The ELFIN Mission

The Electron Loss and Fields Investigation with a Spatio-Temporal Ambiguity-Resolving option (ELFIN-STAR, or heretoforth simply: ELFIN) mission comprises two identical 3-Unit (3U) CubeSats on a polar (∼93^∘ inclination), nearly circular, low-Earth (∼450 km altitude) orbit. Launched on September 15, 2018, ELFIN is expected to have a >2.5 year lifetime. Its primary science objective is to resolve the mechanism of storm-time relativistic electron precipitation, for which electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves are a prime candidate. From its ionospheric vantage point, ELFIN uses its unique pitch-angle-resolving capability to determine whether measured relativistic electron pitch-angle and energy spectra within the loss cone bear the characteristic signatures of scattering by EMIC waves or whether such scattering may be due to other processes. Pairing identical ELFIN satellites with slowly-variable along-track separation allows disambiguation of spatial and temporal evolution of the precipitation over minutes-to-tens-of-minutes timescales, faster than the orbit period of a single low-altitude satellite (T_orbit ∼ 90 min). Each satellite carries an energetic particle detector for electrons (EPDE) that measures 50 keV to 5 MeV electrons with Δ E/E < 40% and a fluxgate magnetometer (FGM) on a ∼72 cm boom that measures magnetic field waves (e.g., EMIC waves) in the range from DC to 5 Hz Nyquist (nominally) with <0.3 nT/sqrt(Hz) noise at 1 Hz. The spinning satellites (T_spin ∼ 3 s) are equipped with magnetorquers (air coils) that permit spin-up or -down and reorientation maneuvers. Using those, the spin axis is placed normal to the orbit plane (nominally), allowing full pitch-angle resolution twice per spin. An energetic particle detector for ions (EPDI) measures 250 keV - 5 MeV ions, addressing secondary science. Funded initially by CalSpace and the University Nanosat Program, ELFIN was selected for flight with joint support from NSF and NASA between 2014 and 2018 and launched by the ELaNa XVIII program on a Delta II rocket (with IceSatII as the primary). Mission operations are currently funded by NASA. Working under experienced UCLA mentors, with advice from The Aerospace Corporation and NASA personnel, more than 250 undergraduates have matured the ELFIN implementation strategy; developed the instruments, satellite, and ground systems and operate the two satellites. ELFIN's already high potential for cutting-edge science return is compounded by concurrent equatorial Heliophysics missions (THEMIS, Arase, Van Allen Probes, MMS) and ground stations. ELFIN's integrated data analysis approach, rapid dissemination strategies via the SPace Environment Data Analysis System (SPEDAS), and data coordination with the Heliophysics/Geospace System Observatory (H/GSO) optimize science yield, enabling the widest community benefits. Several storm-time events have already been captured and are presented herein to demonstrate ELFIN's data analysis methods and potential. These form the basis of on-going studies to resolve the primary mission science objective. Broad energy precipitation events, precipitation bands, and microbursts, clearly seen both at dawn and dusk, extend from tens of keV to >1 MeV. This broad energy range of precipitation indicates that multiple waves are providing scattering concurrently. Many observed events show significant backscattered fluxes, which in the past were hard to resolve by equatorial spacecraft or non-pitch-angle-resolving ionospheric missions. These observations suggest that the ionosphere plays a significant role in modifying magnetospheric electron fluxes and wave-particle interactions. Routine data captures starting in February 2020 and lasting for at least another year, approximately the remainder of the mission lifetime, are expected to provide a very rich dataset to address questions even beyond the primary mission science objective.

[Retinal investigations in patients with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia: A review of the literature]

Major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are currently among the most common psychiatric disorders, known to constitute a serious public health issue in terms of morbidity, mortality and functional handicap. Their pathophysiology is still unclear, but there is now increasing evidence supporting the existence of abnormalities of neurotransmission. As the retina is an extension of the central nervous system, it may be an interesting site of study which might provide a better understanding of the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. Several studies have demonstrated retinal abnormalities, with abnormal cone and rod responses on electroretinography (ERG), suggesting a process of functional neuronal loss, structurally supported by a decrease in the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL) on optical coherence tomography (OCT), which suggests involvement of the molecular signal pathways of neurotransmission. These tests could be useful tools for diagnosing and monitoring psychiatric disorders. This article is an overview of the literature on retinal abnormalities observed in patients with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, and discusses how they could be pathophysiologic markers.

