393 research outputs found
Individual and family characteristics associated with BRCA1/2 genetic testing in high‐risk families
Background Little is known about family members' interrelated decisions to seek genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility. Methods The specific aims of this cross‐sectional, descriptive, cohort study were (i) to examine whether individual and family characteristics have a direct effect on women's decisions to use genetic testing for hereditary susceptibility to breast cancer and (ii) to explore whether family characteristics moderate the relationships between individual characteristics and the decision to use genetic testing. Participants were women (>18 years old) who (i) received genetic testing for hereditary breast cancer and who agreed to invite one of their female relatives into the study and (ii) female relatives who had NOT obtained genetic testing and were identified by pedigree analysis as having >10% chances of hereditary susceptibility to breast cancer. Results The final sample consisted of 168 English‐speaking, family dyads who completed self‐administered, mailed surveys with validated instruments. Multivariate conditional logistic regression analyses showed that the proposed model explained 62% of the variance in genetic testing. The factors most significantly associated with genetic testing were having a personal history of cancer; perceiving genetic testing to have more benefits than barriers; having greater family hardiness; and perceiving fewer negative consequences associated with a breast cancer diagnosis. No significant interaction effects were observed. Conclusions Findings suggest that both individual and family characteristics are associated with the decision to obtain genetic testing for hereditary breast cancer; hence, there is a need for interventions that foster a supportive family environment for patients and their high‐risk relatives. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/98211/1/pon3139.pd
Patient‐friendly pathology reports for patients with breast atypias
Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146318/1/tbj13061_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146318/2/tbj13061.pd
3D characterization of CdSe nanoparticles attached to carbon nanotubes
The crystallographic structure of CdSe nanoparticles attached to carbon
nanotubes has been elucidated by means of high resolution transmission electron
microscopy and high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron
microscopy tomography. CdSe rod-like nanoparticles, grown in solution together
with carbon nanotubes, undergo a morphological transformation and become
attached to the carbon surface. Electron tomography reveals that the
nanoparticles are hexagonal-based with the (001) planes epitaxially matched to
the outer graphene layer.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure
Depletion-Driven Morphological Control of Bundled Actin Networks
The actin cytoskeleton is a semiflexible biopolymer network whose morphology
is controlled by a wide range of biochemical and physical factors. Actin is
known to undergo a phase transition from a single-filament state to a bundled
state by the addition of polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecules in sufficient
concentration. While the depletion interaction experienced by these biopolymers
is well-known, the effect of changing the molecular weight of the depletant is
less well understood. Here, we experimentally identify a phase transition in
solutions of actin from networks of filaments to networks of bundles by varying
the molecular weight of PEG polymers, while holding the concentration of these
PEG polymers constant. We examine the states straddling the phase transition in
terms of micro and macroscale properties. We find that the mesh size, bundle
diameter, persistence length, and intra-bundle spacing between filaments across
the line of criticality do not show significant differences, while the
relaxation time, storage modulus, and degree of bundling change between the two
states do show significant differences. Our results demonstrate the ability to
tune actin network morphology and mechanics by controlling depletant size, a
property which could be exploited to develop actin-based materials with
switchable rigidity.Comment: 22 pages, 10 figures. Authors James Clarke and Francis Cavanna
contributed equally; Changes: Added modeling work, extended dynamic light
scattering analysi
Using a state cancer registry to recruit young breast cancer survivors and high-risk relatives: protocol of a randomized trial testing the efficacy of a targeted versus a tailored intervention to increase breast cancer screening
Abstract
Background
The Michigan Prevention Research Center, the University of Michigan Schools of Nursing, Public Health, and Medicine, and the Michigan Department of Community Health propose a multidisciplinary academic-clinical practice three-year project to increase breast cancer screening among young breast cancer survivors and their cancer-free female relatives at greatest risk for breast cancer.
Methods/design
The study has three specific aims: 1) Identify and survey 3,000 young breast cancer survivors (diagnosed at 20–45 years old) regarding their breast cancer screening utilization. 2) Identify and survey survivors’ high-risk relatives regarding their breast cancer screening utilization. 3) Test two versions (Targeted vs. Enhanced Tailored) of an intervention to increase breast cancer screening among survivors and relatives. Following approval by human subjects review boards, 3,000 young breast cancer survivors will be identified through the Michigan Cancer Registry and mailed an invitation letter and a baseline survey. The baseline survey will obtain information on the survivors’: a) current breast cancer screening status and use of genetic counseling; b) perceived barriers and facilitators to screening; c) family health history. Based on the family history information provided by survivors, we will identify up to two high-risk relatives per survivor. Young breast cancer survivors will be mailed consent forms and baseline surveys to distribute to their selected high-risk relatives. Relatives’ baseline survey will obtain information on their: a) current breast cancer screening status and use of genetic counseling; and b) perceived barriers and facilitators to screening. Young breast cancer survivors and high-risk relatives will be randomized as a family unit to receive two versions of an intervention aiming to increase breast cancer screening and use of cancer genetic services. A follow-up survey will be mailed 9 months after the intervention to survivors and high-risk relatives to evaluate the efficacy of each intervention version on: a) use of breast cancer screening and genetic counseling; b) perceived barriers and facilitators to screening; c) self-efficacy in utilizing cancer genetic and screening services; d) family support related to screening; e) knowledge of breast cancer genetics; and f) satisfaction with the intervention.
