Mantle cell lymphoma relapsed after autologous stem cell transplantation: a single-center experience

Aaron Wu,Solomon A. Graf,Nicholas Burwick,Jonathan E. Grim,Zhao Ming Dong,Robert E. Richard,Thomas R. Chauncey 대한혈액학회 2020 Blood Research Vol.55 No.1

BackgroundAutologous stem cell transplantation (autoSCT) can extend remission of mantle cell lym-phoma (MCL), but the management of subsequent relapse is challenging.MethodsWe examined consecutive patients with MCL who underwent autoSCT at Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System between 2009 and 2017 (N=37).ResultsTen patients experienced disease progression after autoSCT and were included in this analysis. Median progression free survival after autoSCT was 1.8 years (range, 0.3‒7.1) and median overall survival after progression was only 0.7 years (range, 0.1 to not reached). The 3 patients who survived more than 1 year after progression were treated with ibrutinib.ConclusionOur findings suggest that ibrutinib can achieve relatively prolonged control of MCL pro-gressing after autoSCT.

The Holometer: an instrument to probe Planckian quantum geometry

Chou, Aaron,Glass, Henry,Gustafson, H Richard,Hogan, Craig,Kamai, Brittany L,Kwon, Ohkyung,Lanza, Robert,McCuller, Lee,Meyer, Stephan S,Richardson, Jonathan,Stoughton, Chris,Tomlin, Ray,Weiss, Rainer Institute of Physics 2017 Classical and quantum gravity Vol.34 No.6

<P>This paper describes the Fermilab Holometer, an instrument for measuring correlations of position variations over a four-dimensional volume of space-time. The apparatus consists of two co-located, but independent and isolated, 40 m power-recycled Michelson interferometers, whose outputs are cross-correlated to 25 MHz. The data are sensitive to correlations of differential position across the apparatus over a broad band of frequencies up to and exceeding the inverse light crossing time, 7.6 MHz. A noise model constrained by diagnostic and environmental data distinguishes among physical origins of measured correlations, and is used to verify shot-noise-limited performance. These features allow searches for exotic quantum correlations that depart from classical trajectories at spacelike separations, with a strain noise power spectral density sensitivity smaller than the Planck time. The Holometer in current and future configurations is projected to provide precision tests of a wide class of models of quantum geometry at the Planck scale, beyond those already constrained by currently operating gravitational wave observatories.</P>

Interferometric constraints on quantum geometrical shear noise correlations

Chou, Aaron,Glass, Henry,Richard Gustafson, H,Hogan, Craig J,Kamai, Brittany L,Kwon, Ohkyung,Lanza, Robert,McCuller, Lee,Meyer, Stephan S,Richardson, Jonathan W,Stoughton, Chris,Tomlin, Ray,Weiss, Rai IOP 2017 Classical and quantum gravity Vol.34 No.16

<P>Final measurements and analysis are reported from the first-generation Holometer, the first instrument capable of measuring correlated variations in space-time position at strain noise power spectral densities smaller than a Planck time. The apparatus consists of two co-located, but independent and isolated, 40 m power-recycled Michelson interferometers, whose outputs are cross-correlated to 25 MHz. The data are sensitive to correlations of differential position across the apparatus over a broad band of frequencies up to and exceeding the inverse light crossing time, 7.6 MHz. By measuring with Planck precision the correlation of position variations at spacelike separations, the Holometer searches for faint, irreducible correlated position noise backgrounds predicted by some models of quantum space-time geometry. The first-generation optical layout is sensitive to quantum geometrical noise correlations with shear symmetry—those that can be interpreted as a fundamental noncommutativity of space-time position in orthogonal directions. General experimental constraints are placed on parameters of a set of models of spatial shear noise correlations, with a sensitivity that exceeds the Planck-scale holographic information bound on position states by a large factor. This result significantly extends the upper limits placed on models of directional noncommutativity by currently operating gravitational wave observatories.</P>

MHz gravitational wave constraints with decameter Michelson interferometers

Chou, Aaron S.,Gustafson, Richard,Hogan, Craig,Kamai, Brittany,Kwon, Ohkyung,Lanza, Robert,Larson, Shane L.,McCuller, Lee,Meyer, Stephan S.,Richardson, Jonathan,Stoughton, Chris,Tomlin, Raymond,Weiss, American Physical Society 2017 Physical Review D Vol.95 No.6