Study of retinal structure and function in patients with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia: A review of the literature

Major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are currently among the most common psychiatric disorders, known to constitute a serious public health issue in terms of morbidity, mortality and functional handicap. Their pathophysiology is still unclear, but there is now increasing evidence supporting the existence of abnormalities of neurotransmission. As the retina is an extension of the central nervous system, it may be an interesting site of study which might provide a better understanding of the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. Several studies have demonstrated retinal abnormalities, with abnormal cone and rod responses on electroretinography (ERG), suggesting a process of functional neuronal loss, structurally supported by a decrease in the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL) on optical coherence tomography (OCT), which suggests involvement of the molecular signal pathways of neurotransmission. These tests could be useful tools for diagnosing and monitoring psychiatric disorders. This article is an overview of the literature on retinal abnormalities observed in patients with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, and discusses how they could be pathophysiologic markers.

International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) report, data summary of 45 countries for 2012-2017: Device-associated module

BACKGROUND

We report the results of International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) surveillance study from January 2012 to December 2017 in 523 intensive care units (ICUs) in 45 countries from Latin America, Europe, Eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, and Western Pacific.

METHODS

During the 6-year study period, prospective data from 532,483 ICU patients hospitalized in 242 hospitals, for an aggregate of 2,197,304 patient days, were collected through the INICC Surveillance Online System (ISOS). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-National Healthcare Safety Network (CDC-NHSN) definitions for device-associated health care-associated infection (DA-HAI) were applied.

RESULTS

Although device use in INICC ICUs was similar to that reported from CDC-NHSN ICUs, DA-HAI rates were higher in the INICC ICUs: in the medical-surgical ICUs, the pooled central line-associated bloodstream infection rate was higher (5.05 vs 0.8 per 1,000 central line-days); the ventilator-associated pneumonia rate was also higher (14.1 vs 0.9 per 1,000 ventilator-days,), as well as the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (5.1 vs 1.7 per 1,000 catheter-days). From blood cultures samples, frequencies of resistance, such as of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to piperacillin-tazobactam (33.0% vs 18.3%), were also higher.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite a significant trend toward the reduction in INICC ICUs, DA-HAI rates are still much higher compared with CDC-NHSN's ICUs representing the developed world. It is INICC's main goal to provide basic and cost-effective resources, through the INICC Surveillance Online System to tackle the burden of DA-HAIs effectively.

Interfacial charge transfer enhancement via formation of binary molecular assemblies on electronically corrugated boron nitride

Using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS) in conjunction with finite element simulation, we investigate the interfacial behaviors in single-component zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) and hexadecafluorinated zinc phthalocyanine (F16ZnPc) molecular overlayers as well as their 1 : 1 mixed-phase superstructures on h-BN/Cu(111). We show that the formation of the binary molecular superstructure drastically increases the charge transfer between F16ZnPc molecules and the substrate, which is attributed to the greater electrostatic stability of the binary assembly compared to that of the pure phase. This study highlights the significant complication in the design of donor-acceptor molecular thin films as the presence of the substrate, even a weakly interacting one, such as h-BN/metal, can still perturb the intermolecular charge transfer and thereby the physical behaviors of the hybrid system via interfacial processes.

Modification of Enrichment Protocols for TECRA Listeria Visual Immunoassay Method 995.22: Collaborative Study

A collaborative study was conducted to validate new enrichment methods for the TECRA Listeria Visual Immunoassay (TLVIA). These new methods incorporate a newly formulated medium, TECRA Listeria Enrichment Broth, which does not contain the highly toxic antifungal agent, cycloheximide. The new procedures will provide an alternative to the enrichment procedures described in AOAC Method 995.22. Three food types (raw ground beef, lettuce, and ice cream) were analyzed in the United States, and 2 food types (cooked turkey and cooked fish fillets) were analyzed in Australasia. Thirty collaborators participated in the study, 16 in Australasia and 14 in the United States. With the exception of one batch of ground beef, comparison of the proportion of positive test portions (p ≥ 0.05) showed no significant difference between the TLVIA and the reference method for the 5 foods at 3 inoculation levels. For the one batch of naturally contaminated raw ground beef, the TLVIA gave significantly more confirmed positive results than the reference method.

