Raman scattering in sulphide glasses

Raman spectra of two ternary glasses of composition Ge₅As₃₇S₅₈ and As₄Ge₃₀S₆₆ have been investigated. An influence of addition of third element on the spectra of binary glasses has been studied by comparison with spectra of two binary glasses of composition Ge₃₃S₆₇ and As₄₀S₆₀. Glass structure and phase separation effects are discussed

Relation of own growth of sires of bulls to sons in progeny test stations

Abstract: Live weights and daily gains of 8 243 performance tested young sires of Czech Fleckvieh (dual purpose) till the age 400 days were analysed using Random Regression (RR) and Single Trait Animal Models. Evaluations were for entire period and for daily gains in various consecutive monthly intervals. Systematic environmental effects explained a higher proportion of variability in the RR for gains in short consecutive intervals (GSCI) than for other definitions of growth. The expected average reliability of estimated Breeding Values (BV) of young animals was similar for all methods from 0.42 to 0.46, but the rankings of animals differed. Determination (r 2 ) of BV between methods ranged from 0.64 to 0.94. Within-method correlations of BV of parents with progeny according the data from performance-test stations were highest for the GSCI. Correlations of BV of sires for own growth at performance-test stations with the BV of net gain of groups of progeny at progeny-test stations with the final live weight around 600 kg and age 500 days were according the method of sires evaluation from 0.26 to 0.38. Preferred method was according GSCI. This method also allows include more data in the evaluations, and separate the growth curve into genetic and non-genetic parts

20-Year Risks of Breast-Cancer Recurrence after Stopping Endocrine Therapy at 5 Years

The administration of endocrine therapy for 5 years substantially reduces recurrence rates during and after treatment in women with early-stage, estrogen-receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer. Extending such therapy beyond 5 years offers further protection but has additional side effects. Obtaining data on the absolute risk of subsequent distant recurrence if therapy stops at 5 years could help determine whether to extend treatment

Long-term outcomes for neoadjuvant versus adjuvant chemotherapy in early breast cancer: meta-analysis of individual patient data from ten randomised trials

Background Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) for early breast cancer can make breast-conserving surgery more feasible and might be more likely to eradicate micrometastatic disease than might the same chemotherapy given after surgery. We investigated the long-term benefits and risks of NACT and the influence of tumour characteristics on outcome with a collaborative meta-analysis of individual patient data from relevant randomised trials. Methods We obtained information about prerandomisation tumour characteristics, clinical tumour response, surgery, recurrence, and mortality for 4756 women in ten randomised trials in early breast cancer that began before 2005 and compared NACT with the same chemotherapy given postoperatively. Primary outcomes were tumour response, extent of local therapy, local and distant recurrence, breast cancer death, and overall mortality. Analyses by intention-to-treat used standard regression (for response and frequency of breast-conserving therapy) and log-rank methods (for recurrence and mortality). Findings Patients entered the trials from 1983 to 2002 and median follow-up was 9 years (IQR 5–14), with the last follow-up in 2013. Most chemotherapy was anthracycline based (3838 [81%] of 4756 women). More than two thirds (1349 [69%] of 1947) of women allocated NACT had a complete or partial clinical response. Patients allocated NACT had an increased frequency of breast-conserving therapy (1504 [65%] of 2320 treated with NACT vs 1135 [49%] of 2318 treated with adjuvant chemotherapy). NACT was associated with more frequent local recurrence than was adjuvant chemotherapy: the 15 year local recurrence was 21·4% for NACT versus 15·9% for adjuvant chemotherapy (5·5% increase [95% CI 2·4–8·6]; rate ratio 1·37 [95% CI 1·17–1·61]; p=0·0001). No significant difference between NACT and adjuvant chemotherapy was noted for distant recurrence (15 year risk 38·2% for NACT vs 38·0% for adjuvant chemotherapy; rate ratio 1·02 [95% CI 0·92–1·14]; p=0·66), breast cancer mortality (34·4% vs 33·7%; 1·06 [0·95–1·18]; p=0·31), or death from any cause (40·9% vs 41·2%; 1·04 [0·94–1·15]; p=0·45). Interpretation Tumours downsized by NACT might have higher local recurrence after breast-conserving therapy than might tumours of the same dimensions in women who have not received NACT. Strategies to mitigate the increased local recurrence after breast-conserving therapy in tumours downsized by NACT should be considered—eg, careful tumour localisation, detailed pathological assessment, and appropriate radiotherapy

Розроблення, моделювання та дослідження нового неавтономного хаотичного генератора

