How do I deal with the axilla in patients with a positive sentinel lymph node?

PubMed

Falkson, Conrad B

2011-12-01

Optimal management of the axilla in a patient with a positive sentinel node biopsy is not yet defined.These patients usually have Breast Conserving Surgery and receive adjuvant systemic therapy and whole breast radiation.Treatment options for the axilla include: no further surgery with or without radiation completion axillary nodal dissection with or without radiation Radiation options in addition to whole breast radiation include axillary and supraclavicular nodal irradiation regional nodal irradiationincludes supraclavicular and internal mammary nodes Completion axillary dissection has been standard practice in patients with positive sentinel nodes. the number of involved nodes provides prognostic information. theoretically improves local control, but may be obviated by systemic chemotherapy. but avoidance of dissection may not adversely affect locoregional control or survival. dissection has significant morbidity so safe avoidance is desirable. There is little worldwide concordance on the use of radiation: whole breast radiation (commonly used after breast conserving surgery) may radiate the lower axilla supraclavicular radiation is most commonly recommended for patients with four or more nodes but may confer a survival benefit on patients with lower risk disease. adding nodal irradiation reduces local recurrence with only modest toxicity. Adjuvant systemic therapy provides a survival benefit for patients with nodal disease. Most will receive cytostatic chemotherapy containing an anthracycline and a taxane. Hormone therapy is appropriate for estrogen receptor positive disease. The extent to which systemic therapy controls microscopic nodal disease is unknown. Node positive patients should generally receive adjuvant chemotherapy.A small group of patients benefit from specific nodal therapy. Further studies are needed to better identify these patients.

The role of nodal and internodal responses in gravitropism and autotropism in Galium aparine L

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heathcote, D. G.; Brown, A. H. (Principal Investigator)

1987-01-01

This time course and location of gravitropically induced curvatures in stems of goosegrass (Gallium aparine L.), a member of the Rubiaceae, have been investigated. In the early stages of the response (0-5 h), curvature develops throughout the growing region, and is followed by an autotropic straightening which affects the internodes only, leading to the production of essentially straight internodes some 15 h after the onset of gravistimulation. Curvatures developing in the nodal regions, however, continue to increase over this period, and are not subject to reversal by autotropism. The nodal curvatures are not entirely dependent on the presence of any other part of the plant, since marked curvatures can be induced in isolated nodal segments. This pattern of response leads ultimately to correction of the growth direction of the plant by means of curvature responses confined exclusively to the nodes, despite the initial participation of both nodes and internodes in the gravitropic reaction.

Loving-kindness in the treatment of traumatized refugees and minority groups: a typology of mindfulness and the nodal network model of affect and affect regulation.

PubMed

Hinton, Devon E; Ojserkis, Rebecca A; Jalal, Baland; Peou, Sonith; Hofmann, Stefan G

2013-08-01

This article discusses how loving-kindness can be used to treat traumatized refugees and minority groups, focusing on examples from our treatment, culturally adapted cognitive-behavioral therapy (CA-CBT). To show how we integrate loving-kindness with other mindfulness interventions and why loving-kindness should be an effective therapeutic technique, we present a typology of mindfulness states and the Nodal Network Model (NNM) of Affect and Affect Regulation. We argue that mindfulness techniques such as loving-kindness are therapeutic for refugees and minority populations because of their potential for increasing emotional flexibility, decreasing rumination, serving as emotional regulation techniques, and forming part of a new adaptive processing mode centered on psychological flexibility. We present a case to illustrate the clinical use of loving-kindness within the context of CA-CBT. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Uncertainty Analyses for Back Projection Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, H.; Wei, S.; Wu, W.

2017-12-01

So far few comprehensive error analyses for back projection methods have been conducted, although it is evident that high frequency seismic waves can be easily affected by earthquake depth, focal mechanisms and the Earth's 3D structures. Here we perform 1D and 3D synthetic tests for two back projection methods, MUltiple SIgnal Classification (MUSIC) (Meng et al., 2011) and Compressive Sensing (CS) (Yao et al., 2011). We generate synthetics for both point sources and finite rupture sources with different depths, focal mechanisms, as well as 1D and 3D structures in the source region. The 3D synthetics are generated through a hybrid scheme of Direct Solution Method and Spectral Element Method. Then we back project the synthetic data using MUSIC and CS. The synthetic tests show that the depth phases can be back projected as artificial sources both in space and time. For instance, for a source depth of 10km, back projection gives a strong signal 8km away from the true source. Such bias increases with depth, e.g., the error of horizontal location could be larger than 20km for a depth of 40km. If the array is located around the nodal direction of direct P-waves the teleseismic P-waves are dominated by the depth phases. Therefore, back projections are actually imaging the reflection points of depth phases more than the rupture front. Besides depth phases, the strong and long lasted coda waves due to 3D effects near trench can lead to additional complexities tested here. The strength contrast of different frequency contents in the rupture models also produces some variations to the back projection results. In the synthetic tests, MUSIC and CS derive consistent results. While MUSIC is more computationally efficient, CS works better for sparse arrays. In summary, our analyses indicate that the impact of various factors mentioned above should be taken into consideration when interpreting back projection images, before we can use them to infer the earthquake rupture physics.

Performance of endoscopic ultrasound in staging rectal adenocarcinoma appropriate for primary surgical resection.

PubMed

Ahuja, Nitin K; Sauer, Bryan G; Wang, Andrew Y; White, Grace E; Zabolotsky, Andrew; Koons, Ann; Leung, Wesley; Sarkaria, Savreet; Kahaleh, Michel; Waxman, Irving; Siddiqui, Ali A; Shami, Vanessa M

2015-02-01

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) often is used to stage rectal cancer and thereby guide treatment. Prior assessments of its accuracy have been limited by small sets of data collected from tumors of varying stages. We aimed to characterize the diagnostic performance of EUS analysis of rectal cancer, paying particular attention to determining whether patients should undergo primary surgical resection. We performed a retrospective observational study using procedural databases and electronic medical records from 4 academic tertiary-care hospitals, collecting data on EUS analyses from 2000 through 2012. Data were analyzed from 86 patients with rectal cancer initially staged as T2N0 by EUS. The negative predictive value (NPV) was calculated by comparing initial stages determined by EUS with those determined by pathology analysis of surgical samples. Logistic regression models were used to assess variation in diagnostic performance with case attributes. EUS excluded advanced tumor depth with an NPV of 0.837 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.742-0.908), nodal metastasis with an NPV of 0.872 (95% CI, 0.783-0.934), and both together with an NPV of 0.767 (95% CI, 0.664-0.852) compared with pathology analysis. Incorrect staging by EUS affected treatment decision making for 20 of 86 patients (23.3%). Patient age at time of the procedure correlated with the NPV for metastasis to lymph node, but no other patient features were associated significantly with diagnostic performance. Based on a multicenter retrospective study, EUS staging of rectal cancer as T2N0 excludes advanced tumor depth and nodal metastasis, respectively, with an approximate NPV of 85%, similar to that of other modalities. EUS has an error rate of approximately 23% in identifying disease appropriate for surgical resection, which is lower than previously reported. Copyright © 2015 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Altered brain network topology in left-behind children: A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

PubMed

Zhao, Youjin; Du, Meimei; Gao, Xin; Xiao, Yuan; Shah, Chandan; Sun, Huaiqiang; Chen, Fuqin; Yang, Lili; Yan, Zhihan; Fu, Yuchuan; Lui, Su

2016-12-01

Whether a lack of direct parental care affects brain function in children is an important question, particularly in developing countries where hundreds of millions of children are left behind when their parents migrate for economic or political reasons. In this study, we investigated changes in the topological architectures of brain functional networks in left-behind children (LBC). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were obtained from 26 LBC and 21 children living within their nuclear family (non-LBC). LBC showed a significant increase in the normalized characteristic path length (λ), suggesting a decrease in efficiency in information access, and altered nodal centralities in the fronto-limbic regions and motor and sensory systems. Moreover, a decreased nodal degree and the nodal betweenness of the right rectus gyrus were positively correlated with annual family income. The present study provides the first empirical evidence that suggests that a lack of direct parental care could affect brain functional development in children, particularly involving emotional networks. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Histopathological Parameters predicting Occult Nodal Metastases in Tongue Carcinoma Cases: An Indian Perspective.

PubMed

Jacob, Tina Elizabeth; Malathi, N; Rajan, Sharada T; Augustine, Dominic; Manish, N; Patil, Shankargouda

2016-01-01

It is a well-established fact that in squamous cell carcinoma cases, the presence of lymph node metastases decreased the 5-year survival rate by 50% and also caused the recurrence of the primary tumor with development of distant metastases. Till date, the predictive factors for occult cervical lymph nodes metastases in cases of tongue squamous cell carcinoma remain inconclusive. Therefore, it is imperative to identify patients who are at the greatest risk for occult cervical metastases. This study was thus performed with the aim to identify various histopathologic parameters of the primary tumor that predict occult nodal metastases. The clinicopathologic features of 56 cases of lateral tongue squamous cell carcinoma with cT1NoMo/cT2NoMo as the stage and without prior radiotherapy or chemotherapy were considered. The surgical excision of primary tumor was followed by elective neck dissection. The glossectomy specimen along with the neck nodes were fixed in formalin and 5 urn thick sections were obtained. The hematoxylin & eosin stained sections were then subjected to microscopic examination. The primary tumor characteristics that were analyzed include tumor grade, invading front, depth of tumor, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion and inflammatory response. The nodes were examined for possible metastases using hematoxylin & eosin followed by cytokeratin immunohistochemistry. A total of 12 cases were found with positive occult nodal metastases. On performing univariate analysis, the histopathologic parameters that were found to be statistically significant were lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.004) and perineural invasion (p = 0.003) along with a cut-off depth of infiltration more than 5 mm (p = 0.01). Histopathologic assessment of the primary tumor specimen therefore continues to provide information that is central to guide clinical management, particularly in cases of occult nodal metastases. Clinical significance The study highlights the importance of extensive histopathological screening, which holds the key for establishing occult metastases. Pathological upgrading of tumors is possible following histopathological studies similar to the present one. Presence of occult metastases justify neck dissection in these clinically N0 cases. In an Indian setting, histopathological evaluation assumes a bigger role than other expensive and advanced techniques.

Primary Germ Cell Tumor of Testes with Extensive Lymph Nodal and Splenic Metastases Masquerading Lymphoma on 18-F-FDG PET/CT

PubMed Central

Tripathy, Sarthak; Mukherjee, Anirban; Bal, Chandrasekhar; Tripathi, Madhavi; Mallick, Saumyaranjan; Shamim, Shamim Ahmed

2017-01-01

Germ cell tumors (GCT) account for the 95% of the malignancies associated with testes. They are the most common solid malignancies affecting the males in the age group of 15–35 years. It is known to be bilateral in 3% of cases. We herein present FDG PET-CT findings of a case with biopsy proven GCT with multiple lymph nodal and splenic metastases mimicking lymphomatous neoplasm. PMID:28533651

Orbital nodal surfaces: Topological challenges for density functionals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aschebrock, Thilo; Armiento, Rickard; Kümmel, Stephan

2017-06-01

Nodal surfaces of orbitals, in particular of the highest occupied one, play a special role in Kohn-Sham density-functional theory. The exact Kohn-Sham exchange potential, for example, shows a protruding ridge along such nodal surfaces, leading to the counterintuitive feature of a potential that goes to different asymptotic limits in different directions. We show here that nodal surfaces can heavily affect the potential of semilocal density-functional approximations. For the functional derivatives of the Armiento-Kümmel (AK13) [Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 036402 (2013), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.036402] and Becke88 [Phys. Rev. A 38, 3098 (1988), 10.1103/PhysRevA.38.3098] energy functionals, i.e., the corresponding semilocal exchange potentials, as well as the Becke-Johnson [J. Chem. Phys. 124, 221101 (2006), 10.1063/1.2213970] and van Leeuwen-Baerends (LB94) [Phys. Rev. A 49, 2421 (1994), 10.1103/PhysRevA.49.2421] model potentials, we explicitly demonstrate exponential divergences in the vicinity of nodal surfaces. We further point out that many other semilocal potentials have similar features. Such divergences pose a challenge for the convergence of numerical solutions of the Kohn-Sham equations. We prove that for exchange functionals of the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) form, enforcing correct asymptotic behavior of the potential or energy density necessarily leads to irregular behavior on or near orbital nodal surfaces. We formulate constraints on the GGA exchange enhancement factor for avoiding such divergences.

Nodal gap structure and order parameter symmetry of the unconventional superconductor UPt₃

DOE PAGES

Gannon, W. J.; Halperin, W. P.; Rastovski, C.; ...

2015-02-01

Spanning a broad range of physical systems, complex symmetry breaking is widely recognized as a hallmark of competing interactions. This is exemplified in superfluid ³He which has multiple thermodynamic phases with spin and orbital quantum numbers S = 1 and L = 1, that emerge on cooling from a nearly ferromagnetic Fermi liquid. The heavy fermion compound UPt₃ exhibits similar behavior clearly manifest in its multiple superconducting phases. However, consensus as to its order parameter symmetry has remained elusive. Our small angle neutron scattering measurements indicate a linear temperature dependence of the London penetration depth characteristic of nodal structure ofmore » the order parameter. Our theoretical analysis is consistent with assignment of its symmetry to an L = 3 odd parity state for which one of the three thermodynamic phases in non-zero magnetic field is chiral.« less

Nodal gap structure and order parameter symmetry of the unconventional superconductor UPt₃

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gannon, W. J.; Halperin, W. P.; Rastovski, C.

Spanning a broad range of physical systems, complex symmetry breaking is widely recognized as a hallmark of competing interactions. This is exemplified in superfluid ³He which has multiple thermodynamic phases with spin and orbital quantum numbers S = 1 and L = 1, that emerge on cooling from a nearly ferromagnetic Fermi liquid. The heavy fermion compound UPt₃ exhibits similar behavior clearly manifest in its multiple superconducting phases. However, consensus as to its order parameter symmetry has remained elusive. Our small angle neutron scattering measurements indicate a linear temperature dependence of the London penetration depth characteristic of nodal structure ofmore » the order parameter. Our theoretical analysis is consistent with assignment of its symmetry to an L = 3 odd parity state for which one of the three thermodynamic phases in non-zero magnetic field is chiral.« less

Differentiated and Medullary Thyroid Cancer: Surgical Management of Cervical Lymph Nodes

PubMed Central

Asimakopoulos, P.; Nixon, I.J.; Shaha, A.R.

2017-01-01

Thyroid cancer metastasises to the central and lateral compartments of the neck frequently and early. The impact of nodal metastases on outcome is affected by the histological subtype of the primary tumour and the patient’s age, as well as the size, number and location of those metastases. The impact of extranodal extension has recently been highlighted as an important prognosticating factor. Although clinically evident nodal disease in the lateral neck compartments has a significant impact on both survival and recurrence, microscopic metastases to the central or the lateral neck in well-differentiated thyroid cancer do not significantly affect outcome. Here we discuss the surgical management of neck metastases in well-differentiated and medullary thyroid carcinoma. PMID:28094086

Source process and tectonic implication of the January 20, 2007 Odaesan earthquake, South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdel-Fattah, Ali K.; Kim, K. Y.; Fnais, M. S.; Al-Amri, A. M.

