Independent predictors of breast malignancy in screen-detected microcalcifications: biopsy results in 2545 cases

Background: Mammographic microcalcifications are associated with many benign lesions, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive cancer. Careful assessment criteria are required to minimise benign biopsies while optimising cancer diagnosis. We wished to evaluate the assessment outcomes of microcalcifications biopsied in the setting of population-based breast cancer screening. Methods: Between January 1992 and December 2007, cases biopsied in which microcalcifications were the only imaging abnormality were included. Patient demographics, imaging features and final histology were subjected to statistical analysis to determine independent predictors of malignancy. Results: In all, 2545 lesions, with a mean diameter of 21.8 mm (s.d. 23.8 mm) and observed in patients with a mean age of 57.7 years (s.d. 8.4 years), were included. Using the grading system adopted by the RANZCR, the grade was 3 in 47.7%; 4 in 28.3% and 5 in 24.0%. After assessment, 1220 lesions (47.9%) were malignant (809 DCIS only, 411 DCIS with invasive cancer) and 1325 (52.1%) were non-malignant, including 122 (4.8%) premalignant lesions (lobular carcinoma in situ, atypical lobular hyperplasia and atypical ductal hyperplasia). Only 30.9% of the DCIS was of low grade. Mammographic extent of microcalcifications >15 mm, imaging grade, their pattern of distribution, presence of a palpable mass and detection after the first screening episode showed significant univariate associations with malignancy. On multivariate modeling imaging grade, mammographic extent of microcalcifications >15 mm, palpable mass and screening episode were retained as independent predictors of malignancy. Radiological grade had the largest effect with lesions of grade 4 and 5 being 2.2 and 3.3 times more likely to be malignant, respectively, than grade 3 lesions. Conclusion: The radiological grading scheme used throughout Australia and parts of Europe is validated as a useful system of stratifying microcalcifications into groups with significantly different risks of malignancy. Biopsy assessment of appropriately selected microcalcifications is an effective method of detecting invasive breast cancer and DCIS, particularly of non-low-grade subtypes.G Farshid, T Sullivan, P Downey, P G Gill, and S Pieters

Domains of invasion organelle proteins from apicomplexan parasites are homologous with the Apple domains of blood coagulation factor XI and plasma pre-kallikrein and are members of the PAN module superfamily

AbstractMicronemes are specialised organelles, found in all apicomplexan parasites, which secrete molecules that are essential for parasite attachment to and invasion of host cells. Regions of several microneme proteins have sequence similarity to the Apple domains (A-domains) of blood coagulation factor XI (FXI) and plasma pre-kallikrein (PK). We have used mass spectrometry on a recombinant-expressed, putative A-domain from the microneme protein EtMIC5 from Eimeria tenella, to demonstrate that three intramolecular disulphide bridges are formed. These bridges are analogous to those that stabilise A-domains in FXI and PK. The data confirm that the apicomplexan domains are structural homologues of A-domains and are therefore novel members of the PAN module superfamily, which also includes the N-terminal domains of members of the plasminogen/hepatocyte growth factor family. The role of A-domains/PAN modules in apicomplexan parasites is not known, but their presence in the microneme suggests that they may be important for mediating protein–protein or protein–carbohydrate interactions during parasite attachment and host cell invasion

Transfer of ultra-low phase noise microwave references over the JANET Aurora fibre network using a femtosecond optical frequency comb

An ultra-low phase noise microwave frequency is transferred over 82 km of installed fibre by propagation of a 30 nm bandwidth optical frequency comb (104 modes). The phase noise induced along the fibre by vibrations and thermal effects is suppressed by implementing a noise cancellation scheme where a portion of the light is sent back to the transmitter through the same fibre. The 6th harmonic of the repetition rate detected before and after the pulse train has travelled a round trip are phase compared and used to generate an error signal that controls a fibre stretcher to compensate for the fibre-induced phase fluctuations. Optical amplifiers are used to compensate for the fibre attenuation and dispersion compensation modules are also employed

Unique Mass Texture for Quarks and Leptons

Texture specific quark mass matrices which are hermitian and hierarchical are examined in detail . In the case of texture 6 zeros matrices, out of sixteen possibilities examined by us, none is able to fit the low energy data (LED), for example, $V_{us} = 0.2196 \pm 0.0023$, $V_{cb} = 0.0395 \pm 0.0017$, $\frac{V_{ub}}{V_{cb}} = 0.08 \pm 0.02$, $V_{td}$ lies in the range $0.004 - 0.013$ (PDG). Similarly none of the 32 texture 5 zeros mass matrices considered is able to reproduce LED. In particular, the latest data from LEP regarding $|V_{ub}|/|V_{cb}|(=0.093\pm0.016)$ rules out all of them. In the texture 4 zeros case, we find that there is a unique texture structure for $U$ and $D$ mass matrices which is able to fit the data.Comment: 12 pages, LaTeX,some changes in the references,minor changes in the text,to appear in Phys Rev D(Rapid communications

A quasi-monomode guided atom-laser from an all-optical Bose-Einstein condensate

We report the achievement of an optically guided and quasi-monomode atom laser, in all spin projection states ($m_F =$ -1, 0 and $+1$) of F=1 in Rubidium 87. The atom laser source is a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) in a crossed dipole trap, purified to any one spin projection state by a spin-distillation process applied during the evaporation to BEC. The atom laser is outcoupled by an inhomogenous magnetic field, applied along the waveguide axis. The mean excitation number in the transverse modes is $= 0.65 \pm 0.05$ for $m_F = 0$ and $= 0.8 \pm 0.3$ for the low field seeker $m_F = -1$

Why is timing of bird migration advancing when individuals are not?

Recent advances in spring arrival dates have been reported in many migratory species but the mechanism driving these advances is unknown. As population declines are most widely reported in species that are not advancing migration, there is an urgent need to identify the mechanisms facilitating and constraining these advances. Individual plasticity in timing of migration in response to changing climatic conditions is commonly proposed to drive these advances but plasticity in individual migratory timings is rarely observed. For a shorebird population that has significantly advanced migration in recent decades, we show that individual arrival dates are highly consistent between years, but that the arrival dates of new recruits to the population are significantly earlier now than in previous years. Several mechanisms could drive advances in recruit arrival, none of which require individual plasticity or rapid evolution of migration timings. In particular, advances in nest-laying dates could result in advanced recruit arrival, if benefits of early hatching facilitate early subsequent spring migration. This mechanism could also explain why arrival dates of short-distance migrants, which generally return to breeding sites earlier and have greater scope for advance laying, are advancing more rapidly than long-distance migrants