54 research outputs found
Identification of Bone Marrow Cell Subpopulations Associated With Improved Functional Outcomes in Patients With Chronic Left Ventricular Dysfunction: An Embedded Cohort Evaluation of the FOCUS-CCTRN Trial
In the current study, we sought to identify bone marrow-derived mononuclear cell (BM-MNC) subpopulations associated with a combined improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV), and maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) in patients with chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy 6 months after receiving transendocardial injections of autologous BM-MNCs or placebo. For this prospectively planned analysis, we conducted an embedded cohort study comprising 78 patients from the FOCUS-Cardiovascular Cell Therapy Research Network (CCTRN) trial. Baseline BM-MNC immunophenotypes and progenitor cell activity were determined by flow cytometry and colony-forming assays, respectively. Previously stable patients who demonstrated improvement in LVEF, LVESV, and VO2 max during the 6-month course of the FOCUS-CCTRN study (group 1, nâ=â17) were compared to those who showed no change or worsened in one to three of these endpoints (group 2, nâ=â61) and to a subset of patients from group 2 who declined in all three functional endpoints (group 2A, nâ=â11). Group 1 had higher frequencies of B-cell and CXCR4(+) BM-MNC subpopulations at study baseline than group 2 or 2A. Furthermore, patients in group 1 had fewer endothelial colony-forming cells and monocytes/macrophages in their bone marrow than those in group 2A. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, certain bone marrow-derived cell subsets are associated with improvement in LVEF, LVESV, and VO2 max at 6 months. These results suggest that the presence of both progenitor and immune cell populations in the bone marrow may influence the natural history of chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy-even in stable patients. Thus, it may be important to consider the bone marrow composition and associated regenerative capacity of patients when assigning them to treatment groups and evaluating the results of cell therapy trials
EON-ROSE and the Canadian Cordillera Array â Building Bridges to Span Earth System Science in Canada
EON-ROSE (Earth-System Observing Network - RĂ©seau dâObservation du SystĂšme terrestrE) is a new initiative for a pan-Canadian research collaboration to holistically examine Earth systems from the ionosphere into the core. The Canadian Cordillera Array (CC Array) is the pilot phase, and will extend across the Cordillera from the Beaufort Sea to the U.S. border. The vision for EON-ROSE is to install a network of telemetered observatories to monitor solid Earth, environmental and atmospheric processes. EON-ROSE is an inclusive, combined effort of Canadian universities, federal, provincial and territorial government agencies, industry, and international collaborators. Brainstorming sessions and several workshops have been held since May 2016. The first station will be installed at Kluane Lake Research Station in southwestern Yukon during the summer of 2018. The purpose of this report is to provide a framework for continued discussion and development.RĂSUMĂEON-ROSE (Earth-System Observing Network - RĂ©seau dâObservation du SystĂšme terrestrE) est une nouvelle initiative de collaboration de recherche pancanadienne visant Ă Ă©tudier de maniĂšre holistique les systĂšmes terrestres, depuis lâionosphĂšre jusquâau noyau. Le RĂ©seau canadien de la cordillĂšre (CC Array) en est la phase pilote, laquelle couvrira toute la CordillĂšre, de la mer de Beaufort jusquâĂ la frontiĂšre Ă©tasunienne. Lâobjectif dâEON-ROSE est dâinstaller un rĂ©seau dâobservatoires tĂ©lĂ©mĂ©triques pour suivre en continu les processusterrestres, environnementaux et atmosphĂ©riques. EON-ROSE est un effort combinĂ© et inclusif des universitĂ©s canadiennes, des organismes gouvernementaux fĂ©dĂ©raux, provinciaux et territoriaux, de lâindustrie et de collaborateurs internationaux. Des sĂ©ances de remue-mĂ©ninges et plusieurs ateliers ont Ă©tĂ© tenus depuis mai 2016. La premiĂšre station sera installĂ©e Ă la station de recherche du lac Kluane, dans le sud-ouest du Yukon, au cours de lâĂ©tĂ© 2018. Le but du prĂ©sent rapport est de fournir un cadre de discussion et de dĂ©veloppement continu