Introduction. General scientific fields where can be used non-autonomous circuits that realize chaotic behavior and generate chaotic oscillations are presented. Main characteristic about non-autonomous chaotic circuits is described. For modelling, analysis and demonstrate results was selected MultiSim software environment. Modelling of Non-Linear Element. The simplest chaotic non-autonomous second-order circuit which belongs to the single-loop RL-diode series circuit, system of equations has described RLC circuit and theoretical nonlinear characteristic and circuit for realization of nonlinear characteristic, nominal components, parameters are presented. This non-linear element has designed to have a piecewise-linear characteristic and built only in one opamp. For realization of nonlinearity use only one bipolar power source for the opamp is enough. Results of computer modelling and simulation using MultiSim, i.e. the volt-ampere characteristic (VAC) at certain values of the components of the scheme's nominal values, is presented. Modelling and Analysis of the New Non-Autonomous Chaotic Circuit. System’s behaviour is investigated through numerical simulations, by using well-known tools of nonlinear theory, such as chaotic attractor and time distributions of the chaotic coordinates. This designed non-autonomous circuit, which generate a chaotic attractor, can be used in modern transmission and reception systems of information. Conclusions. For the first time was designed a new non-autonomous circuit that generate chaotic oscillations. The circuit, system of equations that describe circuit and nominal of components are presented. This circuit that generate chaotic oscillations can be used as one of the main part of modern telecommunication systems for masking and decrypt of information carrier.В работе представлена разработанная новая неавтономная хаотичная схема, которая реализует хаотическое поведение. Эта схема имеет простой нелинейный элемент, спроектированный так, чтобы получить кусочно-линейную характеристику. Данная разработанная схема может использоваться в современных системах передачи и приема информации. Генерируемый ею аттрактор может применяться для маскировки информационного носителя и его восстановления.С помощью программной среды MultiSim проведен схемотехнический анализ и представлены результаты моделирования нелинейного элемента и разработанной новой неавтономной хаотической схемы. Исследовано поведение системы с помощью численного моделирования, используя известные инструменты нелинейной теории, такие как хаотичный аттрактор и временные распределения хаотических координат.У даній роботі представлена нова версія схеми неавтономного хаотичного генератора з нелінійністю "діод-операційний підсилювач". Це свого роду одна із найпростіших схем, яка проявляє хаотичну поведінку. Дана схема неавтономного хаотичного генератора містить чотири резистора, один конденсатор, одну котушку індуктивності, два діоди з одним операційним підсилювачем і зовнішню періодичну силу. Найпростіший нелінійний елемент, спроектований таким чином, щоби отримати кусково-лінійну характеристику, тобто комбінацію одного операційного підсилювача з двома діодами, що ввімкнені назустріч один одному. Для реалізації нелінійності, для двох діодів не потрібно окремого джерела живлення, а тільки достатньо лише одного двополярного живлення для операційного підсилювача. Приведено схему для під’єднання та дослідження нелінійного елементу, а також результати комп’ютерного моделювання, тобто вольт-амперну характеристику (ВАХ) при певних значеннях номіналів компонентів схеми. За допомогою одного із найсучасніших програмних середовищ проведено схемотехнічний аналіз та представлено результати комп’ютерного моделювання нового неавтономного генератора, що генерує хаотичні коливання. В даному випадку було застосовано програмне середовище MultіSіm компанії National Instruments. Досліджена поведінка системи за допомогою чисельного моделювання, використовуючи відомі інструменти нелінійної теорії, такі як фазовий портрет (хаотичний атрактор) і часові розподіли хаотичних координат. Тобто представлено сигнал до нелінійного елемента (синусоїдальний), і відповідно згенерований після нелінійного елементу – хаотичні коливання. Запропонована неавтономна схема генератора, що генерує хаотичні коливання, може бути використана як основна частина сучасних систем передавання і приймання інформації для маскування і дешифрування носія інформації

Nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons - gas-particle partitioning, mass size distribution, and formation along transport in marine and continental background air

Nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAH) are ubiquitous in polluted air but little is known about their abundance in background air. NPAHs were studied at one marine and one continental background site, i.e. a coastal site in the southern Aegean Sea (summer 2012) and a site in the central Great Hungarian Plain (summer 2013), together with the parent compounds, PAHs. A Lagrangian particle dispersion model was used to track air mass history. Based on Lagrangian particle statistics, the urban influence on samples was quantified for the first time as a fractional dose to which the collected volume of air had been exposed. At the remote marine site, the 3–4-ring NPAH (sum of 11 targeted species) concentration was 23.7 pg m−3 while the concentration of 4-ring PAHs (6 species) was 426 pg m−3. The most abundant NPAHs were 2-nitrofluoranthene (2NFLT) and 3-nitrophenanthrene. Urban fractional doses in the range of < 0.002–5.4 % were calculated. At the continental site, the Σ11 3–4-ring NPAH and Σ6 4-ring PAH were 58 and 663 pg m−3, respectively, with 9-nitroanthracene and 2NFLT being the most concentrated amongst the targeted NPAHs. The NPAH levels observed in the marine background air are the lowest ever reported and remarkably lower, by more than 1 order of magnitude, than 1 decade before. Day–night variation of NPAHs at the continental site reflected shorter lifetime during the day, possibly because of photolysis of some NPAHs. The yields of formation of 2NFLT and 2-nitropyrene (2NPYR) in marine air seem to be close to the yields for OH-initiated photochemistry observed in laboratory experiments under high NOx conditions. Good agreement is found for the prediction of NPAH gas–particle partitioning using a multi-phase poly-parameter linear free-energy relationship. Sorption to soot is found to be less significant for gas–particle partitioning of NPAHs than for PAHs. The NPAH levels determined in the south-eastern outflow of Europe confirm intercontinental transport potential