Abstract PD1-01: Trilaciclib (T), a CDK4/6 inhibitor, dosed with gemcitabine (G), carboplatin (C) in metastatic triple negative breast cancer (mTNBC) patients: Preliminary phase 2 results

Background: Cytotoxic chemotherapy-induced damage of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) results in acute toxicities consisting of multi-lineage myelosuppression, and late onset toxicities consisting of progressive bone marrow suppression with increased incidence of therapy-related myeloid neoplasms. T is an IV CDK4/6 inhibitor in development to preserve HSPC and immune system function during cytotoxic chemotherapy (myelopreservation). Proof of concept for myelopreservation with T was observed in a randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial in small-cell lung cancer patients receiving 1st-line chemotherapy. This trial in mTNBC patients (NCT02978716) was designed to explore the utility of T in combination with GC.

Methods: This Phase 2, randomized, open-label study enrolled patients in the US and EU with mTNBC who had received 0-2 prior systemic cytotoxic therapies in the locally recurrent or metastatic setting and had no symptomatic brain metastases. Patients were randomized (1:1:1) to GC alone (Group 1) or T plus GC (Group 2) using a standard schedule (D1, 8 every 21 days) or to an alternative schedule (T on D1, 2, 8 and 9 with GC on D2 and 9 every 21 days; Group 3). On those days when both T and GC were scheduled, T was administered iv prior to GC infusion. Prophylactic growth factors were not administered in cycle 1; otherwise supportive care was allowed as needed. Primary objectives were safety and tolerability; tumor response was evaluated using RECIST v1.1 and PFS and OS were assessed. Myelopreservation endpoints reflecting the potential effects of T on multiple cellular lineages include occurrence of Grade 4 neutropenia (primary), RBC and platelet transfusions (primary), and lymphocyte counts with immune profiling (secondary and exploratory). A signature of CDK4/6 independence developed from preclinical data will be used to evaluate archival tumor tissue samples and data analysis is ongoing.

Results: 95 patients were dosed; median age 57 years (range 32,86), ECOG PS 0 (53%) or 1 (47%), 25% had liver metastases at baseline, and approximately 50% had received no systemic therapy in the recurrent/metastatic setting. Fifty-five patients remain on treatment. Disease progression was the most common reason for drug discontinuation (22/40; 55%). Overall the most common (≥ 25%) TEAEs were anemia (47%), nausea (35%), fatigue (34%), neutropenia (32%), platelet count decreased (25%), and vomiting (25%). The most frequent (≥ 15%) Grade 3 or 4 TEAEs were hematologic toxicities, i.e. neutropenia (28%), anemia (21%), neutrophil count decreased (21%) and thrombocytopenia (16%). These were also the most frequent drug-related TEAEs observed. Tumor efficacy data are being evaluated.

Conclusions: This trial, assessing the myelopreservation effects of T when combined with GC in patients with mTNBC, has completed enrollment. Myelopreservation data, immune profiling, as well as ORR and preliminary PFS results will be presented by study arm at the meeting.

Citation Format: O'Shaughnessy J, Wright GS, Thummala AR, Danso MA, Popovic L, Pluard TJ, Cheung E, Han HS, Daniel BR, Vojnovic Z, Vasev N, Ling M, Richards DA, Wilks ST, Milenkovic D, Sorrentino JA, Roberts PJ, Bomar M, Yang Z, Antal JM, Malik RK, Morris SR, Tan A. Trilaciclib (T), a CDK4/6 inhibitor, dosed with gemcitabine (G), carboplatin (C) in metastatic triple negative breast cancer (mTNBC) patients: Preliminary phase 2 results [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PD1-01.

Persistence of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus carriage in re-admitted patients

A retrospective cohort study was conducted to investigate the duration and risk factors for persistence of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization among known carriers who were re-admitted to hospital. MRSA carriage persisted in a high proportion of known carriers up to two years after their last date of discharge, and re-admission screening should be performed for at least this duration. A targeted screening approach should focus on older patients with a history of long inpatient stays, who are at higher risk of persistent carriage. Timely discharge planning is important in reducing the risk of persistent MRSA colonization among known carriers.

