crystallographically distinct hydrated forms of an inclusion complex between β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and the antifungal API fluconazole (FLU) as well as temperature–concentration conditions required for their individual isolation. Determination of crystal water contents was achieved using thermoanalytical methods. X-ray analyses revealed distinct structural differences between the triclinic (TBCDFLU, space group P1) and monoclinic (MBCDFLU, space group C2) crystal forms. Removal of the crystals from their mother liquors led to rapid dehydration of the MBCDFLU crystal, while the TBCDFLU crystal was stable, a result that could be reconciled with the distinct packing arrangements in the respective crystals. This study highlights (a) the importance of identifying possible multiple forms of a cyclodextrin×API complex and controlling the crystallization conditions, and (b) the need to characterize such crystal forms to determine the extent to which their physicochemical properties may differ

Local political leadership and the modernisation of local government

Political leadership has been a key element of central government’s attempts to ‘modernise’ local government over the past decade, within a discourse that emphasised ‘strong’ and ‘visible’ leadership and the role of leaders and leadership in driving change within local authorities. In the context of such an approach, and also taking account of academic discourse, this article draws upon interviews with nearly thirty individuals in leadership positions in local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales to assess their experiences of leadership and their views of some aspects of the role and work of councils. It suggests that whilst there is broad convergence between the aspirations of government and the narratives that emerge from these leaders on some aspects of local political leadership, there are also differences, perhaps most notably over the relationship between changes to decision making structures and the loci of political power

Variação da condutividade hidráulica do solo não saturado determinada em condições de campo utilizando análises simplificadas de experimentos de drenagem interna

Experimentally determined values of unsaturated soil hydraulic conductivity are presented for an Alfisol of the county of Piracicaba, S.P., Brazil. Simultaneous measurements of soil water content and pressure head are made along a 125 m transect within an irrigated field during the internal drainage process. Calculations of the soil hydraulic conductivity were made using the instantaneous profile method (Watson, 1966) and the unit gradient method (LIBARDI et al., 1980). The spatial variability of the soil hydraulic conductivity manifested along the transect indicates the need to develop a field method to measure K(theta) within prescribed fiducial limits, taking into account quantitative evaluation of spatial and temporal variances associated with the mathematical model, instrument calibration and soil properties.São apresentados dados experimentais de condutividade hidráulica do solo, para uní Alfisol (terra roxa estruturada) do Município de Piracicaba,SP - Brasil. Medidas simultâneas de umidade do solo e de potencial total da água no solo foram realizadas ao longo de uma transeção de 125 m, dentro de um campo irrigado, durante o processo de drenagem interna. Os cálculos de condutividade hidráulica foram feitos utilizando o método do perfil instantâneo (WATSON, 1966) e o método do gradiente unitário (LIBARDI et al., 1980). A variabilidade espacial da condutividade hidráulica do solo observada ao longo da transeção aponta a necessidade do desenvolvimento de método de campo para a medida de K (teta) dentro de limites preestabelecidos de precisão, levando em conta a medida quantitativa das variâncias temporal e espacial associadas ao modelo matemático, a calibração dos instrumentos e as propriedades do solo

Synthesis, crystal structure, structural phase transition and dielectric properties of new organic-inorganic hybrid compound: (C6H5CH2N(C2H5)3)CdCl3

Single crystal of new organic-inorganic hybrid compound, (C6H5CH2N(C2H5)3)CdCl3, was successfully synthesis by slow evaporation method at room temperature and characterized by divers techniques such as single X-ray diffraction, Infrared and Raman spectroscopy, Thermal analysis (TGA and DSC), Variable temperature X-ray powder diffraction (VT‒XRPD) and dielectric properties. The results of single X-ray studies demonstrated that the title compound crystallizes in the monoclinic system with the space group P21/n. The atomic arrangement of the crystal structure can be described as 1D polymeric inorganic chain CdCl5 along the a-axis between which the organic groups are located. It consists on isolated square-pyramidal [CdCl5]3− anions and triethylbenzylammonuim (C6H5CH2N(C2H5)3)+ cations, which are interconnected via C−H…Cl weak hydrogen bonds forming 3D network. Investigation of RT‒XRPD was carried out to identify the purity of the bulk material. Hirshfeld surface and fingerprint plots reveal that the structure is dominated by H…H and H…Cl/Cl…H contacts. It is found that the (C6H5CH2N(C2H5)3)CdCl3 material displays a irreversible structural phase transition at T = 413 K. This latter was confirmed by means of variable temperature X- ray powder diffraction and dielectric permittivity (ε′andε′)