No abstract

Interfacial roughness in multilayer films may be random or correlated, i.e., replicated from layer to layer. It is shown that these can be separated and quantified using x-ray diffraction rocking curves and a straightforward analysis. The lateral correlation length along the interfaces can additionally be determined. A quantitative evaluation for W/C multilayers shows that correlated roughness contributes significantly to the total roughness, even at length scales that are surprisingly short, of the order 2–6 nm.

Discovery of genes with large effects on economically important traits has for many years been of interest to breeders. The development of SNP panels which cover the whole genome with high density and, more importantly, that can be genotyped on large numbers of individuals at relatively low cost, has opened new opportunities for genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The objective of this study was to find genomic regions associated with egg production and quality traits in layers using analysis methods developed for the purpose of whole genome prediction. Genotypes on over 4500 birds and phenotypes on over 13,000 hens from eight generations of a brown egg layer line were used. Birds were genotyped with a custom 42K Illumina SNP chip. Recorded traits included two egg production and 11 egg quality traits (puncture score, albumen height, yolk weight and shell colour) at early and late stages of production, as well as body weight and age at first egg. Egg weight was previously analysed by Wolc et al. (2012). The Bayesian whole genome prediction model--BayesB (Meuwissen et al. 2001) was used to locate 1 Mb regions that were most strongly associated with each trait. The posterior probability of a 1 Mb window contributing to genetic variation was used as the criterion for suggesting the presence of a quantitative trait locus (QTL) in that window. Depending upon the trait, from 1 to 7 significant (posterior probability >0.9) 1 Mb regions were found. The largest QTL, a region explaining 32% of genetic variance, was found on chr4 at 78 Mb for body weight but had pleiotropic effects on other traits. For the other traits, the largest effects were much smaller, explaining <7% of genetic variance, with regions on chromosomes 2, 12 and 17 explaining above 5% of genetic variance for albumen height, shell colour and egg production, respectively. In total, 45 of 1043 1 Mb windows were estimated to have a non-zero effect with posterior probability > 0.9 for one or more traits.

Background:To investigate whether copy number gain of MET or hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) affect trastuzumab sensitivity in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC).Methods:We analysed 130 HER2-positive MBC treated with trastuzumab-based therapy. MET and HGF gene copy numbers (GCN) were assessed by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) in primary breast cancer samples. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was applied to find the best cutoff point for both MET and HGF GCN.Results:MET FISH-positive cases (N=36, mean ⩾3.72) had a significantly higher trastuzumab failure rate (44.4% vs 16.0% P=0.001) and a significantly shorter time to progression (5.7 vs 9.9 months; HR 1.74; P=0.006) than MET FISH-negative cases (N=94, mean <3.72). Hepatocyte growth factor GCN was evaluated in 84 cases (64.6%). Receiver operating characteristic analysis identified 33 HGF FISH-positive patients (mean HGF GCN ⩾3.01). HGF FISH-positive status was significantly associated with higher risk of failure (30.3% vs 7.8% P=0.007) as compared with HGF FISH-negative cases (N=51, mean <3.01). MET and HGF FISH-positive status was highly correlated (P<0.001) and combination of both biomarkers did not increase predictive value of either considered separately.Conclusion:High GCNs of MET and HGF associate with an increased risk of trastuzumab-based therapy failure in HER2-positive MBC.

Mindfulness, the core teaching of the Buddhist tradition, has been receiving serious attention from the West in recent decades as evidence of the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions for emotional distress have become available. Although traditional Buddhist texts have described the mechanisms of mindfulness and the way to cultivate it in great detail, much is still not known from the perspective of Western science. In particular, there is no general agreement on the conceptualization and operationalization of mindfulness. Several conceptual models of mindfulness (referred to as "state" or "trait") have been put forward to elucidate different aspects of this phenomenon, but none has gained sufficient empirical validation. This article proposes a new cognitive model of mindfulness. It has been our goal to describe and interrelate a relatively comprehensive group of determinants of a state of mindfulness, the consequences of its regular practicing, the mechanisms responsible for its beneficial effects, and the feedback mechanisms operating between the various constituents of the model. Within this model, the primary emphasis has been placed on understanding the cognitive processes shaping a state of mindfulness (i.e., the links between consciousness, meta-awareness and the unconscious), and on their determinants (i.e., the executive functions of attention and the components of working memory). A metacognitive system promoting mindfulness, as well as the general capability of the central executive system, is suggested as a factor explaining individual differences in mindfulness, whereas decentering, self-compassion, and reduction of self-focused attention are proposed as mechanisms mediating beneficial changes. We hope that the model presented will encourage further discussion and orient future studies in the area of mindfulness.

Cryopreservation maintains the important elastic properties of arterial and venous allografts during average storage time of 22 days.

Purpose: P95HER2 (p95) is a truncated form of the HER2, which lacks the trastuzumab-binding site and contains a hyperactive kinase domain. Previously, an optimal clinical cutoff of p95 expression for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was defined using a quantitative VeraTag assay (Monogram Biosciences) in a training set of trastuzumab-treated metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients.Experimental Design: In the current study, the predictive value of the p95 VeraTag assay cutoff established in the training set was retrospectively validated for PFS and OS in an independent series of 240 trastuzumab-treated MBC patients from multiple institutions.Results: In the subset of 190 tumors assessed as HER2-total (H2T)-positive using the quantitative HERmark assay (Monogram Biosciences), p95 VeraTag values above the predefined cutoff correlated with shorter PFS (HR ¼ 1.43; P ¼ 0.039) and shorter OS (HR ¼ 1.94; P ¼ 0.0055) where both outcomes were stratified by hormone receptor status and tumor grade. High p95 expression correlated with shorter PFS (HR ¼ 2.41; P ¼ 0.0003) and OS (HR ¼ 2.57; P ¼ 0.0025) in the hormone receptor-positive subgroup of patients (N ¼ 78), but not in the hormone receptor-negative group. In contrast with the quantitative p95 VeraTag measurements, p95 immunohistochemical expression using the same antibody was not significantly correlated with outcomes.Conclusions: The consistency in the p95 VeraTag cutoff across different cohorts of patients with MBC treated with trastuzumab justifies additional studies using blinded analyses in larger series of patients. Clin Cancer Res; 20(10); 2805-13. Ó2014 AACR.

New molecular techniques focused on genome analysis open new possibilities for complex evaluation of economically important traits in farm animals. Milk production traits are typical quantitative characteristics controlled by a number of genes. Mutations in their sequences may alter animal performance as well as their breeding values. In this study, we investigated the effect of 3 restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP): HphI, Kpn2I, and Sau3AI in the leptin gene, on bull breeding values for milk, fat, and protein yield, and fat and protein content. One hundred seventeen Polish Black and White AI bulls were genotyped. Pedigree analysis indicated a relatively close relationship between the bulls. Statistical analysis indicated that the HphI polymorphism has a significant effect on milk and protein yield. Animals with the TT genotype had approximately 2x higher estimated breeding values for milk and protein yields. No effect was found for the other 2 polymorphisms.