Asymmetric shallow mantle structure beneath the Hawaiian Swellâevidence from Rayleigh waves recorded by the PLUME network
Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2011. This article is posted here by permission of John Wiley & Sons for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Geophysical Journal International 187 (2011): 1725â1742, doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.2011.05238.x.We present models of the 3-D shear velocity structure of the lithosphere and asthenosphere beneath the Hawaiian hotspot and surrounding region. The models are derived from long-period Rayleigh-wave phase velocities that were obtained from the analysis of seismic recordings collected during two year-long deployments for the Hawaiian Plume-Lithosphere Undersea Mantle Experiment. For this experiment, broad-band seismic sensors were deployed at nearly 70 seafloor sites as well as 10 sites on the Hawaiian Islands. Our seismic images result from a two-step inversion of path-averaged dispersion curves using the two-station method. The images reveal an asymmetry in shear velocity structure with respect to the island chain, most notably in the lower lithosphere at depths of 60 km and greater, and in the asthenosphere. An elongated, 100-km-wide and 300-km-long low-velocity anomaly reaches to depths of at least 140 km. At depths of 60 km and shallower, the lowest velocities are found near the northern end of the island of Hawaii. No major velocity anomalies are found to the south or southeast of Hawaii, at any depth. The low-velocity anomaly in the asthenosphere is consistent with an excess temperature of 200â250 °C and partial melt at the level of a few percent by volume, if we assume that compositional variations as a result of melt extraction play a minor role. We also image small-scale low-velocity anomalies within the lithosphere that may be associated with the volcanic fields surrounding the Hawaiian Islands.This research was financed by the National Science Foundation under
grants OCE-00-02470 and OCE-00-02819. Markee was partly
sponsored by a SIO graduate student fellowship
2008 Inter-laboratory Comparison Study of a Reference Material for Nutrients in Seawater
Autoclaved natural seawater collected in the North Pacific Ocean was used as a reference material for nutrients in seawater (RMNS) during an inter-laboratory comparison (I/C) study conducted in 2008. This study was a follow-up to previous studies conducted in 2003 and 2006. A set of six samples was distributed to each of 58 laboratories in 15 countries around the globe, and results were returned by 54 of those laboratories (15 countries). The homogeneities of samples used in the 2008 I/C study, based on analyses for three determinants, were improved compared to those of samples used in the 2003 and 2006 I/C studies.
Results of these I/C studies indicate that most of the participating laboratories have an analytical technique for nutrients that is sufficient to provide data of high comparability. The differences between reported concentrations from the same laboratories in the 2006 and 2008 I/C studies for the same batch of RMNS indicate that most of the laboratories have been maintaining internal comparability for two years.
Thus, with the current high level of performance in the participating laboratories, the use of a common reference material and the adaptation of an internationally accepted
nutrient scale system would increase comparability among laboratories worldwide, and
the use of a certified reference material would establish traceability.
