Charge Ordering in Amorphous WOx_{x} Films

We report on the observation of highly anisotropic viscous electronic conducting phase in amorphous WO$_{1.55}$ films that occurs below a current (I)- and frequency (f)- dependent temperature T*(I, f). At T < T*(I, f) the rotational symmetry of randomly disordered electronic background is broken leading to the appearance of mutually perpendicular metallic- and insulating-like states. A rich dynamic behavior of the electronic matter occurring at T < T*(I, f) provides evidence for an interplay between pinning effects and electron-electron interactions. The results strongly suggest a dynamic crystallization of the disordered electronic matter, viz. formation of sliding Wigner crystal, as well as the occurrence of quantum smectic or stripe phase in the pinning-dominated regime.Comment: 17 pages including 5 figure

Precalibrating an intermediate complexity climate model

Credible climate predictions require a rational quantification of uncertainty, but full Bayesian calibration requires detailed estimates of prior probability distributions and covariances, which are difficult to obtain in practice. We describe a simplified procedure, termed precalibration, which provides an approximate quantification of uncertainty in climate prediction, and requires only that uncontroversially implausible values of certain inputs and outputs are identified. The method is applied to intermediate-complexity model simulations of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) and confirms the existence of a cliff-edge catastrophe in freshwaterforcing input space. When uncertainty in 14 further parameters is taken into account, an implausible, AMOC-off, region remains as a robust feature of the model dynamics, but its location is found to depend strongly on values of the other parameters

The Miocene mammal Necrolestes demonstrates the survival of a Mesozoic nontherian lineage into the late Cenozoic of South America

The early Miocene mammal Necrolestes patagonensis from Patagonia, Argentina, was described in 1891 as the only known extinct placental "insectivore" from South America (SA). Since then, and despite the discovery of additional well-preserved material, the systematic status of Necrolestes has remained in flux, with earlier studies leaning toward placental affinities and more recent ones endorsing either therian or specifically metatherian relationships. We have further prepared the best-preserved specimens of Necrolestes and compared them with newly discovered nontribosphenic Mesozoic mammals from Argentina; based on this, we conclude that Necrolestes is related neither to marsupials nor placentals but is a late-surviving member of the recently recognized nontherian clade Meridiolestida, which is currently known only from SA. This conclusion is supported by a morphological phylogenetic analysis that includes a broad sampling of therian and nontherian taxa and that places Necrolestes within Meridiolestida. Thus, Necrolestes is a remnant of the highly endemic Mesozoic fauna of nontribosphenic mammals in SA and extends the known record of meridiolestidans by almost 45 million years. Together with other likely relictual mammals from earlier in the Cenozoic of SA and Antarctica, Necrolestes demonstrates the ecological diversity of mammals and the mosaic pattern of fauna replacement in SA during the Cenozoic. In contrast to northern continents, the Cenozoic faunal history of SA was characterized by a long period of interaction between endemic mammalian lineages of Mesozoic origin and metatherian and eutherian lineages that probably dispersed to SA during the latest Cretaceous or earliest Paleocene.Fil: Rougier, Guillermo W.. University of Louisville; Estados Unidos. Carnegie Museum Of Natural History; Estados UnidosFil: Wible, John R.. Carnegie Museum Of Natural History; Estados UnidosFil: Beck, Robin M. D.. University of New South Wales; AustraliaFil: Apesteguía, Sebastián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas. Centro de Estudios Biomédicos, Biotecnológicos, Ambientales y de Diagnóstico; Argentin

Design for a Darwinian Brain: Part 1. Philosophy and Neuroscience

Physical symbol systems are needed for open-ended cognition. A good way to understand physical symbol systems is by comparison of thought to chemistry. Both have systematicity, productivity and compositionality. The state of the art in cognitive architectures for open-ended cognition is critically assessed. I conclude that a cognitive architecture that evolves symbol structures in the brain is a promising candidate to explain open-ended cognition. Part 2 of the paper presents such a cognitive architecture.Comment: Darwinian Neurodynamics. Submitted as a two part paper to Living Machines 2013 Natural History Museum, Londo

Colorectal neuroendocrine carcinomas and adenocarcinomas share oncogenic pathways. A clinico-pathologic study of 12 cases

