Tumour invasiveness, the local and systemic environment and the basis of staging systems in colorectal cancer

background: The present study aimed to examine the relationship between tumour invasiveness (T stage), the local and systemic environment and cancer-specific survival (CSS) of patients with primary operable colorectal cancer. methods: The tumour microenvironment was examined using measures of the inflammatory infiltrate (Klintrup-Makinen (KM) grade and Immunoscore), tumour stroma percentage (TSP) and tumour budding. The systemic inflammatory environment was examined using modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) and neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio (NLR). A 5-year CSS was examined. results: A total of 331 patients were included. Increasing T stage was associated with colonic primary, N stage, poor differentiation, margin involvement and venous invasion (P<0.05). T stage was significantly associated with KM grade (P=0.001), Immunoscore (P=0.016), TSP (P=0.006), tumour budding (P<0.001), and elevated mGPS and NLR (both P<0.05). In patients with T3 cancer, N stage stratified survival from 88 to 64%, whereas Immunoscore and budding stratified survival from 100 to 70% and from 91 to 56%, respectively. The Glasgow Microenvironment Score, a score based on KM grade and TSP, stratified survival from 93 to 58%. conclusions: Although associated with increasing T stage, local and systemic tumour environment characteristics, and in particular Immunoscore, budding, TSP and mGPS, are stage-independent determinants of survival and may be utilised in the staging of patients with primary operable colorectal cancer

Matrix Models and D-branes in Twistor String Theory

We construct two matrix models from twistor string theory: one by dimensional reduction onto a rational curve and another one by introducing noncommutative coordinates on the fibres of the supertwistor space P^(3|4)->CP^1. We comment on the interpretation of our matrix models in terms of topological D-branes and relate them to a recently proposed string field theory. By extending one of the models, we can carry over all the ingredients of the super ADHM construction to a D-brane configuration in the supertwistor space P^(3|4). Eventually, we present the analogue picture for the (super) Nahm construction.Comment: 1+37 pages, reference added, JHEP style, published versio

Towards developmental modelling of tree root systems

Knowledge of belowground structures and processes is essential for understanding and predicting ecosystem functioning, and consequently in the development of adaptive strategies to safeguard production from trees and woody plants into the future. In the past, research has mainly been concentrated on growth models for the prediction of agronomic or forest production. Newly emerging scientific challenges, e.g. climate change and sustainable development, call for new integrated predictive methods where root systems development will become a key element for understanding global biological systems. The types of input data available from the various branches of woody root research, including biomass allocation, architecture, biomechanics, water and nutrient supply, are discussed with a view to the possibility of incorporating them into a more generic developmental model. We discuss here the main focus of root system modelling to date, including a description of simple allometric biomass models, and biomechanical stress models, and then build in complexity through static growth models towards architecture models. The next progressive and logical step in developing an inclusive developmental model that integrates these modelling approaches is discussed.Knowledge of belowground structures and processes is essential for understanding and predicting ecosystem functioning, and consequently in the development of adaptive strategies to safeguard production from trees and woody plants into the future. In the past, research has mainly been concentrated on growth models for the prediction of agronomic or forest production. Newly emerging scientific challenges, e.g. climate change and sustainable development, call for new integrated predictive methods where root systems development will become a key element for understanding global biological systems. The types of input data available from the various branches of woody root research, including biomass allocation, architecture, biomechanics, water and nutrient supply, are discussed with a view to the possibility of incorporating them into a more generic developmental model. We discuss here the main focus of root system modelling to date, including a description of simple allometric biomass models, and biomechanical stress models, and then build in complexity through static growth models towards architecture models. The next progressive and logical step in developing an inclusive developmental model that integrates these modelling approaches is discussed.Knowledge of belowground structures and processes is essential for understanding and predicting ecosystem functioning, and consequently in the development of adaptive strategies to safeguard production from trees and woody plants into the future. In the past, research has mainly been concentrated on growth models for the prediction of agronomic or forest production. Newly emerging scientific challenges, e.g. climate change and sustainable development, call for new integrated predictive methods where root systems development will become a key element for understanding global biological systems. The types of input data available from the various branches of woody root research, including biomass allocation, architecture, biomechanics, water and nutrient supply, are discussed with a view to the possibility of incorporating them into a more generic developmental model. We discuss here the main focus of root system modelling to date, including a description of simple allometric biomass models, and biomechanical stress models, and then build in complexity through static growth models towards architecture models. The next progressive and logical step in developing an inclusive developmental model that integrates these modelling approaches is discussed.Peer reviewe