2014-04-01

The source process for the 20th of January 2007, Mw 4.5 Odaesan earthquake in South Korea is investigated in the low- and high-frequency bands, using velocity and acceleration waveform data recorded by the Korea Meteorological Administration Seismographic Network at distances less than 70 km from the epicenter. Synthetic Green functions are adopted for the low-frequency band of 0.1-0.3 Hz by using the wave-number integration technique and the one dimensional velocity model beneath the epicentral area. An iterative technique was performed by a grid search across the strike, dip, rake, and focal depth of rupture nucleation parameters to find the best-fit double-couple mechanism. To resolve the nodal plane ambiguity, the spatiotemporal slip distribution on the fault surface was recovered using a non-negative least-square algorithm for each set of the grid-searched parameters. The focal depth of 10 km was determined through the grid search for depths in the range of 6-14 km. The best-fit double-couple mechanism obtained from the finite-source model indicates a vertical strike-slip faulting mechanism. The NW faulting plane gives comparatively smaller root-mean-squares (RMS) error than its auxiliary plane. Slip pattern event provides simple source process due to the effect of Low-frequency that acted as a point source model. Three empirical Green functions are adopted to investigate the source process in the high-frequency band. A set of slip models was recovered on both nodal planes of the focal mechanism with various rupture velocities in the range of 2.0-4.0 km/s. Although there is a small difference between the RMS errors produced by the two orthogonal nodal planes, the SW dipping plane gives a smaller RMS error than its auxiliary plane. The slip distribution is relatively assessable by the oblique pattern recovered around the hypocenter in the high-frequency analysis; indicating a complex rupture scenario for such moderate-sized earthquake, similar to those reported for large earthquakes.

Constitutional rho-kinase regulates atrioventricular nodal conduction and ventricular repolarization of the canine heart.

PubMed

Sugiyama, Atsushi; Takahara, Akira; Yatomi, Yutaka; Satoh, Yoshioki; Nakamura, Yuji; Hashimoto, Keitaro

2003-06-01

Given the limited information, physiological roles of Rho-kinase in the cardiac conduction system and ventricular repolarization process were assessed in comparison with those in the coronary vascular tone. A specific Rho-kinase inhibitor Y-27632 was administered to the nutrient coronary artery of the canine isolated, blood-perfused atrioventricular node preparation under the monitoring of the ventricular monophasic action potentials. Administration of Y-27632 moderately suppressed the atrioventricular nodal conduction, slightly but significantly accelerated the repolarization process, and potently increased the coronary blood flow, whereas it hardly affected the intraventricular conduction. The estimated concentrations of Y-27632 causing the currently observed effects were enough to inhibit Rho-kinase. These results suggest that constitutional Rho-kinase functions to moderately facilitate the atrioventricular nodal conduction, slightly delay ventricular repolarization process, and significantly increase the coronary vascular tone.

THE PRESENCE OF METASTASES IN REGIONAL LYMPH NODES IS ASSOCIATED WITH TUMOR SIZE AND DEPTH OF INVASION IN SPORADIC GASTRIC ADENOCARCINOMA

PubMed Central

CAMBRUZZI, Eduardo; de AZEREDO, Andreza Mariane; KRONHART, Ardala; FOLTZ, Katia Martins; ZETTLER, Cláudio Galeano; PÊGAS, Karla Lais

2014-01-01

Background Gastric adenocarcinoma is more often found in men over 50 years in the form of an antral lesion. The tumor has heterogeneous histopathologic features and a poor prognosis (median survival of 15% in five years). Aim To estimate the relationship between the presence of nodal metastasis and other prognostic factors in sporadic gastric adenocarcinoma. Method Were evaluated 164 consecutive cases of gastric adenocarcinoma previously undergone gastrectomy (partial or total), without clinical evidence of distant metastasis, and determined the following variables: topography of the lesion, tumor size, Borrmann macroscopic configuration, histological grade, early or advanced lesions, Lauren histological subtype, presence of signet ring cell, degree of invasion, perigastric lymph node status, angiolymphatic/perineural invasion, and staging. Results Were found 21 early lesions (12.8%) and 143 advanced lesions (87.2%), with a predominance of lesions classified as T3 (n=99/60, 4%) and N1 (n=62/37, 8%). The nodal status was associated with depth of invasion (p<0.001) and tumor size (p<0.001). The staging was related to age (p=0.048), histological grade (p=0.003), and presence of signet ring cells (p = 0.007), angiolymphatic invasion (p = 0.001), and perineural invasion (p=0.003). Conclusion In gastric cancer, lymph node involvement, tumor size and depth of invasion are histopathological data associated with the pattern of growth/tumor spread, suggesting that a wide dissection of perigastric lymph nodes is a fundamental step in the surgical treatment of these patients. PMID:24676292

Waterlogging-induced changes in root architecture of germplasm accessions of the tropical forage grass Brachiaria humidicola.

PubMed

Cardoso, Juan Andrés; Jiménez, Juan de la Cruz; Rao, Idupulapati M

2014-04-08

Waterlogging is one of the major factors limiting the productivity of pastures in the humid tropics. Brachiaria humidicola is a forage grass commonly used in zones prone to temporary waterlogging. Brachiaria humidicola accessions adapt to waterlogging by increasing aerenchyma in nodal roots above constitutive levels to improve oxygenation of root tissues. In some accessions, waterlogging reduces the number of lateral roots developed from main root axes. Waterlogging-induced reduction of lateral roots could be of adaptive value as lateral roots consume oxygen supplied from above ground via their parent root. However, a reduction in lateral root development could also be detrimental by decreasing the surface area for nutrient and water absorption. To examine the impact of waterlogging on lateral root development, an outdoor study was conducted to test differences in vertical root distribution (in terms of dry mass and length) and the proportion of lateral roots to the total root system (sum of nodal and lateral roots) down the soil profile under drained or waterlogged soil conditions. Plant material consisted of 12 B. humidicola accessions from the gene bank of the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Colombia. Rooting depth was restricted by 21 days of waterlogging and confined to the first 30 cm below the soil surface. Although waterlogging reduced the overall proportion of lateral roots, its proportion significantly increased in the top 10 cm of the soil. This suggests that soil flooding increases lateral root proliferation of B. humidicola in the upper soil layers. This may compensate for the reduction of root surface area brought about by the restriction of root growth at depths below 30 cm. Further work is needed to test the relative efficiency of nodal and lateral roots for nutrient and water uptake under waterlogged soil conditions. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company.

Sweetwater, Texas Large N Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sumy, D. F.; Woodward, R.; Barklage, M.; Hollis, D.; Spriggs, N.; Gridley, J. M.; Parker, T.

2015-12-01

From 7 March to 30 April 2014, NodalSeismic, Nanometrics, and IRIS PASSCAL conducted a collaborative, spatially-dense seismic survey with several thousand nodal short-period geophones complemented by a backbone array of broadband sensors near Sweetwater, Texas. This pilot project demonstrates the efficacy of industry and academic partnerships, and leveraged a larger, commercial 3D survey to collect passive source seismic recordings to image the subsurface. This innovative deployment of a large-N mixed-mode array allows industry to explore array geometries and investigate the value of broadband recordings, while affording academics a dense wavefield imaging capability and an operational model for high volume instrument deployment. The broadband array consists of 25 continuously-recording stations from IRIS PASSCAL and Nanometrics, with an array design that maximized recording of horizontal-traveling seismic energy for surface wave analysis over the primary target area with sufficient offset for imaging objectives at depth. In addition, 2639 FairfieldNodal Zland nodes from NodalSeismic were deployed in three sub-arrays: the outlier, backbone, and active source arrays. The backbone array consisted of 292 nodes that covered the entire survey area, while the outlier array consisted of 25 continuously-recording nodes distributed at a ~3 km distance away from the survey perimeter. Both the backbone and outlier array provide valuable constraints for the passive source portion of the analysis. This project serves as a learning platform to develop best practices in the support of large-N arrays with joint industry and academic expertise. Here we investigate lessons learned from a facility perspective, and present examples of data from the various sensors and array geometries. We will explore first-order results from local and teleseismic earthquakes, and show visualizations of the data across the array. Data are archived at the IRIS DMC under stations codes XB and 1B.

Source parameters of the 2014 Ms6.5 Ludian earthquake sequence and their implications on the seismogenic structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Y.

2015-12-01

On August 3, 2014, an Ms6.5 earthquake struck Ludian county, Zhaotong city in Yunnan province, China. Although this earthquake is not very big, it caused abnormal severe damages. Thus, study on the causes of the serious damages of this moderate strong earthquake may help us to evaluate seismic hazards for similar earthquakes. Besides the factors which directly relate to the damages, such as site effects, quality of buildings, seismogenic structures and the characteristics of the mainshock and the aftershocks may also responsible for the seismic hazards. Since focal mechanism solution and centroid depth provide key information of earthquake source properties and tectonic stress field, and the focal depth is one of the most important parameters which control the damages of earthquakes, obtaining precise FMSs and focal depths of the Ludian earthquake sequence may help us to determine the detailed geometric features of the rupture fault and the seismogenic environment. In this work we obtained the FMSs and centroid depths of the Ludian earthquake and its Ms>3.0 aftershocks by the revised CAP method, and further verified some focal depths using the depth phase method. Combining the FMSs of the mainshock and the strong aftershocks, as well as their spatial distributions, and the seismogenic environment of the source region, we can make the following characteristics of the Ludian earthquake sequence and its seismogenic structure: (1) The Ludian earthquake is a left-lateral strike slip earthquake, with magnitude of about Mw6.1. The FMS of nodal plane I is 75o/56o/180o for strike, dip and rake angles, and 165o/90o/34ofor the other nodal plane. (2) The Ludian earthquake is very shallow with the optimum centroid depth of ~3 km, which is consistent with the strong ground shaking and the surface rupture observed by field survey and strengthens the damages of the Ludian earthquake. (3) The Ludian Earthquake should occur on the NNW trend BXF. Because two later aftershocks occurred close to the fault zone of the ZLF, and their FMSs are similar with the characteristics of the ZLF, the shallower part of the ZLF may also rupture during the aftershock duration of the Ludian earthquake. Since the ZLF is much longer than the BXF, the seismic risk of the ZLF may be high and should be required more attention.

Robot-assisted Salvage Lymph Node Dissection for Clinically Recurrent Prostate Cancer.

PubMed

Montorsi, Francesco; Gandaglia, Giorgio; Fossati, Nicola; Suardi, Nazareno; Pultrone, Cristian; De Groote, Ruben; Dovey, Zach; Umari, Paolo; Gallina, Andrea; Briganti, Alberto; Mottrie, Alexandre

2017-09-01

Salvage lymph node dissection has been described as a feasible treatment for the management of prostate cancer patients with nodal recurrence after primary treatment. To report perioperative, pathologic, and oncologic outcomes of robot-assisted salvage nodal dissection (RASND) in patients with nodal recurrence after radical prostatectomy (RP). We retrospectively evaluated 16 patients affected by nodal recurrence following RP documented by positive positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan. Surgery was performed using DaVinci Si and Xi systems. A pelvic nodal dissection that included lymphatic stations overlying the external, internal, and common iliac vessels, the obturator fossa, and the presacral nodes was performed. In 13 (81.3%) patients a retroperitoneal lymph node dissection that included all nodal tissue located between the aortic bifurcation and the renal vessels was performed. Perioperative outcomes consisted of operative time, blood loss, length of hospital stay, and complications occurred within 30 d after surgery. Biochemical response (BR) was defined as a prostate-specific antigen level <0.2 ng/ml at 40 d after RASND. Median operative time, blood loss, and length of hospital stay were 210min, 250ml, and 3.5 d. The median number of nodes removed was 16.5. Positive lymph nodes were detected in 11 (68.8%) patients. Overall, four (25.0%) and five (31.2%) patients experienced intraoperative and postoperative complications, respectively. Overall, one (6.3%) and four (25.0%) patients had Clavien I and II complications within 30 d after RASND, respectively. Overall, five (33.3%) patients experienced BR after surgery. Our study is limited by the small cohort of patients evaluated and by the follow-up duration. RASND represents a feasible procedure in patients with nodal recurrence after RP and provides acceptable short-term oncologic outcomes, where one out of three patients experience BR immediately after surgery. Long-term data are needed to confirm the effectiveness of this approach. We report our initial experience with robot-assisted salvage nodal dissection for the management of patients with lymph node recurrence after radical prostatectomy. This technique represents a feasible and effective approach, where no high-grade complications were recorded and one out of three patients experienced biochemical response at 40 d after surgery. Copyright © 2016 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Earthquake focal mechanisms and the intraplate setting of the Bermuda Rise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishenko, S. P.; Kafka, A. L.

1982-05-01

A number of intraplate earthquakes occurring in the western North Atlantic Ocean are located near the perimeter of the Bermuda rise. Focal mechanisms and depths of two earthquakes, November 24, 1976 (mb 5.1; M0 = 2.96 × 1023 dyne cm) and March 24, 1978 (mb 6.1; M0 = 3.58 × 1025 dyne cm), were determined using Rayleigh wave amplitude data in the period range 20-50 s. The 1978 earthquake occurred approximately 380 km southwest of Bermuda, near magnetic anomaly M4 (≈118 m.y. B.P.). The focal mechanism for the 1978 event is of thrust type and has nodal planes striking 340°. The depth of this event is 6 km below the seafloor, near the local depth to Mono. The strike of the fault planes does not parallel the trends of either fracture zones (300°) or magnetic lineations (035°) in the area. The fault planes do, however, parallel the strike of a magnetic gradient in the epicentral area. The 1976 earthquake occurred approximately 300 km northeast of Bermuda, near Muir seamount. The depth of this event is 10 km below the seafloor. The available data are suggestive of one nodal plane striking between 320° and 340° and nearly parallel to the trend of Muir seamount and other volcanic features in the region. In contrast to the 1978 event, the 1976 earthquake appears to exhibit a significant component of strike slip motion. P axes of both mechanisms are subparallel to the direction of absolute plate motion for North America. We suggest, however, that strain release in the Bermuda rise area is not occurring along major fracture zones or topography parallel to seafloor spreading anomalies but rather on smaller-scale structures. The stresses induced by variations of crustal thickness may be responsible for triggering intraplate seismicity in this region.

Increased expression of EZH2 in Merkel cell carcinoma is associated with disease progression and poorer prognosis.

PubMed

Harms, Kelly L; Chubb, Heather; Zhao, Lili; Fullen, Douglas R; Bichakjian, Christopher K; Johnson, Timothy M; Carskadon, Shannon; Palanisamy, Nallasivam; Harms, Paul W

2017-09-01

Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a histone methyltransferase that affects tumorigenesis by epigenetic gene silencing. Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare cutaneous neuroendocrine carcinoma that has a high risk of disease progression with nodal and distant metastases. Here, we evaluated EZH2 expression by immunohistochemistry in a cohort of 85 MCC tumors (29 primary tumors, 41 lymph node metastases, 13 in-transit metastases, and 2 distant metastases) with clinical follow-up. We show strong/moderate EZH2 expression in 54% of tumors. Importantly, weak expression of EZH2 in the primary tumor, but not nodal metastases, correlated with improved prognosis compared to moderate/strong EZH2 expression (5-year MCC-specific survival of 68% versus 22%, respectively, P=.024). In addition, EZH2 was expressed at higher levels in nodal metastases compared to primary tumors (P=.005). Our data demonstrate that EZH2 has prognostic value and may play an oncogenic role in MCC. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Differential membranous E-cadherin expression, cell proliferation and O-GlcNAcylation between primary and metastatic nodal lesion in colorectal cancer.

