2,539 research outputs found
Clinical relevance of soluble c-erbB-2 for patients with metastatic breast cancer predicting the response to second-line hormone or chemotherapy
Concentrations of soluble c-erbB-2 were determined in the sera of 64 patients with distant metastasis from advanced breast cancer receiving second-line hormone or chemotherapy in comparison to 35 breast cancer patients without detectable recurrent disease and 17 healthy blood donors. The sera of non-metastatic breast cancer patients contained s-erbB-2 concentrations similar to those of healthy blood donors. Patients with distant metastasis from advanced breast cancer had significantly higher values of s-erbB-2 in comparison to patients with non-disseminated disease (mean: 59.6 vs. 11.6 U/ml; p = 0.022). A significant correlation was observed between s-erbB-2 serum levels and serum LDH concentrations (p < 0.001), levels of alkaline phosphatase (p < 0.001), and the presence of hepatic metastasis (p = 0.001). Time to tumor progression was significantly shorter in patients with s-erbB-2 levels above 40 U/ml (mean: 23.4 vs. 56.7 months; p = 0.002). Furthermore, breast cancer patients with hepatic metastasis and those with elevated s-erbB-2 serum levels above 40 U/ml had limited response to hormone or chemotherapy. Non-responders had significantly higher s-erbB-2 levels (mean: 270.3, range: 42-500 U/ml;) compared with the responder group (mean: 23.1, range: 0-149 U/ml; p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis indicated that elevated s-erbB-2 serum levels above 40 U/ml independently predicted an unfavorable response to second-line hormone or chemotherapy in patients with advanced metastatic breast cancer. Copyright (C) 2002 S. KargerAG, Basel
Two candidate brown dwarf companions around core helium-burning stars
Hot subdwarf stars of spectral type B (sdBs) are evolved, core helium-burning
objects. The formation of those objects is puzzling, because the progenitor
star has to lose almost its entire hydrogen envelope in the red-giant phase.
Binary interactions have been invoked, but single sdBs exist as well. We report
the discovery of two close hot subdwarf binaries with small radial velocity
amplitudes. Follow-up photometry revealed reflection effects originating from
cool irradiated companions, but no eclipses. The lower mass limits for the
companions of CPD-64481 () and PHL\,457
() are significantly below the stellar mass limit. Hence
they could be brown dwarfs unless the inclination is unfavourable. Two very
similar systems have already been reported. The probability that none of them
is a brown dwarf is very small, 0.02%. Hence we provide further evidence that
substellar companions with masses that low are able to eject a common envelope
and form an sdB star. Furthermore, we find that the properties of the observed
sample of hot subdwarfs in reflection effect binaries is consistent with a
scenario where single sdBs can still be formed via common envelope events, but
their low-mass substellar companions do not survive.Comment: accepted to A&
Lattice-mismatch-induced granularity in CoPt-NbN and NbN-CoPt superconductor-ferromagnet heterostructures: Effect of strain
The effect of strain due to lattice mismatch and of ferromagnetic (FM)
exchange field on superconductivity (SC) in NbN-CoPt bilayers is investigated.
Two different bilayer systems with reversed deposition sequence are grown on
MgO (001) single crystals. While robust superconductivity with high critical
temperature (T_c ~ 15.3 K) and narrow transition width DelT_c ~ 0.4 K) is seen
in two types of CoPt-NbN/MgO heterostructures where the magnetic anisotropy of
CoPt is in-plane in one case and out-of-plane in the other, the NbN-CoPt/MgO
system shows markedly suppressed SC response. The reduced SC order parameter of
this system, which manifests itself in Tc, temperature dependence of critical
current density J_c (T), and angular (Phi) variation of flux-flow resistivity
Rho_f is shown to be a signature of the structure of NbN film and not a result
of the exchange field of CoPt. The Rho_f (H,T,Phi) data further suggest that
the domain walls in the CoPt film are of the Neel type and hence do not cause
any flux in the superconducting layer. A small, but distinct increase in the
low-field critical current of the CoPt-NbN couple is seen when the magnetic
layer has perpendicular anisotropy.Comment: 9 figure
Low temperature acoustic properties of amorphous silica and the Tunneling Model
Internal friction and speed of sound of a-SiO(2) was measured above 6 mK
using a torsional oscillator at 90 kHz, controlling for thermal decoupling,
non-linear effects, and clamping losses. Strain amplitudes e(A) = 10^{-8} mark
the transition between the linear and non-linear regime. In the linear regime,
excellent agreement with the Tunneling Model was observed for both the internal
friction and speed of sound, with a cut-off energy of E(min) = 6.6 mK. In the
non-linear regime, two different behaviors were observed. Above 10 mK the
behavior was typical for non-linear harmonic oscillators, while below 10 mK a
different behavior was found. Its origin is not understood.Comment: 1 tex file, 6 figure
Exploring Ways to Support Preservice Teachers\u27 Use of UDL In Planning and Instruction
There is limited research documenting current efforts to support preservice teachers to use the universal design for learning (UDL) framework in authentic teaching experiences. To increase knowledge on the effects of preparing preservice teachers to incorporate the UDL framework, researchers examined the effects a UDL professional development seminar that was delivered during the student teaching phase had on eight teacher candidates during their Kā12 placement. Using a concurrent triangulation mixed-method design, researchers examined lesson plans, video footage of teaching, teacher candidate reflections on their teaching sample, and university supervisor measures of the same sample before and after the UDL seminar. Findings are shared as well as recommendations for future practice
Results of a One-Day Seminar on Preservice Teachersā Incorporation of the UDL Framework in Lesson Design