Group formation under limited resources: narrow basin of equality

The formation of groups in competition and the aggressive interactions between them are ubiquitous phenomena in society. These include student activities in the classroom, election races between political parties, and intensifying trade wars between countries. Why do individuals form themselves into groups? What is the optimal size of groups? And how does the group size distribution affect resource allocations? These questions have been the subjects of intense research in economics, political science, sociology, and ethology. In this study, we explore the group-size effects on the formation of groups and resource allocations from an economic standpoint. While being in a large group is generally advantageous in competition, an increase in the management costs would set an upper bound to the individual benefit of members. Under such counteracting size effects, we consider the dynamics of group formation in which people seek a conservative measure to reduce their possible maximum loss. We are especially interested in the effects of group size on social inequalities at both group and individual level in resource allocation. Our findings show that the low positive size-effect and the high negative size-effect result in different types of social inequalities. We conclude, from the relation between the inequality measures and group distributions predicted within the model, that overall social equality only can be achieved within a narrow region where two counteracting size-effects are balanced

Measurement of the top quark-pair production cross section with ATLAS in pp collisions at \sqrt{s}=7\TeV

A measurement of the production cross-section for top quark pairs(\ttbar) in $pp$ collisions at \sqrt{s}=7 \TeV is presented using data recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Events are selected in two different topologies: single lepton (electron $e$ or muon $\mu$) with large missing transverse energy and at least four jets, and dilepton ($ee$, $\mu\mu$ or $e\mu$) with large missing transverse energy and at least two jets. In a data sample of 2.9 pb-1, 37 candidate events are observed in the single-lepton topology and 9 events in the dilepton topology. The corresponding expected backgrounds from non-\ttbar Standard Model processes are estimated using data-driven methods and determined to be $12.2 \pm 3.9$ events and $2.5 \pm 0.6$ events, respectively. The kinematic properties of the selected events are consistent with SM \ttbar production. The inclusive top quark pair production cross-section is measured to be \sigmattbar=145 \pm 31 ^{+42}_{-27} pb where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The measurement agrees with perturbative QCD calculations.Comment: 30 pages plus author list (50 pages total), 9 figures, 11 tables, CERN-PH number and final journal adde

Inclusive search for same-sign dilepton signatures in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

An inclusive search is presented for new physics in events with two isolated leptons (e or mu) having the same electric charge. The data are selected from events collected from p p collisions at root s = 7 TeV by the ATLAS detector and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 34 pb(-1). The spectra in dilepton invariant mass, missing transverse momentum and jet multiplicity are presented and compared to Standard Model predictions. In this event sample, no evidence is found for contributions beyond those of the Standard Model. Limits are set on the cross-section in a fiducial region for new sources of same-sign high-mass dilepton events in the ee, e mu and mu mu channels. Four models predicting same-sign dilepton signals are constrained: two descriptions of Majorana neutrinos, a cascade topology similar to supersymmetry or universal extra dimensions, and fourth generation d-type quarks. Assuming a new physics scale of 1 TeV, Majorana neutrinos produced by an effective operator V with masses below 460 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level. A lower limit of 290 GeV is set at 95% confidence level on the mass of fourth generation d-type quarks

Measurement of the production of a W boson in association with a charm quark in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The production of a W boson in association with a single charm quark is studied using 4.6 fb−1 of pp collision data at s√ = 7 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. In events in which a W boson decays to an electron or muon, the charm quark is tagged either by its semileptonic decay to a muon or by the presence of a charmed meson. The integrated and differential cross sections as a function of the pseudorapidity of the lepton from the W-boson decay are measured. Results are compared to the predictions of next-to-leading-order QCD calculations obtained from various parton distribution function parameterisations. The ratio of the strange-to-down sea-quark distributions is determined to be 0.96+0.26−0.30 at Q 2 = 1.9 GeV2, which supports the hypothesis of an SU(3)-symmetric composition of the light-quark sea. Additionally, the cross-section ratio σ(W + +c¯¯)/σ(W − + c) is compared to the predictions obtained using parton distribution function parameterisations with different assumptions about the s−s¯¯¯ quark asymmetry