PubMed

Jang, Tae Jung

2016-02-01

O-GlcNAcylation is an O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) moiety linked to the side chain hydroxyl of a serine or threonine residue. The E-cadherin/β-catenin system, an integral component of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)/mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET), is affected through O-GlcNAcylation. The current study examined the status of EMT/MET in both the tumor center and invasive front of the primary colorectal carcinoma (CRC) and metastatic nodal lesions, which were compared to O-GlcNAcylation expression levels in those areas. In addition, the cliniopathological significance of O-GlcNAcylation was studied Immunohistochemical staining for E-cadherin, β-catenin, Snail, O-GlcNAc and Ki67 was performed in 40 primary CRC tissues, 40 nonneoplastic colons, and 17 nodal metastatic lesions. Western blot was also conducted in primary CRC tissue Membranous E-cadherin expression was lowest in the invasive front, but showed greater increases in metastatic nodal lesions. Moreover, its expression level was negatively correlated with that of nuclear β-catenin and Snail. The Ki67 labeling index (LI) was lowest in the invasive front, and increased in metastatic nodal lesions. Primary CRC showed higher expression of O-GlcNAcylation and O-GlcNAc-transferase (OGT) than nonneoplastic colons. O-GlcNAcylation expression decreased in metastatic nodal lesions compared to the invasive front and tumor center, and was inversely correlated with Ki67 LI. However, O-GlcNAcylation expression was only slightly changed between tumor center and invasive front. In addition, there was no correlation between its expression and the level of nuclear β-catenin, membranous E-cadherin and Snail. No significant relationship was observed between O-GlcNAcylation level and cliniopathological parameters. Differential membranous E-cadherin expression, cell proliferation and O-GlcNAcylation in metastatic nodal lesion compared to primary CRC may play role in establishing its lesions; however, these findings are not sufficient to show the role of O-GlcNAcylation in the EMT/MET of CRC. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

NODAL in the Uterus Is Necessary for Proper Placental Development and Maintenance of Pregnancy1

PubMed Central

Park, Craig B.; DeMayo, Francesco J.; Lydon, John P.; Dufort, Daniel

2012-01-01

Preterm birth is the single leading cause of perinatal mortality in developed countries, affecting approximately 12% of pregnancies and accounting for 75% of neonatal loss in the United States. Despite the prevalence and severity of premature delivery, the causes and mechanisms that underlie spontaneous and idiopathic preterm birth remain unknown. Our inability to elucidate these fundamental causes has been attributed to a poor understanding of the signaling pathways associated with the premature induction of parturition and a lack of suitable animal models available for preterm birth research. In this study, we describe the generation and analysis of a novel conditional knockout of the transforming growth factor beta (TGFB) superfamily member, Nodal, from the maternal reproductive tract of mice. Strikingly, uterine Nodal knockout females exhibited a severe malformation of the maternal decidua basalis during placentation, leading to significant intrauterine growth restriction, and ultimately preterm birth and fetal loss on Day 17.5 of gestation. Using several approaches, we characterized aberrant placental development and demonstrated that reduced proliferation combined with increased apoptosis resulted in a diminished decidua basalis and compromised maternal-fetal interface. Last, we evaluated various components of the established parturition cascade and determined that preterm birth derived from the maternal Nodal knockout occurs prior to PTGS2 (COX-2) upregulation at the placental interface. Taken together, the results presented in this study highlight an in vivo role for maternal NODAL during placentation, present an interesting link between disrupted decidua basalis formation and premature parturition, and describe a potentially valuable model toward elucidating the complex processes that underlie preterm birth. PMID:22378764

High-risk squamous cell carcinoma of the ear - A potential role for sentinel node biopsy.

PubMed

Beecher, Suzanne; Wrafter, Paula F; Joyce, Cormac W; Regan, Padraic J; Kelly, Jack L

2017-09-01

Squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the external ear have a significant rate of metastasis. The purpose of this study was to present analyzed factors associated with auricular SCC metastasis in order to identify a group that may benefit from sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). We performed a retrospective review of all operable SCCs between 2009 and 2014. The association between high-risk features and metastasis were analyzed. One hundred eighty-nine auricular SCCs were excised. Local recurrence was noted in 11% and 9.5% developed metastases. Cartilage, perineural, and lymphovascular invasion were significantly associated with metastasis, as were increased tumor depth and diameter (P < .001). All patients with metastasis developed nodal disease. Factors, including poor differentiation, perineural, cartilage, and lymphovascular invasion, are associated with auricular SCC metastasis. Patients with 2 or more high-risk features may benefit from SLNB in order to identify and treat early nodal disease and possibly reduce the risk of further spread. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Scattering of Lamb waves in a composite plate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bratton, Robert; Datta, Subhendu; Shah, Arvind

1991-01-01

A combined analytical and finite element technique is developed to gain a better understanding of the scattering of elastic waves by defects. This hybrid method is capable of predicting scattered displacements from arbitrary shaped defects as well as inclusions of different material. The continuity of traction and displacements at the boundaries of the two areas provided the necessary equations to find the nodal displacements and expansion coefficients. Results clearly illustrate the influence of increasing crack depth on the scattered signal.

Observation of a nodal chain with Dirac surface states in Ti B2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, C.-J.; Lv, B. Q.; Wu, Q. S.; Fu, B.-B.; Gao, X.; Yang, M.; Peng, X.-L.; Li, M.; Huang, Y.-B.; Richard, P.; Shi, M.; Li, G.; Yazyev, Oleg V.; Shi, Y.-G.; Qian, T.; Ding, H.

2018-05-01

Topological nodal-line semimetals (TNLSMs) are characterized by symmetry-protected band crossings extending along one-dimensional lines in momentum space. The nodal lines exhibit a variety of possible configurations, such as nodal ring, nodal link, nodal chain, and nodal knot. Here, using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we observe nodal rings on the orthogonal kz=0 and kx=0 planes of the Brillouin zone in Ti B2 . The nodal rings connect with each other on the intersecting line Γ-K of the orthogonal planes forming a remarkable nodal-chain structure. Furthermore, we observe surface states (SSs) on the (001) cleaved surface, which are consistent with the calculated SSs considering the contribution from both Ti and B terminations. The calculated SSs have novel Dirac-cone-like band structures, which are distinct from the usual drumhead SSs with a single flatband proposed in other TNLSMs.

Nodal surface semimetals: Theory and material realization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Weikang; Liu, Ying; Li, Si; Zhong, Chengyong; Yu, Zhi-Ming; Sheng, Xian-Lei; Zhao, Y. X.; Yang, Shengyuan A.

2018-03-01

We theoretically study the three-dimensional topological semimetals with nodal surfaces protected by crystalline symmetries. Different from the well-known nodal-point and nodal-line semimetals, in these materials, the conduction and valence bands cross on closed nodal surfaces in the Brillouin zone. We propose different classes of nodal surfaces, both in the absence and in the presence of spin-orbit coupling (SOC). In the absence of SOC, a class of nodal surfaces can be protected by space-time inversion symmetry and sublattice symmetry and characterized by a Z2 index, while another class of nodal surfaces are guaranteed by a combination of nonsymmorphic twofold screw-rotational symmetry and time-reversal symmetry. We show that the inclusion of SOC will destroy the former class of nodal surfaces but may preserve the latter provided that the inversion symmetry is broken. We further generalize the result to magnetically ordered systems and show that protected nodal surfaces can also exist in magnetic materials without and with SOC, given that certain magnetic group symmetry requirements are satisfied. Several concrete nodal-surface material examples are predicted via the first-principles calculations. The possibility of multi-nodal-surface materials is discussed.

Prophylactic Level VII Nodal Dissection as a Prognostic Factor in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: a Pilot Study of 27 Patients.

PubMed

Fayek, Ihab Samy

2015-01-01

Prognostic value of prophylactic level VII nodal dissection in papillary thyroid carcinoma has been highlighted. A total of 27 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma with N0 neck underwent total thyroidectomy with level VI and VII nodal dissection through same collar neck incision. Multicentricity, bilaterality, extrathyroidal extension, level VI and VII lymph nodes were studied as separate and independent prognostic factors for DFS at 24 months. 21 females and 6 males with a mean age of 34.6 years old, tumor size was 5-24 mm. (mean 12.4 mm.), multicentricity in 11 patients 2-4 foci (mean 2.7), bilaterality in 8 patients and extrathyroidal extension in 8 patients. Dissected level VI LNs 2-8 (mean 5 LNs) and level VII LNs 1-4 (mean 1.9). Metastatic level VI LNs 0-3 (mean 1) and level VII LNs 0-2 (mean 0.5). Follow-up from 6-51 months (mean 25.6) with 7 patients showed recurrence (3 local and 4 distant). Cumulative DFS at 24 months was 87.8% and was significantly affected in relation to bilaterality (p-value<0.001), extrathyroidal extension (p-value<0.001), level VI positive ((p-value<0.001) and level VII positive ((p-value<0.001) LNs. No recurrences were detected during the follow-up period in the absence of level VI and level VII nodal involvement. Level VII prophylactic nodal dissection is an important and integral prognostic factor in papillary thyroid carcinoma. A larger multicenter study is crucial to reach a satisfactory conclusion about the necessity and safety of this approach.

A comparison of an A1 adenosine receptor agonist (CVT-510) with diltiazem for slowing of AV nodal conduction in guinea-pig

PubMed Central

Snowdy, Stephen; Liang, Hui Xiu; Blackburn, Brent; Lum, Robert; Nelson, Marek; Wang, Lisa; Pfister, Jürg; Sharma, Bhavender P; Wolff, Andrew; Belardinelli, Luiz

1999-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the pharmacological properties (i.e. the AV nodal depressant, vasodilator, and inotropic effects) of two AV nodal blocking agents belonging to different drug classes; a novel A1 adenosine receptor (A1 receptor) agonist, N-(3(R)-tetrahydrofuranyl)-6-aminopurine riboside (CVT-510), and the prototypical calcium channel blocker diltiazem.In the atrial-paced isolated heart, CVT-510 was approximately 5 fold more potent to prolong the stimulus-to-His bundle (S–H interval), a measure of slowing AV nodal conduction (EC50=41 nM) than to increase coronary conductance (EC50=200 nM). At concentrations of CVT-510 (40 nM) and diltiazem (1 μM) that caused equal prolongation of S–H interval (∼10 ms), diltiazem, but not CVT-510, significantly reduced left ventricular developed pressure (LVP) and markedly increased coronary conductance. CVT-510 shortened atrial (EC50=73 nM) but not the ventricular monophasic action potentials (MAP).In atrial-paced anaesthetized guinea-pigs, intravenous infusions of CVT-510 and diltiazem caused nearly equal prolongations of P–R interval. However, diltiazem, but not CVT-510, significantly reduced mean arterial blood pressure.Both CVT-510 and diltiazem prolonged S–H interval, i.e., slowed AV nodal conduction. However, the A1 receptor-selective agonist CVT-510 did so without causing the negative inotropic, vasodilator, and hypotensive effects associated with diltiazem. Because CVT-510 did not affect the ventricular action potential, it is unlikely that this agonist will have a proarrythmic action in ventricular myocardium. PMID:10051130

Effect of Radiotherapy Dose and Volume on Relapse in Merkel Cell Cancer of the Skin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Foote, Matthew, E-mail: matthew_foote@health.qld.gov.a; Harvey, Jennifer; Porceddu, Sandro

Purpose: To assess the effect of radiotherapy (RT) dose and volume on relapse patterns in patients with Stage I-III Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of 112 patients diagnosed with MCC between January 2000 and December 2005 and treated with curative-intent RT. Results: Of the 112 evaluable patients, 88% had RT to the site of primary disease for gross (11%) or subclinical (78%) disease. Eighty-nine percent of patients had RT to the regional lymph nodes; in most cases (71%) this was for subclinical disease in the adjuvant or elective setting, whereas 21 patients (19%)more » were treated with RT to gross nodal disease. With a median follow-up of 3.7 years, the 2-year and 5-year overall survival rates were 72% and 53%, respectively, and the 2-year locoregional control rate was 75%. The in-field relapse rate was 3% for primary disease, and relapse was significantly lower for patients receiving {>=}50Gy (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.06-0.86). Surgical margins did not affect the local relapse rate. The in-field relapse rate was 11% for RT to the nodes, with dose being significant for nodal gross disease (HR = 0.24; 95% CI, 0.07-0.87). Patients who did not receive elective nodal RT had a much higher rate of nodal relapse compared with those who did (HR = 6.03; 95% CI, 1.34-27.10). Conclusion: This study indicates a dose-response for subclinical and gross MCC. Doses of {>=}50Gy for subclinical disease and {>=}55Gy for gross disease should be considered. The draining nodal basin should be treated in all patients.« less

Experimental discovery of nodal chains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Qinghui; Liu, Rongjuan; Yan, Zhongbo; Liu, Boyuan; Chen, Hongsheng; Wang, Zhong; Lu, Ling

2018-05-01

Three-dimensional Weyl and Dirac nodal points1 have attracted widespread interest across multiple disciplines and in many platforms but allow for few structural variations. In contrast, nodal lines2-4 can have numerous topological configurations in momentum space, forming nodal rings5-9, nodal chains10-15, nodal links16-20 and nodal knots21,22. However, nodal lines are much less explored because of the lack of an ideal experimental realization23-25. For example, in condensed-matter systems, nodal lines are often fragile to spin-orbit coupling, located away from the Fermi level, coexist with energy-degenerate trivial bands or have a degeneracy line that disperses strongly in energy. Here, overcoming all these difficulties, we theoretically predict and experimentally observe nodal chains in a metallic-mesh photonic crystal having frequency-isolated linear band-touching rings chained across the entire Brillouin zone. These nodal chains are protected by mirror symmetry and have a frequency variation of less than 1%. We use angle-resolved transmission measurements to probe the projected bulk dispersion and perform Fourier-transformed field scans to map out the dispersion of the drumhead surface state. Our results establish an ideal nodal-line material for further study of topological line degeneracies with non-trivial connectivity and consequent wave dynamics that are richer than those in Weyl and Dirac materials.

TGF-β promotes glioma cell growth via activating Nodal expression through Smad and ERK1/2 pathways

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sun, Jing; Liu, Su-zhi; Lin, Yan

Highlights: •TGF-β promoted Nodal expression in glioma cells. •TGF-β promoted Nodal expression via activating Smad and ERK1/2 pathways. •TGF-β promotes glioma cell growth via activating Nodal expression. -- Abstract: While there were certain studies focusing on the mechanism of TGF-β promoting the growth of glioma cells, the present work revealed another novel mechanism that TGF-β may promote glioma cell growth via enhancing Nodal expression. Our results showed that Nodal expression was significantly upregulated in glioma cells when TGF-β was added, whereas the TGF-β-induced Nodal expression was evidently inhibited by transfection Smad2 or Smad3 siRNAs, and the suppression was especially significantmore » when the Smad3 was downregulated. Another, the attenuation of TGF-β-induced Nodal expression was observed with blockade of the ERK1/2 pathway also. Further detection of the proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion of glioma cells indicated that Nodal overexpression promoted the proliferation and invasion of tumor cells and inhibited their apoptosis, resembling the effect of TGF-β addition. Downregulation of Nodal expression via transfection Nodal-specific siRNA in the presence of TGF-β weakened the promoting effect of the latter on glioma cells growth, and transfecting Nodal siRNA alone in the absence of exogenous TGF-β more profoundly inhibited the growth of glioma cells. These results demonstrated that while both TGF-β and Nodal promoted glioma cells growth, the former might exert such effect by enhancing Nodal expression, which may form a new target for glioma therapy.« less

Nodal domains of a non-separable problem—the right-angled isosceles triangle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aronovitch, Amit; Band, Ram; Fajman, David; Gnutzmann, Sven

2012-03-01

We study the nodal set of eigenfunctions of the Laplace operator on the right-angled isosceles triangle. A local analysis of the nodal pattern provides an algorithm for computing the number νn of nodal domains for any eigenfunction. In addition, an exact recursive formula for the number of nodal domains is found to reproduce all existing data. Eventually, we use the recursion formula to analyse a large sequence of nodal counts statistically. Our analysis shows that the distribution of nodal counts for this triangular shape has a much richer structure than the known cases of regular separable shapes or completely irregular shapes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the nodal count sequence contains information about the periodic orbits of the corresponding classical ray dynamics.