Students with disabilities are increasingly receiving their instruction in inclusive classrooms. General education teachers continue to report a lack of preparation to address their needs. This study examined the impact of a 6-hour professional development seminar on the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to determine if preservice general and special education teachersā overall performance in lesson design to reduce barriers, identified through increased attention to student variability, improved. Two lesson plans, preseminar and postseminar, from 242 participants were scored using a modified education field experience (EFE) rubric that included 19 evaluation criteria. A Rasch analysis was used to determine pretest and posttest scoring validity and to enable regression analysis with a continuous outcome variable. Results indicated that the seminar resulted in higher scores for the participantsā postmeasures, controlling for the premeasure effects, as well as unique findings based on subject matter. These findings are presented, as well as implications for future research and practice
Exploring Ways to Support Preservice Teachersā Use of UDL in Planning and Instruction
There is limited research documenting current efforts to support preservice teachers to use the universal design for learning (UDL) framework in authentic teaching experiences. To increase knowledge on the effects of preparing preservice teachers to incorporate the UDL framework, researchers examined the effects a UDL professional development seminar that was delivered during the student teaching phase had on eight teacher candidates during their Kā12 placement. Using a concurrent triangulation mixed-method design, researchers examined lesson plans, video footage of teaching, teacher candidate reflections on their teaching sample, and university supervisor measures of the same sample before and after the UDL seminar. Findings are shared as well as recommendations for future practice
Iron bioavailability in low phytate pea
Non-Peer ReviewedThe objectives of this study are to determine the effect of genotype and environment on iron
bioavailability in a set of five pea varieties differing in phytate concentration using the in vitro
digestion/Caco-2 human cell assay (Glahn 2009), to determine whether iron bioavailability in
field pea is heritable by evaluating recombinant inbred lines (RILs) differing in phytate
concentration using in vitro digestion/Caco-2 human cell assay, and to determine the effect of
the pea low phytate trait on chicken performance and iron bioavailability in chicken. In a
previous study, two low phytate pea lines (1-2347-144 and 1-150-81) were developed from
CDC Bronco at the Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan (Warkentin et al.
2012). As a powerful chelator of iron, phytate can reduce the iron bioavailability in diets. The
low phytate peas may have increased iron bioavailability compared to the normal phytate
peas. In the first objective of this project, the iron bioavailability of pea seeds of the two low
phytate lines, their parent CDC Bronco and two other popular pea varieties in western Canada
(CDC Meadow and CDC Golden), derived from 3 replicate field experiments conducted in
2009 and 2010 at SPG (Saskatchewan Pulse Growers land), Outlook and Rosthern, were
assessed using the in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell culture. The result shows that the iron
bioavailability of the two low phytate lines is significantly higher than the other three normal
phytate varieties, although their iron concentrations have not significant difference. The low
phytate line 1-2347-144 and CDC Meadow were crossed to develop RILs
Iron bioavailability in low-phytate pea
Non-Peer ReviewedPhytate is the main storage form of phosphorus in the seeds of most crops. Phytate is not well digested by monogastrics and it chelates iron, zinc and some other micronutrients. To increase the nutritional value of pea seeds, two low phytate lines (1-150-81 and 1-2347-144) were developed from CDC Bronco in previous research. In this study, an in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell culture bioassay was used to simulate the iron absorption of peas in humans, as the cell line originated from human colon adenocarcinoma cells. The iron bioavailability of the two low-phytate lines was 1.4 to 1.9 times higher than that of three normal phytate varieties, while having the same total iron concentration. In vivo studies were used to evaluate iron absorption of chickens fed low phytate and normal phytate pea diets. The diets containing the two low-phytate pea lines had no significant effect on chicken body weight and hemoglobin level, compared with the diets containing normal phytate pea cultivars, however, iron deficiency was suspected in all diets used
Feature Nets: behavioural modelling of software product lines
Software product lines (SPL) are diverse systems that are developed using a dual engineering process: (a)family engineering deļ¬nes the commonality and variability among all members of the SPL, and (b) application engineering derives speciļ¬c products based on the common foundation combined with a variable selection of features. The number of derivable products in an SPL can thus be exponential in the number of features. This inherent complexity poses two main challenges when it comes to modelling: Firstly, the formalism used for modelling SPLs needs to be modular and scalable. Secondly, it should ensure that all products behave correctly by providing the ability to analyse and verify complex models eļ¬ciently. In this paper we propose to integrate an established modelling formalism (Petri nets) with the domain of software product line engineering. To this end we extend Petri nets to Feature Nets. While Petri nets provide a framework for formally modelling and verifying single software systems, Feature Nets oļ¬er the same sort of beneļ¬ts for software product lines. We show how SPLs can be modelled in an incremental, modular fashion using Feature Nets, provide a Feature Nets variant that supports modelling dynamic SPLs, and propose an analysis method for SPL modelled as Feature Nets. By facilitating the construction of a single model that includes the various behaviours exhibited by the products in an SPL, we make a signiļ¬cant step towards eļ¬cient and practical quality assurance methods for software product lines
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