OBJECTIVE: Neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) are rare neoplasms with an increasing incidence. Oncogenetic pathways of colorectal NEC are still poorly understood, and no treatment standards are available for these rare tumors. METHODS: We analyzed retrospectively the clinical records and histology of 12 patients with colorectal NEC. KRAS and BRAF mutations were investigated after the dissection of exoendocrine and neuroendocrine components. ALK alterations and EML4-ALK transcripts were detected by in-situ hybridization and determination of fusion transcripts, respectively. RESULTS: At the time of diagnosis, the mean age of the patients was 60 years (40-79) and 10 patients had synchronous metastases. A transient response occurred in two patients and one patient treated with cisplatin-etoposide or fluoropyrimidine-oxaliplatin, respectively. Tumor progression-related death occurred in 11 of 12 patients. Ten tumors contained an exocrine component, accounting for 5-70% of the tumor, and the other two contained an amphicrine component. BRAF/KRAS mutations were found in six of 10 tumors, corresponding to BRAF(V600E) (n=2) or KRAS(G12D) (n=2), KRAS(G12V) or KRAS(G13D). DNA was obtained from both exocrine and endocrine components in seven cases, and the BRAF/KRAS status was identical in all cases. Split of the ALK locus was detected in a minority of tumor cells in two of eight cases, but EML4-ALK transcripts were absent. CONCLUSION: The association of an exocrine component in all cases and the similar profile of BRAF/KRAS mutations indicate that colorectal NEC may correspond to a high-grade transformation of colorectal carcinoma. New chemotherapy regimens using targeted therapies should be assessed in these tumors

Prognostic factors for tumour response, progression-free survival and toxicity in metastatic colorectal cancer patients given irinotecan (CPT-11) as second-line chemotherapy after 5FU failure

Our purpose was to determine, in patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma treated with irinotecan single-agent after 5-FU failure, the most significant predictive parameters for tumour response, progression-free survival and toxicity. Between October 1992 and April 1995, 455 patients with 5-FU resistant metastatic colorectal carcinoma entered four consecutive phase II trials. The first two studies assessed tumour response, the other two were randomized studies which assessed the efficacy of racecadotril to prevent irinotecan-induced diarrhoea. Due to homogeneous main eligibility criterias, data from those studies could be pooled for statistical analysis. Potential clinical and biological predictive factors (PF) for toxicity, tumour growth control, e.g. response or stabilization and progression-free survival (PFS), were studied in multivariate analysis. 363 patients were evaluable for response, 432 were evaluable for PFS, 368 for neutropenia and 416 for delayed diarrhoea, respectively. Normal baseline haemoglobin level (Hb), time since diagnosis of colorectal carcinoma, grade 3 or 4 neutropenia or diarrhoea at first cycle and a low number of organs involved were the most PF for tumour growth control (P< 0.05). Significant prognostic variables for PFS were WHO Performance Status, liver and lymph-node involvement, time since diagnosis, age and CEA value (P≤ 0.02). Six groups of patients based on the number of unfavourable prognostic factors are presented. Baseline bilirubin, haemoglobin level, number of organs involved and time from diagnosis were PF for neutropenia; PS, serum creatinine, leukocyte count, time from 5-FU progression and prior abdominopelvic irradiation were PF for delayed diarrhoea (P≤ 0.05). These PF should help clinicians to anticipate for a given patient the probability to observe a response/stabilization or a toxicity. These results should also be prospectively confirmed in ongoing or future trials using irinotecan, both as a single agent and in combination with other drugs. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaig

Morphology of the petrosal and stapes of Borealestes (Mammaliaformes, Docodonta) from the Middle Jurassic of Skye, Scotland

We describe, in unprecedented detail, the petros-als and stapes of the docodont Borealestes from the Middle Jurassic of Scotland, using high resolution lCT and phase- contrast synchrotron imaging. We describe the inner ear endocast and the vascularized interior structure of the pet-rosal, and provide the first endocranial view of a docodontan petrosal. Our study confirms some similarities in petrosal and stapedial morphology with the better known Haldan-odon of the Late Jurassic of Portugal, including: (1) the degree of curvature of the cochlea; (2) multiple features related to the highly pneumatized paroccipital region; (3) the shape of lateral trough, the fossa of the M. tensor tym-pani, and the ridge on the promontorium; (4) the round shape of the fenestra vestibuli; and (5) overall morphology of the stapes. But Borealestes differs from Haldanodon in having a bony ridge that separates the tympanic opening of the prootic canal, the secondary facial foramen and the hia-tus Fallopii, from the fenestra vestibuli. We identify two new vascular structures: the anterior and posterior trans-cochlear sinuses, which traverse the pars cochlearis around the cochlear nerve (VIII). These trans-cochlear sinuses have not been observed in previous docodont specimens, and could be an autapomorphy of Borealestes, or apomorphic for this clade. We also establish the anatomical relationship of the circum-promontorium plexus to the inner endocast. The high quality of our scans has made these structures visible for the first time