Reactivation of Embryonic Nodal Signaling is Associated with Tumor Progression and Promotes the Growth of Prostate Cancer Cells

PubMed Central

Lawrence, Mitchell G.; Margaryan, Naira V.; Loessner, Daniela; Collins, Angus; Kerr, Kris M.; Turner, Megan; Seftor, Elisabeth A.; Stephens, Carson R.; Lai, John; BioResource, APC; Postovit, Lynne-Marie; Clements, Judith A.; Hendrix, Mary J.C.

2011-01-01

Background Nodal is a member of the Transforming Growth Factor β (TGFβ) superfamily that directs embryonic patterning and promotes the plasticity and tumorigenicity of tumor cells, but its role in the prostate is unknown. The goal of this study was to characterize the expression and function of Nodal in prostate cancer and determine whether, like other TGFβ ligands, it modulates androgen receptor (AR) activity. Methods Nodal expression was investigated using immunohistochemistry of tissue microarrays and Western blots of prostate cell lines. The functional role of Nodal was examined using Matrigel and soft agar growth assays. Cross-talk between Nodal and AR signaling was assessed with luciferase reporter assays and expression of endogenous androgen regulated genes. Results Significantly increased Nodal expression was observed in cancer compared with benign prostate specimens. Nodal was only expressed by DU145 and PC3 cells. All cell lines expressed Nodal’s co-receptor, Cripto-1, but lacked Lefty, a critical negative regulator of Nodal signaling. Recombinant human Nodal triggered downstream Smad2 phosphorylation in DU145 and LNCaP cells, and stable transfection of pre-pro-Nodal enhanced the growth of LNCaP cells in Matrigel and soft agar. Finally, Nodal attenuated AR signaling, reducing the activity of a PSA promoter construct in luciferase assays and down-regulating the endogenous expression of androgen regulated genes. Conclusions An aberrant Nodal signaling pathway is re-expressed and functionally active in prostate cancer cells. PMID:21656830

The orphan receptor ALK7 and the Activin receptor ALK4 mediate signaling by Nodal proteins during vertebrate development.

PubMed

Reissmann, E; Jörnvall, H; Blokzijl, A; Andersson, O; Chang, C; Minchiotti, G; Persico, M G; Ibáñez, C F; Brivanlou, A H

2001-08-01

Nodal proteins have crucial roles in mesendoderm formation and left-right patterning during vertebrate development. The molecular mechanisms of signal transduction by Nodal and related ligands, however, are not fully understood. In this paper, we present biochemical and functional evidence that the orphan type I serine/threonine kinase receptor ALK7 acts as a receptor for mouse Nodal and Xenopus Nodal-related 1 (Xnr1). Receptor reconstitution experiments indicate that ALK7 collaborates with ActRIIB to confer responsiveness to Xnr1 and Nodal. Both receptors can independently bind Xnr1. In addition, Cripto, an extracellular protein genetically implicated in Nodal signaling, can independently interact with both Xnr1 and ALK7, and its expression greatly enhances the ability of ALK7 and ActRIIB to respond to Nodal ligands. The Activin receptor ALK4 is also able to mediate Nodal signaling but only in the presence of Cripto, with which it can also interact directly. A constitutively activated form of ALK7 mimics the mesendoderm-inducing activity of Xnr1 in Xenopus embryos, whereas a dominant-negative ALK7 specifically blocks the activities of Nodal and Xnr1 but has little effect on other related ligands. In contrast, a dominant-negative ALK4 blocks all mesoderm-inducing ligands tested, including Nodal, Xnr1, Xnr2, Xnr4, and Activin. In agreement with a role in Nodal signaling, ALK7 mRNA is localized to the ectodermal and organizer regions of Xenopus gastrula embryos and is expressed during early stages of mouse embryonic development. Therefore, our results indicate that both ALK4 and ALK7 can mediate signal transduction by Nodal proteins, although ALK7 appears to be a receptor more specifically dedicated to Nodal signaling.

The orphan receptor ALK7 and the Activin receptor ALK4 mediate signaling by Nodal proteins during vertebrate development

PubMed Central

Reissmann, Eva; Jörnvall, Henrik; Blokzijl, Andries; Andersson, Olov; Chang, Chenbei; Minchiotti, Gabriella; Persico, M. Graziella; Ibáñez, Carlos F.; Brivanlou, Ali H.

2001-01-01

Nodal proteins have crucial roles in mesendoderm formation and left–right patterning during vertebrate development. The molecular mechanisms of signal transduction by Nodal and related ligands, however, are not fully understood. In this paper, we present biochemical and functional evidence that the orphan type I serine/threonine kinase receptor ALK7 acts as a receptor for mouse Nodal and Xenopus Nodal-related 1 (Xnr1). Receptor reconstitution experiments indicate that ALK7 collaborates with ActRIIB to confer responsiveness to Xnr1 and Nodal. Both receptors can independently bind Xnr1. In addition, Cripto, an extracellular protein genetically implicated in Nodal signaling, can independently interact with both Xnr1 and ALK7, and its expression greatly enhances the ability of ALK7 and ActRIIB to respond to Nodal ligands. The Activin receptor ALK4 is also able to mediate Nodal signaling but only in the presence of Cripto, with which it can also interact directly. A constitutively activated form of ALK7 mimics the mesendoderm-inducing activity of Xnr1 in Xenopus embryos, whereas a dominant-negative ALK7 specifically blocks the activities of Nodal and Xnr1 but has little effect on other related ligands. In contrast, a dominant-negative ALK4 blocks all mesoderm-inducing ligands tested, including Nodal, Xnr1, Xnr2, Xnr4, and Activin. In agreement with a role in Nodal signaling, ALK7 mRNA is localized to the ectodermal and organizer regions of Xenopus gastrula embryos and is expressed during early stages of mouse embryonic development. Therefore, our results indicate that both ALK4 and ALK7 can mediate signal transduction by Nodal proteins, although ALK7 appears to be a receptor more specifically dedicated to Nodal signaling. PMID:11485994

HDAC1/2-Dependent P0 Expression Maintains Paranodal and Nodal Integrity Independently of Myelin Stability through Interactions with Neurofascins.

PubMed

Brügger, Valérie; Engler, Stefanie; Pereira, Jorge A; Ruff, Sophie; Horn, Michael; Welzl, Hans; Münger, Emmanuelle; Vaquié, Adrien; Sidiropoulos, Páris N M; Egger, Boris; Yotovski, Peter; Filgueira, Luis; Somandin, Christian; Lühmann, Tessa C; D'Antonio, Maurizio; Yamaguchi, Teppei; Matthias, Patrick; Suter, Ueli; Jacob, Claire

2015-01-01

The pathogenesis of peripheral neuropathies in adults is linked to maintenance mechanisms that are not well understood. Here, we elucidate a novel critical maintenance mechanism for Schwann cell (SC)-axon interaction. Using mouse genetics, ablation of the transcriptional regulators histone deacetylases 1 and 2 (HDAC1/2) in adult SCs severely affected paranodal and nodal integrity and led to demyelination/remyelination. Expression levels of the HDAC1/2 target gene myelin protein zero (P0) were reduced by half, accompanied by altered localization and stability of neurofascin (NFasc)155, NFasc186, and loss of Caspr and septate-like junctions. We identify P0 as a novel binding partner of NFasc155 and NFasc186, both in vivo and by in vitro adhesion assay. Furthermore, we demonstrate that HDAC1/2-dependent P0 expression is crucial for the maintenance of paranodal/nodal integrity and axonal function through interaction of P0 with neurofascins. In addition, we show that the latter mechanism is impaired by some P0 mutations that lead to late onset Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

Developmental effects of tobacco smoke exposure during human embryonic stem cell differentiation are mediated through the transforming growth factor-β superfamily member, Nodal

PubMed Central

Liszewski, Walter; Ritner, Carissa; Aurigui, Julian; Wong, Sharon S. Y.; Hussain, Naveed; Krueger, Winfried; Oncken, Cheryl; Bernstein, Harold S.

2012-01-01

While the pathologies associated with in utero smoke exposure are well established, their underlying molecular mechanisms are incompletely understood. We differentiated human embryonic stem cells in the presence of physiological concentrations of tobacco smoke and nicotine. Using post hoc microarray analysis, quantitative PCR, and immunoblot analysis, we demonstrated that tobacco smoke has lineage- and stage-specific effects on human embryonic stem cell differentiation, through both nicotine-dependent and -independent pathways. We show that three major stem cell pluripotency/differentiation pathways, Notch, canonical Wnt, and transforming growth factor-β, are affected by smoke exposure, and that Nodal signaling through SMAD2 is specifically impacted by effects on Lefty1, Nodal, and FoxH1. These events are associated with upregulation of microRNA-302a, a post-transcriptional silencer of Lefty1. The described studies provide insight into the mechanisms by which tobacco smoke influences fetal development at the cellular level, and identify specific transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and signaling pathways by which this likely occurs. PMID:22381624

Critical fields and vortex pinning in overdoped Ba 0.2 K 0.8 Fe 2 As 2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shen, B.; Leroux, M.; Wang, Y. L.

2015-05-19

We determine the upper and lower critical fields, the penetration depth and the vortex pinning characteristics of single crystals of overdoped Ba 0.2K 0.8Fe 2As 2 with T c ~ 10 K. We find that bulk vortex pinning is weak and vortex dynamics to be dominated by the geometrical surface barrier. The temperature dependence of the lower critical field, H c1, displays a distinctive upturn at low temperatures, which is suggestive of two distinct superconducting gaps. Furthermore, the penetration depth, λ, varies linearly with temperature below 4 K indicative of line nodes in the superconducting gap. As a result, thesemore » observations can be well described in a model based on a multi-band nodal superconducting gap.« less

Tectonic deformation of the Andes and the configuration of the subducted slab in central Peru: Results from a micro-seismic experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suarez, G.; Gagnepain, J. J.; Cisternas, A.; Hatzfeld, D.; Molnar, P.; Ocola, L.; Roecker, S. W.; Viode, J. P.

1983-01-01

The vast majority of the microearthquakes recorded occurred to the east: on the Huaytapallana fault in the Eastern Cordillera or in the western margin of the sub-Andes. The sub-Andes appear to be the physiographic province subjected to the most intense seismic deformation. Focal depths for the crustal events here are as deep as 50 km, and the fault plane solutions, show thrust faulting on steep planes oriented roughly north-south. The Huaytapallana fault in the Cordillera Oriental also shows relatively high seismicity along a northeast-southwest trend that agrees with the fault scarp and the east dipping nodal plane of two large earthquakes that occurred on this fault in 1969. The recorded microearthquakes of intermediate depth show a flat seismic zone about 25 km thick at a depth of about 100 km. This agrees with the suggestion that beneath Peru the slab first dips at an angle of 30 deg to a depth of 100 km and then flattens following a quasi-horizontal trajectory. Fault plane solutions of intermediate depth microearthquakes have horizontal T axes oriented east-west.

Spinless hourglass nodal-line semimetals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, Ryo; Hirayama, Motoaki; Murakami, Shuichi

2017-10-01

Nodal-line semimetals, one of the topological semimetals, have degeneracy along nodal lines where the band gap is closed. In many cases, the nodal lines appear accidentally, and in such cases it is impossible to determine whether the nodal lines appear or not, only from the crystal symmetry and the electron filling. In this paper, for spinless systems, we show that in specific space groups at 4 N +2 fillings (8 N +4 fillings including the spin degree of freedom), presence of the nodal lines is required regardless of the details of the systems. Here, the spinless systems refer to crystals where the spin-orbit coupling is negligible and the spin degree of freedom can be omitted because of the SU(2) spin degeneracy. In this case the shape of the band structure around these nodal lines is like an hourglass, and we call this a spinless hourglass nodal-line semimetal. We construct a model Hamiltonian as an example and we show that it is always in the spinless hourglass nodal-line semimetal phase even when the model parameters are changed without changing the symmetries of the system. We also establish a list of all the centrosymmetric space groups, under which spinless systems always have hourglass nodal lines, and illustrate where the nodal lines are located. We propose that Al3FeSi2 , whose space-group symmetry is Pbcn (No. 60), is one of the nodal-line semimetals arising from this mechanism.

Response of millet and sorghum to a varying water supply around the primary and nodal roots

PubMed Central

Rostamza, M.; Richards, R. A.; Watt, M.

2013-01-01

Background and Aims Cereals have two root systems. The primary system originates from the embryo when the seed germinates and can support the plant until it produces grain. The nodal system can emerge from stem nodes throughout the plant's life; its value for yield is unclear and depends on the environment. The aim of this study was to test the role of nodal roots of sorghum and millet in plant growth in response to variation in soil moisture. Sorghum and millet were chosen as both are adapted to dry conditions. Methods Sorghum and millet were grown in a split-pot system that allowed the primary and nodal roots to be watered separately. Key Results When primary and nodal roots were watered (12 % soil water content; SWC), millet nodal roots were seven times longer than those of sorghum and six times longer than millet plants in dry treatments, mainly from an 8-fold increase in branch root length. When soil was allowed to dry in both compartments, millet nodal roots responded and grew 20 % longer branch roots than in the well-watered control. Sorghum nodal roots were unchanged. When only primary roots received water, nodal roots of both species emerged and elongated into extremely dry soil (0·6–1·5 % SWC), possibly with phloem-delivered water from the primary roots in the moist inner pot. Nodal roots were thick, short, branchless and vertical, indicating a tropism that was more pronounced in millet. Total nodal root length increased in both species when the dry soil was covered with plastic, suggesting that stubble retention or leaf mulching could facilitate nodal roots reaching deeper moist layers in dry climates. Greater nodal root length in millet than in sorghum was associated with increased shoot biomass, water uptake and water use efficiency (shoot mass per water). Millet had a more plastic response than sorghum to moisture around the nodal roots due to (1) faster growth and progression through ontogeny for earlier nodal root branch length and (2) partitioning to nodal root length from primary roots, independent of shoot size. Conclusions Nodal and primary roots have distinct responses to soil moisture that depend on species. They can be selected independently in a breeding programme to shape root architecture. A rapid rate of plant development and enhanced responsiveness to local moisture may be traits that favour nodal roots and water use efficiency at no cost to shoot growth. PMID:23749473

Response of millet and sorghum to a varying water supply around the primary and nodal roots.