The ten-year experience of firework injuries treated at a uk regional burns & plastic surgery unit

Fireworks are used worldwide to celebrate national, religious, cultural festivals and holidays. However the use of fireworks is associated with preventable injuries. We aim to review cases of burns and trauma caused by fireworks presenting to a regional burns and plastic surgery unit in the United Kingdom. We hope our findings will help to guide future firework-related safety practices in the UK. A retrospective review was performed of all patients presenting to our tertiary burns and plastic surgery unit with burns and/or trauma sustained from fireworks over a ten-year period from October 2004 to October 2014. A total of 93 patients were identified. Medical case notes were reviewed, patient demographics, aetiology of injury, management and patient outcomes were recorded. A cohort of 93 patients with burn injuries caused by fireworks were identified from our database. A total of 74% injuries occurred in October and November. Mechanism of injury included contact, flash, flame burns and injury secondary to blast force. Most injuries sustained were to the hands, followed by head and neck, torso, limbs and perineum in descending order of frequency. A total of 38.7% of patients required surgery for their wounds. Fireworks not only result in significant burn injuries, but also eye injuries, soft tissue defects and fractures requiring a spectrum of plastic surgical interventions. The number and severity of accidents can be minimised by raising awareness regarding safety precautions.

Abstract PD6-03: Distribution of microsatellite instability, tumor mutational load, and PD-L1 status in molecularly profiled invasive breast cancer

Background: Recent data indicate a promising response to immune check point blockade (ICB) in patients with breast cancer. Pembrolizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against programmed death 1 (PD-1) receptor and one of several ICB agents in development, was given an FDA approval for all MSI (microsatellite instability)-high solid tumors. MSI incidence in breast cancer is not fully elucidated. Other biomarkers being explored in possible relationship to ICB activity include PD-1 ligand (PD-L1) status and tumor mutational load (TML). In this study, we aimed to explore the incidence of these biomarkers in invasive breast cancers.

Methods: A retrospective data analysis of patients profiled by commercial next-generation sequencing (NGS) at Caris Life Sciences was performed. MSI results were either high, stable, or equivocal. MSI was calculated by comparing repeat-insertions or deletions across over 7,000 microsatellite sequences in the patient sample to the hg19 reference genome. Samples with repeat variances in more than 45 microsatellites were classified as MSI-High PD-L1 expression was evaluated using immunohistochemical analysis (IHC), with clone SP-142 (Roche Diagnostics). A sample was considered positive if there was &gt;5% membranous staining of tumor cells. Tumor mutational load was calculated as a total number of non-synonymous somatic mutations identified per megabase of the genome coding area with high being greater than or equal to 17.

Results: A total of 9,627 breast cancer cases were queried from the Caris Life Sciences database. The mean age (±SD) was 56.8 ± 12.4 years (range 20-90). The tumor distribution was 60.7% hormone receptor (HR) positive (ER and/or PR) and HER2 negative, 9.5% HER2 positive (with HR negative or positive), and 29.8% triple negative (negative for ER, PR and HER2). Of all cases, there were 5,203 tested for PD-L1 status, 354 (6.8%, 95% CI 6.2-7.5%) were positive. Of 1,440 tumors tested for MSI status, 15 (1.04%, 95% CI 0.58-1.71%) were either high (8) or equivocal (7), the rest were MSI-low. Tumor mutational load (TML) was available on 1,766 tumors, of which 55 (3.1%, 95% CI 2.4-4.0%) were high. Seven out of the 8 MSI-high tumors were also TML-high. Four out of the 8 MSI-high breast cancers were triple negative.

Conclusion: In this large dataset of molecularly profiled breast cancer, MSI was observed in about 1% of the breast tumors tested. Overall, modest positivity of TML, PD-L1, and MSI of all invasive breast cancers was observed. The percentage of patients that had at least one of these biomarkers that may confer responsiveness to ICB is planned and will be further stratified by subtype. MSI-high breast cancers mostly overlapped with those that were TML-high. Future research is needed to show the clinical utility of these biomarkers in response to ICB. Updated data will be presented.

Citation Format: Obeid E, Ellerbrock A, Handorf E, Goldstein L, Gatalica Z, Arguello D, Swain SM, Isaacs C, Vacirca J, Tan A, Schwartzberg L. Distribution of microsatellite instability, tumor mutational load, and PD-L1 status in molecularly profiled invasive breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PD6-03.

Comparison of adjunctive azithromycin and amoxicillin/metronidazole for patients with chronic periodontitis: preliminary randomized control trial

BACKGROUND

There are insufficient guidelines for the use of adjunctive systemic antibiotics for patients with periodontal disease. The aim of this study was to compare clinical outcomes for patients with moderate-advanced chronic periodontitis treated with: scaling and root planing (SRP), SRP with amoxicillin and metronidazole (A+M), SRP with Azithromycin (Az).