Discussion
The study will enhance efforts of the state of Michigan surrounding cancer prevention, control, and public health genomics.
Trial registration
NCT01612338http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/112835/1/12885_2012_Article_3739.pd
Новые синонимичные ряды существительных в последнем издании международной анатомической номенклатуры
МЕДИЦИНСКАЯ ТЕРМИНОЛОГИЯ СИСТЕМАТИЗИРОВАННАЯЛИНГВИСТИКАСИНОНИМ
Adjustments with running speed reveal neuromuscular adaptations during landing associated with high mileage running training.
It remains to be determined whether running training influences the amplitude of lower limb muscle activations before and during the first half of stance and whether such changes are associated with joint stiffness regulation and usage of stored energy from tendons. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate neuromuscular and movement adaptations before and during landing in response to running training across a range of speeds. Two groups of high mileage (HM; >45 km/wk, n = 13) and low mileage (LM; <15 km/wk, n = 13) runners ran at four speeds (2.5-5.5 m/s) while lower limb mechanics and electromyography of the thigh muscles were collected. There were few differences in prelanding activation levels, but HM runners displayed lower activations of the rectus femoris, vastus medialis, and semitendinosus muscles postlanding, and these differences increased with running speed. HM runners also demonstrated higher initial knee stiffness during the impact phase compared with LM runners, which was associated with an earlier peak knee flexion velocity, and both were relatively unchanged by running speed. In contrast, LM runners had higher knee stiffness during the slightly later weight acceptance phase and the disparity was amplified with increases in speed. It was concluded that initial knee joint stiffness might predominantly be governed by tendon stiffness rather than muscular activations before landing. Estimated elastic work about the ankle was found to be higher in the HM runners, which might play a role in reducing weight acceptance phase muscle activation levels and improve muscle activation efficiency with running training.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Although neuromuscular factors play a key role during running, the influence of high mileage training on neuromuscular function has been poorly studied, especially in relation to running speed. This study is the first to demonstrate changes in neuromuscular conditioning with high mileage training, mainly characterized by lower thigh muscle activation after touch down, higher initial knee stiffness, and greater estimates of energy return, with adaptations being increasingly evident at faster running speeds
Symmetry-breaking in patch formation on triangular gold nanoparticles by asymmetric polymer grafting
Synthesizing patchy particles with predictive control over patch size, shape,
placement and number has been highly sought-after for nanoparticle assembly
research, but is fraught with challenges. Here we show that polymers can be
designed to selectively adsorb onto nanoparticle surfaces already partially
coated by other chains to drive the formation of patchy nanoparticles with
broken symmetry. In our model system of triangular gold nanoparticles and
polystyrene-b-polyacrylic acid patch, single- and double-patch nanoparticles
are produced at high yield. These asymmetric single-patch nanoparticles are
shown to assemble into self-limited patch‒patch connected bowties exhibiting
intriguing plasmonic properties. To unveil the mechanism of symmetry-
breaking patch formation, we develop a theory that accurately predicts our
experimental observations at all scales—from patch patterning on nano-
particles, to the size/shape of the patches, to the particle assemblies driven by
patch‒patch interactions. Both the experimental strategy and theoretical
prediction extend to nanoparticles of other shapes such as octahedra and
bipyramids. Our work provides an approach to leverage polymer interactions
with nanoscale curved surfaces for asymmetric grafting in nanomaterials
engineering.Synthesis and self-assembly experiments for this work was supported
by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences,
Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering, under Award DE-
SC0020723 (A.K. and Q.C.). Experiments were carried out in part in the
Materials Research Laboratory Central Research Facilities, University
of Illinois. Theory and simulation for this work was supported by the
Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research under ONR award
number N00014-18-1-2497 (T.V. and S.C.G). This research utilized
computational resources and services supported by Advanced
Research Computing at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and
provided by the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Envir-
onment (XSEDE), which is supported by National Science Foundation
Grant ACI-1053575, XSEDE Award DMR 140129 (T.V. and S.C.G.). LSPR
of this work was performed by P.B. at the Center for Nanoscale Mate-
rials, a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility, and
was supported by the U.S. DOE, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under
Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357. D.M. and P.B. acknowledge partial
support from the Center for Dynamics and Control of Materials: an NSF
Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (NSF MRSEC)
under Cooperative Agreement DMR-1720595 and the Welch Founda-
tion (F-1848).Center for Dynamics and Control of Material
- …