<P>A new detector, the Fermilab Holometer, consists of separate yet identical 39-meter Michelson interferometers. Strain sensitivity achieved is better than 10(-21) / root Hz between 1 to 13 MHz from a 130-h data set. This measurement exceeds the sensitivity and frequency range made from previous high frequency gravitational wave experiments by many orders of magnitude. Constraints are placed on a stochastic background at 382 Hz resolution. The 3 sigma upper limit on Omega(GW), the gravitational wave energy density normalized to the closure density, ranges from 5.6 x 10(12) at 1 MHz to 8.4 x 10(15) at 13 MHz. Another result from the same data set is a search for nearby primordial black hole binaries (PBHB). There are no detectable monochromatic PBHBs in the mass range 0.83-3.5 x 10(21) g between the Earth and the Moon. Projections for a chirp search with the same data set increase the mass range to 0.59 - 2.5 x 10(25) g and distances out to Jupiter. This result presents a new method for placing limits on a poorly constrained mass range of primordial black holes. Additionally, solar system searches for PBHBs place limits on their contribution to the total dark matter fraction.</P>

Defining the Normal Trends of Serum Creatine Kinase Levels Following Spinal Surgery

Matthew Griffith,Kenneth Aaron Shaw,Michael Baird,Patrick Rushford,Victoria Shaw,Aaron Roberts,David M. Gloystein 대한척추외과학회 2019 Asian Spine Journal Vol.13 No.3

Study Design: Prospective, prognostic study, level II evidence. Purpose: To define the normal change in the creatine kinase (CK) levels in patients undergoing prone or supine lumbar or cervical spine surgery and to determine if positioning influences the postoperative changes in the CK levels. Overview of Literature: Spine surgery is one of the most commonly performed and fastest growing areas of surgery in the United States. Thus, the various possible complications need to be understood, and risk factors for these complications need to be mitigated. One of the rare complications, reported in the literature as small case series and case reports, is rhabdomyolysis, diagnosed by high CK levels. Thus far, very few studies have examined the rise in CK levels following spine surgery, and to our knowledge, none has assessed the potential association of surgical positioning and the rise in CK levels. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 94 patients. We obtained their preoperative CK levels, and re-assessed their CK levels at postoperative day (POD) 1, 2, and 3, as well as at their 2-week follow-up. The data were analyzed with respect to the spine level and positioning to determine if positioning had any effect on the postoperative rise in the CK level. Results: Total 94 consecutive patients were enrolled in this study. The average preoperative CK level was 179.64, and the average CK level was 847.04 on POD 1. Prone positioning showed a greater rise in the CK levels following surgery than the supine positioning. In a similar manner, lumbar procedures led to a larger rise in the CK levels than cervical surgery. Prone/lumbar surgery showed the largest increase among all groups. Finally, revision surgery and instrumentation both increased the postoperative CK levels. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that positioning can affect the postoperative CK level rise, with patients undergoing prone/lumbar surgery showing the greatest rise in the postoperative CK levels. This rise, however, may be related to paraspinal muscle damage, rather than the positioning itself.

Genetic Modification of Switchgrass for Increased Ethanol Production

Gautam Sarath,Bruce Dien,Kenneth P. Vogel,Robert B. Mitchell,Christian Tobias,Aaron J. Saathoff,Nathan A. Palmer,Paul Twigg 한국응용생명화학회 2008 Applied Biological Chemistry (Appl Biol Chem) Vol.51 No.5

Should Male Circumcision be Advocated for Genital Cancer Prevention?

Morris, Brian J.,Mindel, Adrian,Tobian, Aaron A.R.,Hankins, Catherine A.,Gray, Ronald H.,Bailey, Robert C.,Bosch, Xavier,Wodak, Alex D. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.9

The recent policy statement by the Cancer Council of Australia on infant circumcision and cancer prevention and the announcement that the quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine will be made available for boys in Australia prompted us to provide an assessment of genital cancer prevention. While HPV vaccination of boys should help reduce anal cancer in homosexual men and cervical cancer in women, it will have little or no impact on penile or prostate cancer. Male circumcision can reduce cervical, penile and possibly prostate cancer. Promotion of both HPV vaccination and male circumcision will synergistically maximize genital cancer prevention.