METHODS

Thirty-seven non-smokers with generalized moderate to advanced chronic periodontitis were divided into three treatment groups: SRP, A+M and Az. Patients received the medications after the last SRP session and were reviewed three months later. Changes in clinical parameters were compared between the groups. Separate analyses were executed for: 'all sites', 'molar sites', 'sites with different PPD severities' and 'number of sites with shallow, moderate and deep PPD'.

RESULTS

The three groups exhibited improvements in most clinical parameters. At three months, A+M showed a higher reduction in PPD compared to Az in the 'all sites analysis'. Molars exhibited better reduction in BOP and PPD with A+M than SRP. Pocket depth of the 4-6 mm category reduced more in the A+M than SRP. A+M experienced a higher increase in the number of sites with PPD 1-3 mm than Az.

CONCLUSIONS

Adjunctive systemic antibiotics in the initial phase of treatment may result in improved clinical outcomes.

Spectrophotometric intracutaneous analysis for the assessment of burn wounds: A service evaluation of its clinical application in 50 burn wounds

INTRODUCTION

The assessment of burn depth can be challenging even to the experienced burn clinician. Clinical assessment is most widely used to determine burn depth. Because of this subjective nature, various imaging modalities have been invented. The use of photospectometry as a novel technique in burn wound depth analysis has been previously described but the literature is very limited.

METHODOLOGY

We carried out a single blinded non-randomized comparative study of healing potential of 50 burn wounds between tissue spectrophotometry analysis versus clinical evaluation.

RESULTS

ScanOSkin™ technology has an overall sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 86% in predicting healing potential of wounds. Analysis of Inter Rater Agreement (IRA) using Kappa calculations showed strengths of agreement varied from fair to moderate in perfusion and burn depth. IRA for assessing pigmentation however, was poor and this was reflected in user feedback.

CONCLUSION

There is a potential role for ScanOSkin™ tissue spectrophotometric analysis in burn depth assessment. Future studies comparing several imaging modalities with ScanOSkin^®, taking into account costs comparison may be useful for future health resources planning.

The burning issues of motor vehicle radiator scald injuries revisited - a fresh review and changing prevention strategies

A preventable subgroup of burn injuries is scalds sustained from motor vehicle radiators. This study was to determine changes in trends in epidemiology of such injuries and to discuss whether current and other prevention efforts proposed previously require reinforcement. We conducted a retrospective study (February 2007-August 2015) of all motor vehicle-related burn referrals to our regional burns service. 68 cases of motor vehicle radiator burns were identified. Male to female ratio was 65:3. Mean age was 35.1 (range = 9-71). Most cases occurred in the summer months (22/68 = 32.4%). 65 cases (95.6%) involved car radiators. 66% of injuries resulted from actively removing the pressure cap of an overheated radiator in the motor vehicle. Mean total burn surface area (%TBSA) was 2.1% (range = 0.5- 11%). The depths of burn injuries were mostly superficial partial thickness. Face, chest and upper limbs were the most common sites of injury. Mean healing time was 14.2 days (range = 4-60). Following the introduction of safety measures by vehicle manufacturers, motor vehicle radiator burns in this era are mostly minor injuries and can be potentially managed conservatively as an outpatient. This contrasts with findings from previous studies over a decade ago of larger, more significant injuries requiring admission and surgery. Whilst manufacturers have installed safety measures into the design of radiator caps, our findings suggest that re-educating the public to allow a period of cooling prior to opening caps should be reinforced.

The prevalence of and risk factors for prostatitis-like symptoms and its relation to erectile dysfunction in Chinese men