PubMed

Rostamza, M; Richards, R A; Watt, M

2013-07-01

Cereals have two root systems. The primary system originates from the embryo when the seed germinates and can support the plant until it produces grain. The nodal system can emerge from stem nodes throughout the plant's life; its value for yield is unclear and depends on the environment. The aim of this study was to test the role of nodal roots of sorghum and millet in plant growth in response to variation in soil moisture. Sorghum and millet were chosen as both are adapted to dry conditions. Sorghum and millet were grown in a split-pot system that allowed the primary and nodal roots to be watered separately. When primary and nodal roots were watered (12 % soil water content; SWC), millet nodal roots were seven times longer than those of sorghum and six times longer than millet plants in dry treatments, mainly from an 8-fold increase in branch root length. When soil was allowed to dry in both compartments, millet nodal roots responded and grew 20 % longer branch roots than in the well-watered control. Sorghum nodal roots were unchanged. When only primary roots received water, nodal roots of both species emerged and elongated into extremely dry soil (0.6-1.5 % SWC), possibly with phloem-delivered water from the primary roots in the moist inner pot. Nodal roots were thick, short, branchless and vertical, indicating a tropism that was more pronounced in millet. Total nodal root length increased in both species when the dry soil was covered with plastic, suggesting that stubble retention or leaf mulching could facilitate nodal roots reaching deeper moist layers in dry climates. Greater nodal root length in millet than in sorghum was associated with increased shoot biomass, water uptake and water use efficiency (shoot mass per water). Millet had a more plastic response than sorghum to moisture around the nodal roots due to (1) faster growth and progression through ontogeny for earlier nodal root branch length and (2) partitioning to nodal root length from primary roots, independent of shoot size. Nodal and primary roots have distinct responses to soil moisture that depend on species. They can be selected independently in a breeding programme to shape root architecture. A rapid rate of plant development and enhanced responsiveness to local moisture may be traits that favour nodal roots and water use efficiency at no cost to shoot growth.

Risk of Nodal Metastasis in Major Salivary Gland Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma.

PubMed

Megwalu, Uchechukwu C; Sirjani, Davud

2017-04-01

Objective To determine the risk of nodal metastasis, examine risk factors for nodal metastasis, and evaluate the impact of nodal metastasis on survival in patients with major salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma. Study Design Retrospective cohort study from a large population- based cancer database. Methods Data were extracted from the SEER 18 database (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) of the National Cancer Institute. The study cohort included 720 patients diagnosed with major salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma between 1988 and 2013. Results The overall rate of lymph node metastasis was 17%. T3 disease (odds ratio, 4.74) and T4 disease (odds ratio, 9.24) were associated with increased risk of nodal metastasis. Age, sex, and site were not associated with nodal metastasis. Nodal metastasis was associated with worse overall survival (hazard ratio, 2.56) and disease-specific survival (hazard ratio, 3.27), after adjusting for T stage, presence of distant metastasis, site, surgical resection, radiotherapy, neck dissection, age, sex, race, marital status, and year of diagnosis. Conclusion Major salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma carries significant risk of nodal metastasis. Advanced T stage is associated with increased risk of nodal metastasis. Nodal metastasis is associated with worse survival.

Unconventional superconductivity and quantum criticality in the heavy fermions CeIrSi3 and CeRhSi3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landaeta, J. F.; Subero, D.; Catalá, D.; Taylor, S. V.; Kimura, N.; Settai, R.; Īnuki, Y.; Sigrist, M.; Bonalde, I.

2018-03-01

In most strongly correlated electron systems superconductivity appears nearby a magnetic quantum critical point (QCP) which is believed to cause unconventional behaviors. In order to explore this physics, we present here a study of the heavy-fermion superconductors CeIrSi3 and CeRhSi3 carried out using a newly developed system for high-resolution magnetic penetration-depth measurements under pressure. Superconductivity in CeIrSi3 shows a change from an excitation spectrum with a line-nodal gap to one which is entirely gapful when pressure is close but not yet at the QCP. In contrast, CeRhSi3 does not possess a T =0 quantum phase transition and the superconducting phase remains for all accessible pressures with a nodal gap. Combining both results suggests that in these compounds unconventional superconducting behaviors are rather connected with the coexisting antiferromagnetic order. This study provides another viewpoint on the interplay of superconductivity, magnetism, and quantum criticality in CeIrSi3 and CeRhSi3 and maybe in other heavy fermions.

Importance of lymphovascular invasion and invasive front on survival in floor of mouth cancer.

PubMed

Fives, Cassie; Feeley, Linda; O'Leary, Gerard; Sheahan, Patrick

2016-04-01

The floor of mouth (FOM) is a common site of oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The purpose of this study was to investigate pathological predictors of survival in FOM SCC. We conducted a retrospective study of 54 consecutive patients undergoing surgery for FOM SCC. Pathological parameters were extracted from histological reports with original pathology slides re-reviewed by 2 pathologists for missing data. On univariate analysis, depth of invasion >10 mm (p = .009), lymphovascular invasion (LVI; p < .001), noncohesive invasive front (p = .006), perineural invasion (PNI; p = .003), and nodal metastases (p = .02) were significant predictors of overall survival. On multivariate analysis, LVI (p = .009) and invasive front (p < .001) remained significant. Postoperative radiotherapy improved survival in patients with LVI, PNI, and nodal metastases, and was just outside significance for noncohesive invasive front (p = .06). LVI is an adverse prognosticator in FOM SCC and indicates postoperative radiotherapy. Further study is required to investigate the importance of invasive front. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E1528-E1534, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Is elective nodal irradiation beneficial in patients with pathologically negative lymph nodes after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and breast-conserving surgery for clinical stage II-III breast cancer? A multicentre retrospective study (KROG 12-05).

PubMed

Noh, J M; Park, W; Suh, C-O; Keum, K C; Kim, Y B; Shin, K H; Kim, K; Chie, E K; Ha, S W; Kim, S S; Ahn, S D; Shin, H S; Kim, J H; Lee, H-S; Lee, N K; Huh, S J; Choi, D H

2014-03-18

To evaluate the effects of elective nodal irradiation (ENI) in clinical stage II-III breast cancer patients with pathologically negative lymph nodes (LNs) (ypN0) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and radiotherapy (RT). We retrospectively analysed 260 patients with ypN0 who received NAC followed by BCS and RT. Elective nodal irradiation was delivered to 136 (52.3%) patients. The effects of ENI on survival outcomes were evaluated. After a median follow-up period of 66.2 months (range, 15.6-127.4 months), 26 patients (10.0%) developed disease recurrence. The 5-year locoregional recurrence-free survival and disease-free survival (DFS) for all patients were 95.5% and 90.5%, respectively. Pathologic T classification (0-is vs 1 vs 2-4) and the number of LNs sampled (<13 vs ≥13) were associated with DFS (P=0.0086 and 0.0012, respectively). There was no significant difference in survival outcomes according to ENI. Elective nodal irradiation also did not affect survival outcomes in any of the subgroups according to pathologic T classification or the number of LNs sampled. ENI may be omitted in patients with ypN0 breast cancer after NAC and BCS. But until the results of the randomised trials are available, patients should be put on these trials.

Is elective nodal irradiation beneficial in patients with pathologically negative lymph nodes after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and breast-conserving surgery for clinical stage II–III breast cancer? A multicentre retrospective study (KROG 12-05)

PubMed Central

Noh, J M; Park, W; Suh, C-O; Keum, K C; Kim, Y B; Shin, K H; Kim, K; Chie, E K; Ha, S W; Kim, S S; Ahn, S D; Shin, H S; Kim, J H; Lee, H-S; Lee, N K; Huh, S J; Choi, D H

2014-01-01

Background: To evaluate the effects of elective nodal irradiation (ENI) in clinical stage II–III breast cancer patients with pathologically negative lymph nodes (LNs) (ypN0) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and radiotherapy (RT). Methods: We retrospectively analysed 260 patients with ypN0 who received NAC followed by BCS and RT. Elective nodal irradiation was delivered to 136 (52.3%) patients. The effects of ENI on survival outcomes were evaluated. Results: After a median follow-up period of 66.2 months (range, 15.6–127.4 months), 26 patients (10.0%) developed disease recurrence. The 5-year locoregional recurrence-free survival and disease-free survival (DFS) for all patients were 95.5% and 90.5%, respectively. Pathologic T classification (0−is vs 1 vs 2–4) and the number of LNs sampled (<13 vs ⩾13) were associated with DFS (P=0.0086 and 0.0012, respectively). There was no significant difference in survival outcomes according to ENI. Elective nodal irradiation also did not affect survival outcomes in any of the subgroups according to pathologic T classification or the number of LNs sampled. Conclusions: ENI may be omitted in patients with ypN0 breast cancer after NAC and BCS. But until the results of the randomised trials are available, patients should be put on these trials. PMID:24481403

The effects of oral glutamine on clinical and survival outcomes of non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with chemoradiotherapy.

PubMed

Gul, Kanyilmaz; Mehmet, Koc; Meryem, Aktan

2017-08-01

To assess the efficacy of oral glutamine (Gln) supplementation on clinical and survival outcomes of patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC). Between 2010 and 2014, 122 stage III NSCLC patients were retrospectively analyzed. All patients received curative intent chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Prophylactic oral Gln powder was applied at a dose of 10 g tid. Effect of oral Gln supplementation in the prevention of severe (≥grade 2-3) acute radiation-induced esophagitis (ARE) and weight loss, and their relation with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) was measured. Median follow-up was 13.14 months (range; 1.97-55.36). Fifty-six (46%) patients had received oral Gln. Severe ARE was significantly lower in Gln-supplemented group (30% vs 70%; p = 0.002). Gln-free patients demonstrated a higher weight loss (p = 0.0001). In multivariate analysis hemoglobin (hb) level (<12 g/dL; p = 0.01) and nodal stage (N3; p = 0.01) were poor prognostic factors that affect OS; Weight loss (p = 0.06) and Gln-free (p = 0.05) reached nearly significant levels that poorly affect OS. Similarly, nodal stage (N3, p = 0.014) and Gln-free (p = 0.035) were poor prognostic factors that affect DFS. Weight loss (≥2%, p = 0.06) and hb level (<12 g/dL, p = 0.07) reached borderline significance that poorly affect DFS. Nodal stage (N3) was the only poor prognostic factor that affect OS and DFS in univariate analysis (p = 0.01, p = 0.009; respectively). Oral Gln supplementation significantly reduces grade 2-3 esophagitis and weight loss and also no negative impact on tumor control and survival outcomes in patients with LA-NSCLC. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

Amplification and protein overexpression of cyclin D1: Predictor of occult nodal metastasis in early oral cancer.

PubMed

Noorlag, Rob; Boeve, Koos; Witjes, Max J H; Koole, Ronald; Peeters, Ton L M; Schuuring, Ed; Willems, Stefan M; van Es, Robert J J

2017-02-01

Accurate nodal staging is pivotal for treatment planning in early (stage I-II) oral cancer. Unfortunately, current imaging modalities lack sensitivity to detect occult nodal metastases. Chromosomal region 11q13, including genes CCND1, Fas-associated death domain (FADD), and CTTN, is often amplified in oral cancer with nodal metastases. However, evidence in predicting occult nodal metastases is limited. In 158 patients with early tongue and floor of mouth (FOM) squamous cell carcinomas, both CCND1 amplification and cyclin D1, FADD, and cortactin protein expression were correlated with occult nodal metastases. CCND1 amplification and cyclin D1 expression correlated with occult nodal metastases. Cyclin D1 expression was validated in an independent multicenter cohort, confirming the correlation with occult nodal metastases in early FOM cancers. Cyclin D1 is a predictive biomarker for occult nodal metastases in early FOM cancers. Prospective research on biopsy material should confirm these results before implementing its use in routine clinical practice. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 326-333, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

An integrated analysis on source parameters, seismogenic structure and seismic hazard of the 2014 Ms 6.3 Kangding earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Y.

2016-12-01

On November 22, 2014, the Ms6.3 Kangding earthquake ended 30 years of history of no strong earthquake at the Xianshuihe fault zone. The focal mechanism and centroid depth of the Kangding earthquake are inverted by teleseismic waveforms and regional seismograms with CAP method. The result shows that the two nodal planes of focal mechanism are 235°/82°/-173° and 144°/83°/-8° respectively, the latter nodal plane should be the ruptured fault plane with a focal depth of 9 km. The rupture process model of the Kangding earthquake is obtained by joint inversion of teleseismic data and regional seismograms. The Kangding earthquake is a bilateral earthquake, and the major rupture zone is within a depth range of 5-15 km, spanning 10 km and 12 km along dip and strike directions, and maximum slip is about 0.5m. Most seismic moment was released during the first 5 s and the magnitude is Mw6.01, smaller than the model determined by InSAR data. The discrepancy between co-seismic rupture models of the Kangding and its Ms 5.8 aftershock and the InSAR model implies significant afterslip deformation occurred in the two weeks after the mainshock. The afterslip released energy equals to an Mw5.9 earthquake and mainly concentrates in the northwest side and the shallower side to the rupture zone. The CFS accumulation near the epicenter of the 2014 Kangding earthquake is increased by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, implying that the Kangding earthquake could be triggered by the Wenchuan earthquake. The CFS at the northwest section of the seismic gap along the Kangding-daofu segment is increased by the Kanding earthquake, and the rupture slip of the Kangding earthquake sequence is too small to release the accumulated strain in the seismic gap. Consequently, the northwest section of the Kangding-daofu seismic gap is under high seismic hazard in the future.

Automatic two- and three-dimensional mesh generation based on fuzzy knowledge processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yagawa, G.; Yoshimura, S.; Soneda, N.; Nakao, K.

1992-09-01

This paper describes the development of a novel automatic FEM mesh generation algorithm based on the fuzzy knowledge processing technique. A number of local nodal patterns are stored in a nodal pattern database of the mesh generation system. These nodal patterns are determined a priori based on certain theories or past experience of experts of FEM analyses. For example, such human experts can determine certain nodal patterns suitable for stress concentration analyses of cracks, corners, holes and so on. Each nodal pattern possesses a membership function and a procedure of node placement according to this function. In the cases of the nodal patterns for stress concentration regions, the membership function which is utilized in the fuzzy knowledge processing has two meanings, i.e. the “closeness” of nodal location to each stress concentration field as well as “nodal density”. This is attributed to the fact that a denser nodal pattern is required near a stress concentration field. What a user has to do in a practical mesh generation process are to choose several local nodal patterns properly and to designate the maximum nodal density of each pattern. After those simple operations by the user, the system places the chosen nodal patterns automatically in an analysis domain and on its boundary, and connects them smoothly by the fuzzy knowledge processing technique. Then triangular or tetrahedral elements are generated by means of the advancing front method. The key issue of the present algorithm is an easy control of complex two- or three-dimensional nodal density distribution by means of the fuzzy knowledge processing technique. To demonstrate fundamental performances of the present algorithm, a prototype system was constructed with one of object-oriented languages, Smalltalk-80 on a 32-bit microcomputer, Macintosh II. The mesh generation of several two- and three-dimensional domains with cracks, holes and junctions was presented as examples.

A re-evaluation of finite-element models and stress-intensity factors for surface cracks emanating from stress concentrations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tan, P. W.; Raju, I. S.; Shivakumar, K. N.; Newman, J. C., Jr.