In the 2008 I/C study we observed a problem of non-linearity of the instruments of the participating laboratories similar to that observed among the laboratories in the 2006
I/C study. This problem of non-linearity should be investigated and discussed to improve comparability for the full range of nutrient concentrations. For silicate comparability in particular, we see relatively larger consensus standard deviations than those for nitrate and phosphate
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BLENDING LOW ENRICHED URANIUM WITH DEPLETED URANIUM TO CREATE A SOURCE MATERIAL ORE THAT CAN BE PROCESSED FOR THE RECOVERY OF YELLOWCAKE AT A CONVENTIONAL URANIUM MILL
Throughout the United States Department of Energy (DOE) complex, there are a number of streams of low enriched uranium (LEU) that contain various trace contaminants. These surplus nuclear materials require processing in order to meet commercial fuel cycle specifications. To date, they have not been designated as waste for disposal at the DOE's Nevada Test Site (NTS). Currently, with no commercial outlet available, the DOE is evaluating treatment and disposal as the ultimate disposition path for these materials. This paper will describe an innovative program that will provide a solution to DOE that will allow disposition of these materials at a cost that will be competitive with treatment and disposal at the NTS, while at the same time recycling the material to recover a valuable energy resource (yellowcake) for reintroduction into the commercial nuclear fuel cycle. International Uranium (USA) Corporation (IUSA) and Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc. (NFS) have entered into a commercial relationship to pursue the development of this program. The program involves the design of a process and construction of a plant at NFS' site in Erwin, Tennessee, for the blending of contaminated LEU with depleted uranium (DU) to produce a uranium source material ore (USM Ore{trademark}). The USM Ore{trademark} will then be further processed at IUC's White Mesa Mill, located near Blanding, Utah, to produce conventional yellowcake, which can be delivered to conversion facilities, in the same manner as yellowcake that is produced from natural ores or other alternate feed materials. The primary source of feed for the business will be the significant sources of trace contaminated materials within the DOE complex. NFS has developed a dry blending process (DRYSM Process) to blend the surplus LEU material with DU at its Part 70 licensed facility, to produce USM Ore{trademark} with a U235 content within the range of U235 concentrations for source material. By reducing the U235 content to source material levels in this manner, the material will be suitable for processing at a conventional uranium mill under its existing Part 40 license to remove contaminants and enable the product to re-enter the commercial fuel cycle. The tailings from processing the USM Ore{trademark} at the mill will be permanently disposed of in the mill's tailings impoundment as 11e.(2) byproduct material. Blending LEU with DU to make a uranium source material ore that can be returned to the nuclear fuel cycle for processing to produce yellowcake, has never been accomplished before. This program will allow DOE to disposition its surplus LEU and DU in a cost effective manner, and at the same time provide for the recovery of valuable energy resources that would be lost through processing and disposal of the materials. This paper will discuss the nature of the surplus LEU and DU materials, the manner in which the LEU will be blended with DU to form a uranium source material ore, and the legal means by which this blending can be accomplished at a facility licensed under 10 CFR Part 70 to produce ore that can be processed at a conventional uranium mill licensed under 10 CFR Part 40
Results of a Men's Urological Health Screening Program at Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems
Introduction: Men are less likely to use preventive services than women, perhaps because of a perceived lack of timely access to healthcare. This paper reports the results of the Men's Health Screening Program offered by Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems in Marietta, Georgia, USA. Methods: Volunteer male employees were screened at the work site for prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and erectile dysfunction (ED). Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests and digital rectal examination (DRE) were used to detect prostate cancer. DRE and a urologic health questionnaire were used to detect BPH. An erectile dysfunction questionnaire was used to screen for ED. Results: Of the 4877 eligible male employees, 317 (6.5%) participated in the medical screening program. Two were found to have prostate cancer, one of whom had a previous diagnosis of prostate cancer. Using the results from both a urologic health questionnaire and the DRE test, 46 men were found to have BPH; however, only 30 noted a prior diagnosis of BPH. 273 men completed the ED questionnaire; 22-44 of the ED respondents reported frequent difficulties with one or more aspects of the sexual experience, but only 13 had sought prior treatment. 300 participants completed a short satisfaction survey, and 40 of these respondents were randomly selected for analysis. Of these 40 respondents, 60% said the program was either `good' or `great', and 95% agreed that the program had a beneficial impact on their ability to work. Conclusions: Some unmet need for care was noted. To address this, disease management professionals can help employers bring preventive care to the work site, at little or no cost to the employee, with benefits accruing to employers and employees alike.Disease management programmes, Gender differences, Genitourinary disorders, Pharmacoeconomics
Results of a Men??s Urological Health Screening Program at Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems
Phospholipid/carbocyanine dye-shelled microbubbles as ultrasound-modulated fluorescent contrast agents
Coping in the Aftermath of Youth's Suicidal Behaviors: A Comparison of Black Mothers and White Mothers
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