The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of and risk factors for prostatitis-like symptoms and its relation to erectile dysfunction (ED) among southern Chinese men. Data were collected from 2790 men attending the Fangchenggang Area Male Healthy and Examination Survey from September 2009 to December 2009. The prostatitis-like symptoms were assessed by the NIH Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index and ED was assessed using the 5-item International Index of Erectile Function. Lifestyle and demographic characteristics were obtained through a questionnaire. Prevalence of prostatitis-like symptoms was 12.4% among 2790 Chinese men aged 20-84 years. In smokers who smoked ≥20 cigarettes per day (age-adjusted OR = 1.29; 95% CI = 1.00-1.66; p = 0.04), physical inactivity (age-adjusted OR = 1.31; 95% CI = 1.03-1.66; p = 0.02) was a significant risk factor for prostatitis-like symptoms. Alcohol consumption (daily drinking) also was a risk factor for prostatitis-like symptoms, although the differences were not statistically significant (age-adjusted OR = 1.36; 95% CI = 0.96-1.92; p = 0.07). Those with diabetes may also be at higher risk for prostatitis-like symptoms (age-adjusted OR = 1.37; 95% CI = 0.85-2.21; p = 0.19). In addition, men with ED were more likely to have had prostatitis-like symptoms (age-adjusted OR = 1.86; 95% CI = 0.47-2.36; p < 0.0001), and the ORs increased with increasing severity of ED status (mild ED, mild to moderate ED, and moderate to severe ED were 1.57, 2.62, and 3.24, respectively. Test for trend, p = 0.0001). Our results show that prostatitis-like symptoms are prevalent in Southern China affecting men of all ages. Smoking, drinking, lack of physical activity, and elevated plasma glucose level were associated with an increased risk of prostatitis-like symptoms. In addition, our results reveal that ED accounted for a large proportion (61.5%) among men with prostatitis-like symptoms; we also confirm the magnitude of ED associated with prostatitis-like symptoms. Thus, interventions to evaluate and improve ED might help ameliorate prostatitis-like symptoms and vice versa.

Real-time Image-guided Adaptive-predictive Prostate Radiotherapy using Rectal Diameter as a Predictor of Motion

AIMS

To investigate a relationship between maximum rectal diameter (MRD) on pre-treatment cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and intra-fraction prostate motion, in the context of an adaptive image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) method.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The MRD was measured on 2125 CBCTs from 55 retrospective patient datasets and related to prostate displacement from intra-fraction imaging. A linear regression model was developed to determine a threshold MRD associated with a high probability of small prostate displacement. Standard and reduced adaptive margin plans were created to compare rectum and bladder normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) with each method.

RESULTS

A per-protocol analysis carried out on 1910 fractions from 51 patients showed with 90% confidence that for a MRD≤3 cm, prostate displacement will be ≤5 mm and that for a MRD≤3.5 cm, prostate displacement will be ≤5.5 mm. In the first scenario, if adaptive therapy was used instead of standard therapy, median reductions in NTCP for rectum and bladder were 0.5% (from 9.5% to 9%) and 1.3% (from 6.6% to 5.3%), respectively. In the second scenario, the NTCP for rectum and bladder would have median reductions of 1.1% and 2.6%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

We have identified a potential method for adaptive prostate IGRT based upon predicting small prostate intra-fraction motion by measuring MRD on pre-treatment CBCT.

Correction: Bottom-up fabrication of artery-mimicking tubular co-cultures in collagen-based microchannel scaffolds

Correction for 'Bottom-up fabrication of artery-mimicking tubular co-cultures in collagen-based microchannel scaffolds' by A. Tan, et al., Biomater. Sci., 2016, DOI: 10.1039/c6bm00340k.

Bottom-up fabrication of artery-mimicking tubular co-cultures in collagen-based microchannel scaffolds

We developed a robust bottom-up approach to construct open-ended, tubular co-culture constructs that simulate the human vascular morphology and microenvironment. By design, these three-dimensional artificial vessels mimic the basic architecture of an artery: a collagen-rich extracellular matrix (as the tunica externa), smooth muscle cells (SMCs) (as the tunica media), and an endothelial cell (EC) lining (as the tunica interna). A versatile needle-based fabrication technique was employed to achieve controllable arterial layouts within a PDMS-hosted collagen microchannel scaffold (330 ± 10 μm in diameter): (direct co-culture) a SMC/EC bilayer to follow the structure of an arteriole-like segment; and (encapsulated co-culture) a lateral SMC multilayer covered by an EC monolayer lining to simulate the architecture of a larger artery. Optical and fluorescence microscopy images clearly evidenced the progressive cell elongation and sprouting behavior of SMCs and ECs along the collagen gel contour and within the gel matrix under static co-culture conditions. The progressive cell growth patterns effectively led to the formation of a tubular co-culture with an internal endothelial lining expressing prominent CD31 (cluster of differentiation 31) intercellular junction markers. During a 4-day static maturation period, the artery constructs showed modest alteration in the luminal diameters (i.e. less than 10% changes from the initial measurements). This argues in favor of stable and predictable arterial architecture achieved via the proposed fabrication protocols. Both co-culture models showed a high glucose metabolic rate during the initial proliferation phase, followed by a temporary quiescent (and thus, mature) stage. These proof-of-concept models with a controllable architecture create an important foundation for advanced vessel manipulations such as the integration of relevant physiological functionality or remodeling into a vascular disease-mimicking tissue.