1988-01-01

A re-evaluation of the 3-D finite-element models and methods used to analyze surface crack at stress concentrations is presented. Previous finite-element models used by Raju and Newman for surface and corner cracks at holes were shown to have ill-shaped elements at the intersection of the hole and crack boundaries. These ill-shaped elements tended to make the model too stiff and, hence, gave lower stress-intensity factors near the hole-crack intersection than models without these elements. Improved models, without these ill-shaped elements, were developed for a surface crack at a circular hole and at a semi-circular edge notch. Stress-intensity factors were calculated by both the nodal-force and virtual-crack-closure methods. Both methods and different models gave essentially the same results. Comparisons made between the previously developed stress-intensity factor equations and the results from the improved models agreed well except for configurations with large notch-radii-to-plate-thickness ratios. Stress-intensity factors for a semi-elliptical surface crack located at the center of a semi-circular edge notch in a plate subjected to remote tensile loadings were calculated using the improved models. The ratio of crack depth to crack length ranged form 0.4 to 2; the ratio of crack depth to plate thickness ranged from 0.2 to 0.8; and the ratio of notch radius to the plate thickness ranged from 1 to 3. The models had about 15,000 degrees-of-freedom. Stress-intensity factors were calculated by using the nodal-force method.

Chiral topological insulating phases from three-dimensional nodal loop semimetals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Linhu; Yin, Chuanhao; Chen, Shu; Araujo, Miguel

We begin with a minimal model of three-dimensional nodal loop semimetals, and study the effect of anticommuting gap terms. The resulting topological insulating phases are protected by a chiral symmetry, and can be characterized by a winding number defined along the nodal loop. We illustrate the geometric relation between the nodal loop and the gap terms, which has a correspondence to the nodal loop winding number. We further investigate a lattice model and study its edge states under open boundary condition. The edge states hold Dirac cones with the same number as the summation of the winding numbers of each nodal loop in the first Brillouin zone.

Rules for Phase Shifts of Quantum Oscillations in Topological Nodal-Line Semimetals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Cequn; Wang, C. M.; Wan, Bo; Wan, Xiangang; Lu, Hai-Zhou; Xie, X. C.

2018-04-01

Nodal-line semimetals are topological semimetals in which band touchings form nodal lines or rings. Around a loop that encloses a nodal line, an electron can accumulate a nontrivial π Berry phase, so the phase shift in the Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillation may give a transport signature for the nodal-line semimetals. However, different experiments have reported contradictory phase shifts, in particular, in the WHM nodal-line semimetals (W =Zr /Hf , H =Si /Ge , M =S /Se /Te ). For a generic model of nodal-line semimetals, we present a systematic calculation for the SdH oscillation of resistivity under a magnetic field normal to the nodal-line plane. From the analytical result of the resistivity, we extract general rules to determine the phase shifts for arbitrary cases and apply them to ZrSiS and Cu3 PdN systems. Depending on the magnetic field directions, carrier types, and cross sections of the Fermi surface, the phase shift shows rich results, quite different from those for normal electrons and Weyl fermions. Our results may help explore transport signatures of topological nodal-line semimetals and can be generalized to other topological phases of matter.

HDAC1/2-Dependent P0 Expression Maintains Paranodal and Nodal Integrity Independently of Myelin Stability through Interactions with Neurofascins

PubMed Central

Brügger, Valérie; Engler, Stefanie; Pereira, Jorge A.; Ruff, Sophie; Horn, Michael; Welzl, Hans; Münger, Emmanuelle; Vaquié, Adrien; Sidiropoulos, Páris N. M.; Egger, Boris; Yotovski, Peter; Filgueira, Luis; Somandin, Christian; Lühmann, Tessa C.; D’Antonio, Maurizio; Yamaguchi, Teppei; Matthias, Patrick; Suter, Ueli; Jacob, Claire

2015-01-01

The pathogenesis of peripheral neuropathies in adults is linked to maintenance mechanisms that are not well understood. Here, we elucidate a novel critical maintenance mechanism for Schwann cell (SC)–axon interaction. Using mouse genetics, ablation of the transcriptional regulators histone deacetylases 1 and 2 (HDAC1/2) in adult SCs severely affected paranodal and nodal integrity and led to demyelination/remyelination. Expression levels of the HDAC1/2 target gene myelin protein zero (P0) were reduced by half, accompanied by altered localization and stability of neurofascin (NFasc)155, NFasc186, and loss of Caspr and septate-like junctions. We identify P0 as a novel binding partner of NFasc155 and NFasc186, both in vivo and by in vitro adhesion assay. Furthermore, we demonstrate that HDAC1/2-dependent P0 expression is crucial for the maintenance of paranodal/nodal integrity and axonal function through interaction of P0 with neurofascins. In addition, we show that the latter mechanism is impaired by some P0 mutations that lead to late onset Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. PMID:26406915

Targeting nodal in conjunction with dacarbazine induces synergistic anticancer effects in metastatic melanoma.

PubMed

Hardy, Katharine M; Strizzi, Luigi; Margaryan, Naira V; Gupta, Kanika; Murphy, George F; Scolyer, Richard A; Hendrix, Mary J C

2015-04-01

Metastatic melanoma is a highly aggressive skin cancer with a poor prognosis. Despite a complete response in fewer than 5% of patients, the chemotherapeutic agent dacarbazine (DTIC) remains the reference drug after almost 40 years. More recently, FDA-approved drugs have shown promise but patient outcome remains modest, predominantly due to drug resistance. As such, combinatorial targeting has received increased attention, and will advance with the identification of new molecular targets. One attractive target for improving melanoma therapy is the growth factor Nodal, whose normal expression is largely restricted to embryonic development, but is reactivated in metastatic melanoma. In this study, we sought to determine how Nodal-positive human melanoma cells respond to DTIC treatment and to ascertain whether targeting Nodal in combination with DTIC would be more effective than monotherapy. A single treatment with DTIC inhibited cell growth but did not induce apoptosis. Rather than reducing Nodal expression, DTIC increased the size of the Nodal-positive subpopulation, an observation coincident with increased cellular invasion. Importantly, clinical tissue specimens from patients with melanomas refractory to DTIC therapy stained positive for Nodal expression, both in pre- and post-DTIC tumors, underscoring the value of targeting Nodal. In vitro, anti-Nodal antibodies alone had some adverse effects on proliferation and apoptosis, but combining DTIC treatment with anti-Nodal antibodies decreased cell growth and increased apoptosis synergistically, at concentrations incapable of producing meaningful effects as monotherapy. Targeting Nodal in combination with DTIC therapy holds promise for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

Targeting Nodal in Conjunction with Dacarbazine Induces Synergistic Anti-cancer Effects in Metastatic Melanoma

PubMed Central

Hardy, Katharine M.; Strizzi, Luigi; Margaryan, Naira V.; Gupta, Kanika; Murphy, George F.; Scolyer, Richard A.; Hendrix, Mary J.C.

2015-01-01

Metastatic melanoma is a highly aggressive skin cancer with a poor prognosis. Despite a complete response in fewer than 5% of patients, the chemotherapeutic agent Dacarbazine (DTIC) remains the reference drug after almost 40 years. More recently FDA approved drugs have shown promise but patient outcome remains modest, predominantly due to drug resistance. As such, combinatorial targeting has received increased attention, and will advance with the identification of new molecular targets. One attractive target for improving melanoma therapy is the growth factor Nodal, whose normal expression is largely restricted to embryonic development, but is reactivated in metastatic melanoma. In this study, we sought to determine how Nodal-positive human melanoma cells respond to DTIC treatment and to ascertain if targeting Nodal in combination with DTIC would be more effective than monotherapy. A single treatment with DTIC inhibited cell growth but did not induce apoptosis. Rather than reducing Nodal expression, DTIC increased the size of the Nodal-positive subpopulation, an observation coincident with increased cellular invasion. Importantly, clinical tissue specimens from patients with melanomas refractory to DTIC therapy stained positive for Nodal expression, both in pre- and post-DTIC tumors, underscoring the value of targeting Nodal. In vitro, anti-Nodal antibodies alone had some adverse effects on proliferation and apoptosis, but combining DTIC treatment with anti-Nodal antibodies decreased cell growth and increased apoptosis synergistically, at concentrations incapable of producing meaningful effects as monotherapy. Implications Targeting Nodal in combination with DTIC therapy holds promise for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. PMID:25767211

Nodal weighting factor method for ex-core fast neutron fluence evaluation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chiang, R. T.

The nodal weighting factor method is developed for evaluating ex-core fast neutron flux in a nuclear reactor by utilizing adjoint neutron flux, a fictitious unit detector cross section for neutron energy above 1 or 0.1 MeV, the unit fission source, and relative assembly nodal powers. The method determines each nodal weighting factor for ex-core neutron fast flux evaluation by solving the steady-state adjoint neutron transport equation with a fictitious unit detector cross section for neutron energy above 1 or 0.1 MeV as the adjoint source, by integrating the unit fission source with a typical fission spectrum to the solved adjointmore » flux over all energies, all angles and given nodal volume, and by dividing it with the sum of all nodal weighting factors, which is a normalization factor. Then, the fast neutron flux can be obtained by summing the various relative nodal powers times the corresponding nodal weighting factors of the adjacent significantly contributed peripheral assembly nodes and times a proper fast neutron attenuation coefficient over an operating period. A generic set of nodal weighting factors can be used to evaluate neutron fluence at the same location for similar core design and fuel cycles, but the set of nodal weighting factors needs to be re-calibrated for a transition-fuel-cycle. This newly developed nodal weighting factor method should be a useful and simplified tool for evaluating fast neutron fluence at selected locations of interest in ex-core components of contemporary nuclear power reactors. (authors)« less

47 CFR 101.503 - Digital Electronic Message Service Nodal Stations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Digital Electronic Message Service Nodal... AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES FIXED MICROWAVE SERVICES 24 GHz Service and Digital Electronic Message Service § 101.503 Digital Electronic Message Service Nodal Stations. 10.6 GHz DEMS Nodal Stations may be...

Elsevier Trophoblast Research Award lecture: The multifaceted role of Nodal signaling during mammalian reproduction.

PubMed

Park, C B; Dufort, D

2011-03-01

Nodal, a secreted signaling protein in the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) superfamily, has established roles in vertebrate development. However, components of the Nodal signaling pathway are also expressed at the maternal-fetal interface and have been implicated in many processes of mammalian reproduction. Emerging evidence indicates that Nodal and its extracellular inhibitor Lefty are expressed in the uterus and complex interactions between the two proteins mediate menstruation, decidualization and embryo implantation. Furthermore, several studies have shown that Nodal from both fetal and maternal sources may regulate trophoblast cell fate and facilitate placentation as both embryonic and uterine-specific Nodal knockout mouse strains exhibit disrupted placenta morphology. Here we review the established and prospective roles of Nodal signaling in facilitating successful pregnancy, including recent evidence supporting a potential link to parturition and preterm birth. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Nodal-independent and tissue-intrinsic mechanism controls heart-looping chirality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noël, Emily S.; Verhoeven, Manon; Lagendijk, Anne Karine; Tessadori, Federico; Smith, Kelly; Choorapoikayil, Suma; den Hertog, Jeroen; Bakkers, Jeroen

2013-11-01

Breaking left-right symmetry in bilateria is a major event during embryo development that is required for asymmetric organ position, directional organ looping and lateralized organ function in the adult. Asymmetric expression of Nodal-related genes is hypothesized to be the driving force behind regulation of organ laterality. Here we identify a Nodal-independent mechanism that drives asymmetric heart looping in zebrafish embryos. In a unique mutant defective for the Nodal-related southpaw gene, preferential dextral looping in the heart is maintained, whereas gut and brain asymmetries are randomized. As genetic and pharmacological inhibition of Nodal signalling does not abolish heart asymmetry, a yet undiscovered mechanism controls heart chirality. This mechanism is tissue intrinsic, as explanted hearts maintain ex vivo retain chiral looping behaviour and require actin polymerization and myosin II activity. We find that Nodal signalling regulates actin gene expression, supporting a model in which Nodal signalling amplifies this tissue-intrinsic mechanism of heart looping.

Persistence of RSV promotes proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of bronchial epithelial cells through Nodal signaling.

PubMed

Xiang, Zhao; Liang, Zhang; Yanfeng, Huang; Leitao, Kang

2017-10-01

Nodal may play an important role in the development of cancers. The present study was designed to determine the effects of Nodal induced by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection on the occurrence and development of lung cancer and the underlying mechanisms. After verification of RSV infection by observation of cytopathic effect and indirect immunofluorescence, real-time PCR, Western blot and methylation assays were used to verify the influence of RSV on Nodal expression. Then, a Nodal overexpressed vector was constructed and the effects of Nodal on the proliferation and apoptosis of bronchial epithelial cells (BECs) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were assayed by flow cytometry and Western blot, respectively. Moreover, Lefty and pSmad2/3 were assayed by Western blot and Cyclin D1, CDK4, c-myc and Bcl-2 induced by Nodal overepression or RSV infection were also assayed by real-time PCR. The results showed that Nodal over expression and demethylation of the promoter were observed in BECs after RSV infection. Activation of Nodal promoted proliferation, colony formation and EMT and inhibited apoptosis of BECs. Nodal also promoted malignant change by promoting expression of cyclin D1 and related-dependent kinase and inhibiting apoptosis. Besides, RSV infection inhibited Lefty expression and promoted the activation of pSmad2/3. RSV also promoted Cyclin D1, CDK4, c-myc and Bcl-2 expression through the activation of pSmad2/3. Our data showed that persistence of RSV promoted the proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and expression of oncogenes through Nodal signaling, which may be associated with the occurrence and development of lung cancers.

The potential risk of vessel infiltration and cervical lymph node metastasis in hypopharyngeal superficial squamous cell carcinoma: a retrospective observational study.

PubMed

Ebisumoto, Koji; Okami, Kenji; Sakai, Akihiro; Ogura, Go; Sugimoto, Ryousuke; Saito, Kosuke; Komita, Kaoru; Nakamura, Naoya; Iida, Masahiro

2015-07-01

The depth of hypopharyngeal superficial cancer may predict vessel infiltration and potential risk of cervical lymph node metastasis. To elucidate the histopathological predictors of vessel infiltration and the risk of regional lymph node metastasis in hypopharyngeal superficial cancer. This study included 31 lesions from 30 patients who had undergone transoral en bloc resection in the hospital. Patients with intraepithelial neoplasia or muscular invasion were excluded. Patient characteristics, nodal status, state of vessel infiltration, state of perineural invasion, histopathological parameters, and post-operative cervical lymph node recurrence were retrospectively examined. The histopathological parameters measured were tumor diameter and the following three parameters: tumor thickness, depth from the mucosal surface, and depth from the basement membrane. Correlations between histopathological parameters and state of vessel infiltration were statistically analyzed. Of the 31 lesions examined, four had vessel infiltration. Three of the four lesions with vessel infiltration had regional lymph node metastasis as well as subsequent lymph node metastasis. Lesions with vessel infiltration were significantly deeper than those without. In contrast, there was no significant difference in lesion diameters. In addition, there was no correlation between the depth and the diameter of the lesion.

TGFβ signaling in establishing left-right asymmetry.

PubMed

Shiratori, Hidetaka; Hamada, Hiroshi

2014-08-01

Two TGFβ-related proteins, Nodal and Lefty, are asymmetrically expressed and play central roles in establishing left-right (L-R) asymmetry of our body. Nodal acts as a left-side determinant whereas Lefty restricts Nodal activity to the left side by acting as a feedback inhibitor of Nodal. While the mechanism for symmetry breaking is variable among animals, the pair of Nodal and Lefty has a conserved role in the L-R asymmetry pathway. Function and regulation of Nodal and Lefty have been revealed in the last decades, but in this review we summarize the role of TGFβ-related proteins together with more recent findings. We mainly discuss observations made with mouse embryos, unless indicated otherwise. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Cerberus-Nodal-Lefty-Pitx signaling cascade controls left-right asymmetry in amphioxus.

