Model study of adsorbed metallic quantum dots: Na on Cu(111)

We model electronic properties of the second monolayer Na adatom islands (quantum dots) on the Cu(111) surface covered homogeneously by the first Na monolayer. An axially-symmetric three-dimensional jellium model, taking into account the effects due to the first Na monolayer and the Cu substrate, has been developed. The electronic structure is solved within the local-density approximation of the density-functional theory using a real-space multigrid method. The model enables the study of systems consisting of thousands of Na-atoms. The results for the local density of states are compared with differential conductance ($dI/dV$) spectra and constant current topographs from Scanning Tunneling Microscopy.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures. For better quality figures, download http://www.fyslab.hut.fi/~tto/cylart1.pd

Changes in five-year survival for people with acute leukaemia in South Australia, 1980-2016

First published: 16 February 2022Objectives: To examine population changes in 5-year survival for people in South Australia diagnosed with acute leukaemia during 1980–2016, by socio-demographic characteristics. Design, setting: Retrospective analysis of South Australian Cancer Registry data for the period 1980–2016. Participants: All South Australian residents diagnosed with primary acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) or acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) during 1980–2016. Main outcome measures: 5-year disease-specific survival and disease-specific mortality. Results: Crude 5-year disease-specific survival was 58% (95% CI, 54–61%) for the 1035 people diagnosed with ALL during 1980–2016, and 18% (95% CI, 17–20%) for the 2814 people diagnosed with AML. Survival improved steadily across the study period: from 44% (95% CI, 35–52%) for people with ALL diagnosed during 1980–1984 to 69% (95% CI, 63–75%) for those diagnosed during 2010–2016; and from 9% (95% CI, 5–15%) to 23% (95% CI, 20–26%) for people diagnosed with AML. Disease-specific mortality increased with age, but was not influenced by socio-economic status or remoteness of residence. After adjusting for other factors, rates of change in risk of leukaemia-related death were greater for younger than older patients with ALL (for interaction: P = 0.004) or AML (P = 0.005), but were not significantly influenced by socio-economic status or remoteness. Conclusion: Five-year survival for people with acute leukaemia in South Australia continuously improved during 1980–2016, and socio-economic status and remoteness did not influence survival. It improved markedly for younger patients (under 50 years of age). However, survival is still relatively poor, especially for people over 50 years with AML.Kerri Beckmann, Brendon J Kearney, David Yeung, Devendra Hiwase, Ming Li, David M Rode

Detection by screening mammography is a powerful independent predictor of survival in women diagnosed with breast cancer

Copyright © 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Four hundred and sixteen invasive breast cancers, detected initially by mammography, were compared with 929 presenting symptomatically, all treated at a South Australian teaching hospital. Predictable differences included lower stages and grades, less vascular invasion and proliferative activity, and more hormone-receptor expression among the mammographically detected. Unpredicted differences included significantly higher survivals for mammographically detected cases throughout the 9 year follow-up period after adjusting for stage and the Nottingham Prognostic Index. In a multivariable analysis, differences in stage, grade, and hormone receptor expression accounted for only about half the survival advantage of mammographically detected tumours. Accounting for additional person and tumour characteristics had only a marginal effect on this result. This suggests that detection by mammography has independent favourable prognostic significance beyond that explained by conventional indicators. If confirmed, this finding would have important implications for the prognostic advice given to women and may merit further investigation into its underlying biological mechanisms.P.G. Gill, G. Farshid, C.G. Luke and D.M. Roderhttp://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/623010/description#descriptio

Time to clinical investigation for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Queensland women after a high grade abnormal Pap smear, 2000-2009

To investigate time to follow-up (clinical investigation) for Indigenous and non-Indigenous women in Queensland after a high grade abnormality (HGA) being detected by Pap smear.Population-based retrospective cohort analysis of linked data from the Queensland Pap Smear Register (PSR), the Queensland Hospital Admitted Patient Data Collection, and the Queensland Cancer Registry. 34 980 women aged 20-68 years (including 1592 Indigenous women) with their first HGA Pap smear result recorded on the PSR (index smear) during 2000-2009 were included and followed to the end of 2010.Time from the index smear to clinical investigation (histology test or cancer diagnosis date), censored at 12 months.The proportion of women who had a clinical investigation within 2 months of a HGA finding was lower for Indigenous (34.1%; 95% CI, 31.8-36.4%) than for non-Indigenous women (46.5%; 95% CI, 46.0-47.0%; unadjusted incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.65; 95% CI, 0.60-0.71). This difference remained after adjusting for place of residence, area-level disadvantage, and age group (adjusted IRR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.68-0.81). However, Indigenous women who had not been followed up within 2 months were subsequently more likely to have a clinical investigation than non-Indigenous women (adjusted IRR for 2-4 month interval, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.08-1.36); by 6 months, a similar proportion of Indigenous (62.2%; 95% CI, 59.8-64.6%) and non-Indigenous women (62.8%; 95% CI, 62.2-63.3%) had been followed up.Prompt follow-up after a HGA Pap smear finding needs to improve for Indigenous women. Nevertheless, slow follow-up is a smaller contributor to their higher cervical cancer incidence and mortality than their lower participation in cervical screening.Lisa J Whop, Peter D Baade, Julia ML Brotherton, Karen Canfell, Joan Cunningham, Dorota Gertig, Kamalini Lokuge, Gail Garvey, Suzanne P Moore, Abbey Diaz, Dianne L O’Connell, Patricia Valery, David M Roder, John R Condo

Clinical and pathological factors predictive of lymph node status in women with screen-detected breast cancer

Copyright © 2006 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.Two thousand one hundred and thirty five asymptomatic invasive breast cancers detected through screening mammography were analysed to identify predictors of lymph node involvement. Multivariable analysis indicated that predictors included larger tumour diameter, an infiltrating ductal or lobular histological type, multifocal disease, a palpable lesion, and a younger age at diagnosis. An association also was found between nodal involvement and the presence of an extensive in situ component (EIC). Grade was associated with nodal involvement as a univariate predictor. It would be more accurate for screening assessment clinics to use models for predicting nodal status that were customised to their own experience rather than generic models developed in other settings that related predominantly to symptomatic cancer. These models could assist clinical decision-making on axillary node dissection and give guidance to pathologists on numbers of tissue sections to examine.P.G. Gill, C.G. Luke and D.M. Roderhttp://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/623010/description#descriptio