Evaluating the Revised American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Guidelines for Common Bile Duct Stone Diagnosis

Jake S. Jacob,Michelle E. Lee,Erin Y. Chew,Aaron P. Thrift,Robert J. Sealock 대한소화기내시경학회 2021 Clinical Endoscopy Vol.54 No.2

Background/Aims: The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) revised its guidelines for risk stratification ofpatients with suspected choledocholithiasis. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of the revision and to compare itto the previous guidelines. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 267 patients with suspected choledocholithiasis. We identified high-riskpatients according to the original and revised guidelines and examined the diagnostic accuracy of both guidelines. We measured theassociation between individual criteria and choledocholithiasis. Results: Under the original guidelines, 165 (62%) patients met the criteria for high risk, of whom 79% had confirmedcholedocholithiasis. The categorization had a sensitivity and specificity of 68% and 55%, respectively, for the detectionof choledocholithiasis. Under the revised guidelines, 86 (32%) patients met the criteria for high risk, of whom 83% hadcholedocholithiasis. The revised categorization had a lower sensitivity and higher specificity of 37% and 80%, respectively. Thepositive predictive value of the high-risk categorization increased with the revision, reflecting a potential decrease in diagnosticendoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatograpies (ERCPs). Stone visualized on imaging had the greatest specificity forcholedocholithiasis. Gallstone pancreatitis was not associated with the risk for choledocholithiasis. Conclusions: The 2019 revision of the ASGE guidelines decreases the utilization of ERCP as a diagnostic modality and offers animproved risk stratification tool.

Bacterial Hash Function Using DNA-Based XOR Logic Reveals Unexpected Behavior of the LuxR Promoter

Pearson, Brianna,Lau, Kin H.,Allen, Alicia,Barron, James,Cool, Robert,Davis, Kelly,DeLoache, Will,Feeney, Erin,Gordon, Andrew,Igo, John,Lewis, Aaron,Muscalino, Kristi,Parra, Madeline,Penumetcha, Palla Korean Society for Bioinformatics 2011 Interdisciplinary Bio Central (IBC) Vol.3 No.3

Introduction: Hash functions are computer algorithms that protect information and secure transactions. In response to the NIST's "International Call for Hash Function", we developed a biological hash function using the computing capabilities of bacteria. We designed a DNA-based XOR logic gate that allows bacterial colonies arranged in a series on an agar plate to perform hash function calculations. Results and Discussion: In order to provide each colony with adequate time to process inputs and perform XOR logic, we designed and successfully demonstrated a system for time-delayed bacterial growth. Our system is based on the diffusion of ${\ss}$-lactamase, resulting in destruction of ampicillin. Our DNA-based XOR logic gate design is based on the op-position of two promoters. Our results showed that $P_{lux}$ and $P_{OmpC}$ functioned as expected individually, but $P_{lux}$ did not behave as expected in the XOR construct. Our data showed that, contrary to literature reports, the $P_{lux}$ promoter is bidirectional. In the absence of the 3OC6 inducer, the LuxR activator can bind to the $P_{lux}$ promoter and induce backwards transcription. Conclusion and Prospects: Our system of time delayed bacterial growth allows for the successive processing of a bacterial hash function, and is expected to have utility in other synthetic biology applications. While testing our DNA-based XOR logic gate, we uncovered a novel function of $P_{lux}$. In the absence of autoinducer 3OC6, LuxR binds to $P_{lux}$ and activates backwards transcription. This result advances basic research and has important implications for the widespread use of the $P_{lux}$ promoter.

Calibration of ShadowCam

David Carl Humm,Mallory Janet Kinczyk,Scott Michael Brylow,Robert Vernon Wagner,Emerson Jacob Speyerer,Nicholas Michael Estes,Prasun Mahanti,Aaron Kyle Boyd,Mark Southwick Robinson 한국우주과학회 2023 Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences Vol.40 No.4

ShadowCam is a high-sensitivity, high-resolution imager provided by NASA for the Danuri (KPLO) lunar mission. ShadowCam calibration shows that it is well suited for its purpose, to image permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) that occur near the lunar poles. It is 205 times as sensitive as the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Narrow Angle Camera (NAC). The signal to noise ratio (SNR) is greater than 100 over a large part of the dynamic range, and the top of the dynamic range is high enough to accommodate most brighter PSR pixels. The optical performance is good enough to take full advantage of the 1.7 meter/pixel image scale, and calibrated images have uniform response. We describe some instrument artifacts that are amenable to future corrections, making it possible to improve performance further. Stray light control is very challenging for this mission. In many cases, ShadowCam can image shadowed areas with directly illuminated terrain in or near the field of view (FOV). We include thorough qualitative descriptions of circumstances under which lunar brightness levels far higher than the top of the dynamic range cause detector or stray light artifacts and the size and extent of the artifact signal under those circumstances.