PubMed

Li, Guang; Liu, Xian; Xing, Chaofan; Zhang, Huayang; Shimeld, Sebastian M; Wang, Yiquan

2017-04-04

Many bilaterally symmetrical animals develop genetically programmed left-right asymmetries. In vertebrates, this process is under the control of Nodal signaling, which is restricted to the left side by Nodal antagonists Cerberus and Lefty. Amphioxus, the earliest diverging chordate lineage, has profound left-right asymmetry as a larva. We show that Cerberus , Nodal , Lefty , and their target transcription factor Pitx are sequentially activated in amphioxus embryos. We then address their function by transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALEN)-based knockout and heat-shock promoter (HSP)-driven overexpression. Knockout of Cerberus leads to ectopic right-sided expression of Nodal , Lefty , and Pitx , whereas overexpression of Cerberus represses their left-sided expression. Overexpression of Nodal in turn represses Cerberus and activates Lefty and Pitx ectopically on the right side. We also show Lefty represses Nodal , whereas Pitx activates Nodal These data combine in a model in which Cerberus determines whether the left-sided gene expression cassette is activated or repressed. These regulatory steps are essential for normal left-right asymmetry to develop, as when they are disrupted embryos may instead form two phenotypic left sides or two phenotypic right sides. Our study shows the regulatory cassette controlling left-right asymmetry was in place in the ancestor of amphioxus and vertebrates. This includes the Nodal inhibitors Cerberus and Lefty, both of which operate in feedback loops with Nodal and combine to establish asymmetric Pitx expression. Cerberus and Lefty are missing from most invertebrate lineages, marking this mechanism as an innovation in the lineage leading to modern chordates.

Root Traits Enhancing Rice Grain Yield under Alternate Wetting and Drying Condition

PubMed Central

Sandhu, Nitika; Subedi, Sushil R.; Yadaw, Ram B.; Chaudhary, Bedanand; Prasai, Hari; Iftekharuddaula, Khandakar; Thanak, Tho; Thun, Vathany; Battan, Khushi R.; Ram, Mangat; Venkateshwarlu, Challa; Lopena, Vitaliano; Pablico, Paquito; Maturan, Paul C.; Cruz, Ma. Teresa Sta.; Raman, K. Anitha; Collard, Bertrand; Kumar, Arvind

2017-01-01

Reducing water requirements and lowering environmental footprints require attention to minimize risks to food security. The present study was conducted with the aim to identify appropriate root traits enhancing rice grain yield under alternate wetting and drying conditions (AWD) and identify stable, high-yielding genotypes better suited to the AWD across variable ecosystems. Advanced breeding lines, popular rice varieties and drought-tolerant lines were evaluated in a series of 23 experiments conducted in the Philippines, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Cambodia in 2015 and 2016. A large variation in grain yield under AWD conditions enabled the selection of high-yielding and stable genotypes across locations, seasons and years. Water savings of 5.7–23.4% were achieved without significant yield penalty across different ecosystems. The mean grain yield of genotypes across locations ranged from 3.5 to 5.6 t/ha and the mean environment grain yields ranged from 3.7 (Cambodia) to 6.6 (India) t/ha. The best-fitting Finlay-Wilkinson regression model identified eight stable genotypes with mean grain yield of more than 5.0 t/ha across locations. Multidimensional preference analysis represented the strong association of root traits (nodal root number, root dry weight at 22 and 30 days after transplanting) with grain yield. The genotype IR14L253 outperformed in terms of root traits and high mean grain yield across seasons and six locations. The 1.0 t/ha yield advantage of IR14L253 over the popular cultivar IR64 under AWD shall encourage farmers to cultivate IR14L253 and also adopt AWD. The results suggest an important role of root architectural traits in term of more number of nodal roots and root dry weight at 10–20 cm depth on 22–30 days after transplanting (DAT) in providing yield stability and preventing yield reduction under AWD compared to continuous flooded conditions. Genotypes possessing increased number of nodal roots provided higher yield over IR64 as well as no yield reduction under AWD compared to flooded irrigation. The identification of appropriate root architecture traits at specific depth and specific growth stage shall help breeding programs develop better rice varieties for AWD conditions. PMID:29163604

Tectonics of short-offset, slow-slipping transform zones in the FAMOUS area, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goud, Margaret R.; Karson, Jeffrey A.

1985-12-01

ANGUS photographs and ALVIN observational data from Fracture Zones A and B on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 37°N were examined for structural and sedimentological indications of the area's tectonics. Both transform fault zones are characterized by volcanic rubble, breccias, chalks, and undisturbed sediments typical of slow-slipping transforms. The photographic data consist of 16 camera-sled traverses from the FAMOUS Expedition using the ANGUS deep-towed camera system. These data cover several different morphotectonic provinces along the strike of both slow-slipping (2 cm yr-1) fracture zones. ALVIN data come from two dives in the central part of Fracture Zone B. The two fracture zones differ in their distribution of fractured and sheared chalks which indicate regions of strike-slip deformation along the transform. Evidence of shearing is confined to a very narrow region in the center of FZ A, whereas the zone of shear deformation is as much as 6 km wide across FZ B. Other differences include the morphology and depth of the transform valleys and their contiguous nodal basins and the extent of exposures of fresh-looking volcanic ridges in the nodal basin.

Type-I and type-II topological nodal superconductors with s -wave interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Beibing; Yang, Xiaosen; Xu, Ning; Gong, Ming

2018-01-01

Topological nodal superconductors with protected gapless points in momentum space are generally realized based on unconventional pairings. In this work we propose a minimal model to realize these topological nodal phases with only s -wave interaction. In our model the linear and quadratic spin-orbit couplings along the two orthogonal directions introduce anisotropic effective unconventional pairings in momentum space. This model may support different nodal superconducting phases characterized by either an integer winding number in BDI class or a Z2 index in D class at the particle-hole invariant axes. In the vicinity of the nodal points the effective Hamiltonian can be described by either type-I or type-II Dirac equations, and the Lifshitz transition from type-I nodal phases to type-II nodal phases can be driven by external in-plane magnetic fields. We show that these nodal phases are robust against weak impurities, which only slightly renormalizes the momentum-independent parameters in the impurity-averaged Hamiltonian, thus these phases are possible to be realized in experiments with real semi-Dirac materials. The smoking-gun evidences to verify these phases based on scanning tunneling spectroscopy method are also briefly discussed.

Nodal signalling and asymmetry of the nervous system

PubMed Central

Signore, Iskra A.; Palma, Karina

2016-01-01

The role of Nodal signalling in nervous system asymmetry is still poorly understood. Here, we review and discuss how asymmetric Nodal signalling controls the ontogeny of nervous system asymmetry using a comparative developmental perspective. A detailed analysis of asymmetry in ascidians and fishes reveals a critical context-dependency of Nodal function and emphasizes that bilaterally paired and midline-unpaired structures/organs behave as different entities. We propose a conceptual framework to dissect the developmental function of Nodal as asymmetry inducer and laterality modulator in the nervous system, which can be used to study other types of body and visceral organ asymmetries. Using insights from developmental biology, we also present novel evolutionary hypotheses on how Nodal led the evolution of directional asymmetry in the brain, with a particular focus on the epithalamus. We intend this paper to provide a synthesis on how Nodal signalling controls left–right asymmetry of the nervous system. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Provocative questions in left–right asymmetry’. PMID:27821531

Hopf-link topological nodal-loop semimetals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Yao; Xiong, Feng; Wan, Xiangang; An, Jin

2018-04-01

We construct a generic two-band model which can describe topological semimetals with multiple closed nodal loops. All the existing multi-nodal-loop semimetals, including the nodal-net, nodal-chain, and Hopf-link states, can be examined within the same framework. Based on a two-nodal-loop model, the corresponding drumhead surface states for these topologically different bulk states are studied and compared with each other. The connection of our model with Hopf insulators is also discussed. Furthermore, to identify experimentally these topologically different semimetal states, especially to distinguish the Hopf-link from unlinked ones, we also investigate their Landau levels. It is found that the Hopf-link state can be characterized by the existence of a quadruply degenerate zero-energy Landau band, regardless of the direction of the magnetic field.

Histologic assessment of tumor budding in preoperative biopsies to predict nodal metastasis in squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue and floor of the mouth.

PubMed

Seki, Mai; Sano, Takaaki; Yokoo, Satoshi; Oyama, Tetsunari

2016-04-01

In squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tongue and the floor of the mouth (FOM), it is important to predict lymph node metastasis, including occult metastasis, before operating. The purpose of this study was for us to determine practical histopathologic parameters as predictive factors for lymph node metastasis in preoperative SCC biopsy specimens. We examined 91 cases of SCC for conventional histopathologic assessment and a new factor, tumor budding, and their relationship with lymph node metastasis. Significant factors via univariate analysis (p < .01) were budding (score ≥3) and tumor depth (≥3 mm) and these were associated with lymph node metastasis. Moreover, both budding and tumor depth significantly correlated with relapse-free survival; however, evaluating biopsy specimens often proved inaccurate for predicting true tumor depth of cancer invasion. Tumor budding using immunohistochemistry for cytokeratin should be added to routine histologic assessments as a new criterion factoring into the decision as to whether neck dissection is indicated. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E1582-E1590, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Direct evidence for a pressure-induced nodal superconducting gap in the Ba0.65Rb0.35Fe2As2 superconductor

PubMed Central

Guguchia, Z.; Amato, A.; Kang, J.; Luetkens, H.; Biswas, P. K.; Prando, G.; von Rohr, F.; Bukowski, Z.; Shengelaya, A.; Keller, H.; Morenzoni, E.; Fernandes, Rafael M.; Khasanov, R.

2015-01-01

The superconducting gap structure in iron-based high-temperature superconductors (Fe-HTSs) is non-universal. In contrast to other unconventional superconductors, in the Fe-HTSs both d-wave and extended s-wave pairing symmetries are close in energy. Probing the proximity between these very different superconducting states and identifying experimental parameters that can tune them is of central interest. Here we report high-pressure muon spin rotation experiments on the temperature-dependent magnetic penetration depth in the optimally doped nodeless s-wave Fe-HTS Ba0.65Rb0.35Fe2As2. Upon pressure, a strong decrease of the penetration depth in the zero-temperature limit is observed, while the superconducting transition temperature remains nearly constant. More importantly, the low-temperature behaviour of the inverse-squared magnetic penetration depth, which is a direct measure of the superfluid density, changes qualitatively from an exponential saturation at zero pressure to a linear-in-temperature behaviour at higher pressures, indicating that hydrostatic pressure promotes the appearance of nodes in the superconducting gap. PMID:26548650

London penetration depth and superfluid density of single-crystalline Fe1+y(Te1-xSex) and Fe1+y(Te1-xSx)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, H.; Martin, C.; Gordon, R. T.; Tanatar, M. A.; Hu, J.; Qian, B.; Mao, Z. Q.; Hu, Rongwei; Petrovic, C.; Salovich, N.; Giannetta, R.; Prozorov, R.

2010-05-01

The in-plane London penetration depth, λ(T) , was measured in single crystals of the iron-chalcogenide superconductors Fe1.03(Te0.63Se0.37) and Fe1.06(Te0.88S0.14) by using a radio-frequency tunnel diode resonator. Similar to the iron-arsenides and in stark contrast to the iron-phosphides, iron-chalcogenides exhibit a nearly quadratic temperature variation of λ(T) at low temperatures. The absolute value of the penetration depth in the T→0 limit was determined for Fe1.03(Te0.63Se0.37) by using an Al coating technique, giving λ(0)≈560±20nm . The superfluid density ρs(T)=λ2(0)/λ2(T) was fitted with a self-consistent two-gap γ model. While two different gaps are needed to describe the full-range temperature variation in ρs(T) , a nonexponential low-temperature behavior requires pair-breaking scattering, and therefore an unconventional (e.g., s± or nodal) order parameter.

Direct evidence for a pressure-induced nodal superconducting gap in the Ba 0.65Rb 0.35Fe 2As 2 superconductor

DOE PAGES

Guguchia, Z.; Amato, A.; Kang, J.; ...

2015-11-09

The superconducting gap structure in iron-based high-temperature superconductors (Fe-HTSs) is non-universal. Contrasting with other unconventional superconductors, in the Fe-HTSs both d-wave and extended s-wave pairing symmetries are close in energy. Probing the proximity between these very different superconducting states and identifying experimental parameters that can tune them is of central interest. Here we report high-pressure muon spin rotation experiments on the temperature-dependent magnetic penetration depth in the optimally doped nodeless s-wave Fe-HTS Ba 0.65Rb 0.35Fe 2As 2. Upon pressure, a strong decrease of the penetration depth in the zero-temperature limit is observed, while the superconducting transition temperature remains nearly constant.more » More importantly, the low-temperature behaviour of the inverse-squared magnetic penetration depth, which is a direct measure of the superfluid density, changes qualitatively from an exponential saturation at zero pressure to a linear-in-temperature behaviour at higher pressures, indicating that hydrostatic pressure promotes the appearance of nodes in the superconducting gap.« less

A specific immune and lymphatic profile characterizes the pre-metastatic state of the sentinel lymph node in patients with early cervical cancer

PubMed Central

Balsat, Cédric; Blacher, Silvia; Herfs, Michael; Van de Velde, Maureen; Signolle, Nicolas; Sauthier, Philippe; Pottier, Charles; Gofflot, Stéphanie; De Cuypere, Marjolein; Delvenne, Philippe; Goffin, Frédéric; Noel, Agnès; Kridelka, Frédéric

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT The lymph node (LN) pre-metastatic niche is faintly characterized in lymphophilic human neoplasia, although LN metastasis is considered as the strongest prognostic marker of patient survival. Due to its specific dissemination through a complex bilateral pelvic lymphatic system, early cervical cancer is a relevant candidate for investigating the early nodal metastatic process. In the present study, we analyzed in-depth both the lymphatic vasculature and the immune climate of pre-metastatic sentinel LN (SLN), in 48 cases of FIGO stage IB1 cervical neoplasms. An original digital image analysis methodology was used to objectively determine whole slide densities and spatial distributions of immunostained structures. We observed a marked increase in lymphatic vessel density (LVD) and a specific capsular and subcapsular distribution in pre-metastatic SLN when compared with non-sentinel counterparts. Such features persisted in the presence of nodal metastatic colonization. The inflammatory profile attested by CD8+, Foxp3, CD20 and PD-1expression was also significantly increased in pre-metastatic SLN. Remarkably, the densities of CD20+ B cells and PD-1 expressing germinal centers were positively correlated with LVD. All together, these data strongly support the existence of a pre-metastatic dialog between the primary tumor and the first nodal relay. Both lymphatic and immune responses contribute to the elaboration of a specific pre-metastatic microenvironment in human SLN. Moreover, this work provides evidence that, in the context of early cervical cancer, a pre-metastatic lymphangiogenesis occurs within the SLN (pre-metastatic niche) and is associated with a specific humoral immune response. PMID:28344873

Left-right asymmetry in the level of active Nodal protein produced in the node is translated into left-right asymmetry in the lateral plate of mouse embryos.

PubMed

Kawasumi, Aiko; Nakamura, Tetsuya; Iwai, Naomi; Yashiro, Kenta; Saijoh, Yukio; Belo, Jose Antonio; Shiratori, Hidetaka; Hamada, Hiroshi

2011-05-15

Left-right (L-R) asymmetry in the mouse embryo is generated in the node and is dependent on cilia-driven fluid flow, but how the initial asymmetry is transmitted from the node to the lateral plate has remained unknown. We have now identified a transcriptional enhancer (ANE) in the human LEFTY1 gene that exhibits marked L>R asymmetric activity in perinodal cells of the mouse embryo. Dissection of ANE revealed that it is activated in the perinodal cells on the left side by Nodal signaling, suggesting that Nodal activity in the node is asymmetric at a time when Nodal expression is symmetric. Phosphorylated Smad2/3 (pSmad2) indeed manifested an L-R asymmetric distribution at the node, being detected in perinodal cells preferentially on the left side. This asymmetry in pSmad2 distribution was found to be generated not by unidirectional transport of Nodal but rather as a result of LR distribution of active Nodal in the node is translated into the asymmetry in LPM. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Occult Nodal Disease Prevalence and Distribution in Recurrent Laryngeal Cancer Requiring Salvage Laryngectomy.

PubMed

Birkeland, Andrew C; Rosko, Andrew J; Issa, Mohamad R; Shuman, Andrew G; Prince, Mark E; Wolf, Gregory T; Bradford, Carol R; McHugh, Jonathan B; Brenner, J Chad; Spector, Matthew E

2016-03-01

The indications for neck dissection concurrent with salvage laryngectomy in the clinically N0 setting remain unclear. Our goals were to determine the prevalence of occult nodal disease, analyze nodal disease distribution patterns, and identify predictors of occult nodal disease in a salvage laryngectomy cohort. Case series with planned data collection. Tertiary academic center. Patients with persistent or recurrent laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) after radiation/chemoradiation failure undergoing salvage laryngectomy with neck dissection. We analyzed a single-institution retrospective case series of patients between 1997 and 2014 and identified those who had clinically N0 (cN0) necks (n = 203). Clinical and pathologic data, including nodal prevalence and distribution, were collected and statistical analyses performed. Overall, cN0 necks had histologically positive occult nodes in 17% (n = 35) of cases. Univariate predictors of occult nodal positivity included recurrent T4 stage (34% T4 vs 12% non-T4; P = .0003) and supraglottic subsite (28% supraglottic vs 10% nonsupraglottic; P = .0006). Histologically positive nodes associated with supraglottic primaries were most frequently positive in ipsilateral levels II and III (17% and 16%). Positive nodes for glottic LSCC were most frequently positive in the ipsilateral and contralateral paratracheal nodes (11% and 9%). Histologically positive occult nodes are identified in 17% of cN0 patients undergoing salvage laryngectomy with neck dissection. Occult nodal disease varies in frequency and distribution based on tumor subsite. Predictors of high (>20%) occult nodal positivity include T4 tumors and supraglottic subsite. In glottic LSCC, the most frequent sites of occult nodal disease are the paratracheal nodal basins. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2016.

Evaluating Mesorectal Lymph Nodes in Rectal Cancer Before and After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation Using Thin-Section T2-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koh, Dow-Mu; Chau, Ian; Tait, Diana

2008-06-01

Purpose: To apply thin-section T2-weighted magnetic resoance imaging (MRI) to evaluate the number, size, distribution, and morphology of benign and malignant mesorectal lymph nodes before and after chemoradiation treatment compared with histopathologic findings. Methods and Materials: Twenty-five patients with poor-risk adenocarcinoma of the rectum treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation were evaluated prospectively. Thin-section T2-weighted MR images obtained before and after chemoradiation treatment were independently reviewed in consensus by 2 expert radiologists to determine the tumor stage, nodal size, nodal distribution, and nodal stage. Total mesorectal excision surgery after chemoradiation allowed MR nodal stage to be compared with histopathology using {kappa} statistics.more » Nodal downstaging was compared using the Chi-square test. Results: Before chemoradiation, 152 mesorectal nodes were visible (mean, 6.2 mm; 100 benign, 52 malignant) and 4 of 52 malignant nodes were in contact with the mesorectal fascia. The nodal staging was 7/25 N0, 10/25 N1, and 7/25 N2. After chemoradiation, only 29 nodes (mean, 4.1 mm; 24 benign, 5 malignant) were visible, and none were in contact with the mesorectal fascia. Nodal downstaging was observed: 20/25 N0 and 5/25 N1 (p < 0.01, Chi-square test). There was good agreement between MRI and pathologic T-staging ({kappa} = 0.64) and N-staging ({kappa} = 0.65) after chemoradiation. Conclusions: Neoadjuvant chemoradiation treatment resulted in a decrease in size and number of malignant- and benign-appearing mesorectal nodes on MRI. Nodal downstaging and nodal regression from the mesorectal fascia were observed after treatment. MRI is a useful tool for assessing nodal response to neoadjuvant treatment.« less

Heterozygous Deletion of FOXA2 Segregates with Disease in a Family with Heterotaxy, Panhypopituitarism, and Biliary Atresia

PubMed Central

Tsai, Ellen A.; Grochowski, Christopher M.; Falsey, Alexandra M.; Rajagopalan, Ramakrishnan; Wendel, Danielle; Devoto, Marcella; Krantz, Ian D.; Loomes, Kathleen M.; Spinner, Nancy B.

2015-01-01

Biliary atresia (BA) is a pediatric cholangiopathy with unknown etiology occurring in isolated and syndromic forms. Laterality defects affecting the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems are the most common features present in syndromic BA. Most cases are sporadic, although reports of familial cases have led to the hypothesis of genetic susceptibility in some patients. We identified a child with BA, malrotation, and interrupted inferior vena cava whose father presented with situs inversus, polysplenia, panhypopituitarism, and mildly dysmorphic facial features. Chromosomal microarray analysis demonstrated a 277kb heterozygous deletion on chromosome 20 which included a single gene, FOXA2, in the proband and her father. This deletion was confirmed to be de novo in the father. The proband and her father share a common diagnosis of heterotaxy, but they also each presented with a variety of other issues. Further genetic screening revealed that the proband carried an additional protein-altering polymorphism (rs1904589; p.His165Arg) in the NODAL gene that is not present in the father, and this variant has been shown to decrease expression of the gene. As FOXA2 can be a regulator of NODAL expression, we propose that haploinsufficiency for FOXA2 combined with a decreased expression of NODAL is the likely cause for syndromic BA in this proband. PMID:25765999

Nodal bilayer-splitting controlled by spin-orbit interactions in underdoped high-T c cuprates

DOE PAGES

Harrison, N.; Ramshaw, B. J.; Shekhter, A.

2015-06-03

The highest superconducting transition temperatures in the cuprates are achieved in bilayer and trilayer systems, highlighting the importance of interlayer interactions for high T c. It has been argued that interlayer hybridization vanishes along the nodal directions by way of a specific pattern of orbital overlap. Recent quantum oscillation measurements in bilayer cuprates have provided evidence for a residual bilayer-splitting at the nodes that is sufficiently small to enable magnetic breakdown tunneling at the nodes. Here we show that several key features of the experimental data can be understood in terms of weak spin-orbit interactions naturally present in bilayer systems,more » whose primary effect is to cause the magnetic breakdown to be accompanied by a spin flip. These features can now be understood to include the equidistant set of three quantum oscillation frequencies, the asymmetry of the quantum oscillation amplitudes in c-axis transport compared to ab-plane transport, and the anomalous magnetic field angle dependence of the amplitude of the side frequencies suggestive of small effective g-factors. We suggest that spin-orbit interactions in bilayer systems can further affect the structure of the nodal quasiparticle spectrum in the superconducting phase. PACS numbers: 71.45.Lr, 71.20.Ps, 71.18.+y« less

Volumetric tumor burden and its effect on brachial plexus dosimetry in head and neck intensity-modulated radiotherapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Romesser, Paul B.; Qureshi, Muhammad M.; Kovalchuk, Nataliya

2014-07-01

To determine the effect of gross tumor volume of the primary (GTV-P) and nodal (GTV-N) disease on planned radiation dose to the brachial plexus (BP) in head and neck intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Overall, 75 patients underwent definitive IMRT to a median total dose of 69.96 Gy in 33 fractions. The right BP and left BP were prospectively contoured as separate organs at risk. The GTV was related to BP dose using the unpaired t-test. Receiver operating characteristics curves were constructed to determine optimized volumetric thresholds of GTV-P and GTV-N corresponding to a maximum BP dose cutoff of > 66 Gy.more » Multivariate analyses were performed to account for factors associated with a higher maximal BP dose. A higher maximum BP dose (> 66 vs ≤ 66 Gy) correlated with a greater mean GTV-P (79.5 vs 30.8 cc; p = 0.001) and ipsilateral GTV-N (60.6 vs 19.8 cc; p = 0.014). When dichotomized by the optimized nodal volume, patients with an ipsilateral GTV-N ≥ 4.9 vs < 4.9 cc had a significant difference in maximum BP dose (64.2 vs 59.4 Gy; p = 0.001). Multivariate analysis confirmed that an ipsilateral GTV-N ≥ 4.9 cc was an independent predictor for the BP to receive a maximal dose of > 66 Gy when adjusted individually for BP volume, GTV-P, the use of a low anterior neck field technique, total planned radiation dose, and tumor category. Although both the primary and the nodal tumor volumes affected the BP maximal dose, the ipsilateral nodal tumor volume (GTV-N ≥ 4.9 cc) was an independent predictor for high maximal BP dose constraints in head and neck IMRT.« less

Optimizing treatment for children and adolescents with papillary thyroid carcinoma in post-Chernobyl exposed region: The roles of lymph node dissections in the central and lateral neck compartments.

PubMed

Fridman, Mikhail; Krasko, Olga; Lam, Alfred King-Yin

2018-06-01

There is lack of data to predict lymph node metastases in pediatric thyroid cancer. The aims are to study (1) the factors affecting the lymph node metastases in children and adolescence with papillary thyroid carcinoma in region exposed to radiation and (2) to evaluate the predictive significance of these factors for lateral compartment lymphadenectomy. Five hundred and nine patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma underwent total thyroidectomy and lymph nodes resection (central and lateral compartments of the neck) surgery during the period of 1991-2010 in Belarus were recruited. The factors related to lymph node metastases were studied in these patients. In the patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma, increase number of cancer-positive lymph nodes in the central neck compartment were associated with a risk to develop lateral nodal disease as well as bilateral nodal disease. Futhermore, positive lateral compartment nodal metastases are associated with age and gender of the patients, tumour size, minimal extra-thyroidal extension, solid architectonic, extensive desmoplasia in carcinoma, presence of psammoma bodies, extensive involvement of the thyroid and metastatic ratio index revealed after examination of the central cervical chain lymph nodes. The presence of nodal disease, degree of lymph node involvement and the distribution of lymph node metastases significantly increase the recurrence rates of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma. To conclude, the lymph nodes metastases in young patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma in post-Chernobyl exposed region are common and the pattern could be predicted by many clinical and pathological factors. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.

A contemporary view of atrioventricular nodal physiology.

PubMed

Markowitz, Steven M; Lerman, Bruce B

2018-06-16

In delaying transmission of the cardiac impulse from the atria to the ventricles, the atrioventricular (AV) node serves a critical function in augmenting ventricular filling during diastole and limiting the ventricular response during atrial tachyarrhythmias. The complex structure of the nodal region, however, also provides the substrate for reentrant rhythms. Recent discoveries have elucidated the cellular basis and anatomical determinants of slow conduction in the node. Based on analysis of gap junction proteins, distinct structural components of the AV node have been defined, including the compact node, right and left inferior nodal extensions, the lower nodal bundle, and transitional tissue. Emerging evidence supports the role of the inferior nodal extensions in mediating slow pathway conduction. The most common form of reentry involving the node, slow-fast AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT), utilizes the inferior nodal extensions for anterograde slow pathway conduction; the structures responsible for retrograde fast pathway activation in the superior septum are less well defined and likely heterogeneous. Atypical forms of AVNRT arise from circuits that activate at least one of the inferior extensions in the retrograde direction.

Role of the EGF-Related Growth Factor cripto in Murine Mammary Tumorigenesis

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-10-01

necessary for emergency repair or overhaul or (ii) is a release or disclosure of technical data (other than detailed manufacturing or process data) to, or...constructs that express secreted processed NODAL protein in transfected mammalian cells. We found that processing of unmodified NODAL protein is...NODAL processing (Constam and Robertson, 1999). As shown in our 1999 report, cleaved mature Nodal protein can be produced in the culture supernatants

Nodal portraits of quantum billiards: Domains, lines, and statistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, Sudhir Ranjan; Samajdar, Rhine

2017-10-01

This is a comprehensive review of the nodal domains and lines of quantum billiards, emphasizing a quantitative comparison of theoretical findings to experiments. The nodal statistics are shown to distinguish not only between regular and chaotic classical dynamics but also between different geometric shapes of the billiard system itself. How a random superposition of plane waves can model chaotic eigenfunctions is discussed and the connections of the complex morphology of the nodal lines thereof to percolation theory and Schramm-Loewner evolution are highlighted. Various approaches to counting the nodal domains—using trace formulas, graph theory, and difference equations—are also illustrated with examples. The nodal patterns addressed pertain to waves on vibrating plates and membranes, acoustic and electromagnetic modes, wave functions of a "particle in a box" as well as to percolating clusters, and domains in ferromagnets, thus underlining the diversity and far-reaching implications of the problem.

Structural insights into the interaction of a monoclonal antibody and Nodal peptides by STD-NMR spectroscopy.

PubMed

Calvanese, Luisa; Focà, Annalia; Sandomenico, Annamaria; Focà, Giuseppina; Caporale, Andrea; Doti, Nunzianna; Iaccarino, Emanuela; Leonardi, Antonio; D'Auria, Gabriella; Ruvo, Menotti; Falcigno, Lucia

2017-12-15

Nodal is a growth factor expressed during early embryonic development, but reactivated in several advanced-stage cancers. Targeting of Nodal signaling, which occurs via the binding to Cripto-1 co-receptor, results in inhibition of cell aggressiveness and reduced tumor growth. The Nodal binding region to Cripto-1 was identified and targeted with a high affinity monoclonal antibody (3D1). By STD-NMR technique, we investigated the interaction of Nodal fragments with 3D1 with the aim to elucidate at atomic level the interaction surface. Data indicate with high accuracy the antibody-antigen contact atoms and confirm the information previously obtained by immune-enzymatic methods. Main residues contacted by 3D1 are P46, V47, E49 and E50, which belong to the Nodal loop involved in the interaction with the co-receptor. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Topological Nodal-Net Semimetal in a Graphene Network Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jian-Tao; Nie, Simin; Weng, Hongming; Kawazoe, Yoshiyuki; Chen, Changfeng

2018-01-01

Topological semimetals are characterized by the nodal points in their electronic structure near the Fermi level, either discrete or forming a continuous line or ring, which are responsible for exotic properties related to the topology of bulk bands. Here we identify by ab initio calculations a distinct topological semimetal that exhibits nodal nets comprising multiple interconnected nodal lines in bulk and have two coupled drumheadlike flat bands around the Fermi level on its surface. This nodal net semimetal state is proposed to be realized in a graphene network structure that can be constructed by inserting a benzene ring into each C- C bond in the bct-C4 lattice or by a crystalline modification of the (5,5) carbon nanotube. These results expand the realm of nodal manifolds in topological semimetals, offering a new platform for exploring novel physics in these fascinating materials.

Face Centered Cubic SnSe as a Z2 Trivial Dirac Nodal Line Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tateishi, Ikuma; Matsuura, Hiroyasu

2018-07-01

The presence of a Dirac nodal line in a time-reversal and inversion symmetric system is dictated by the Z2 index when spin-orbit interaction is absent. In a first principles calculation, we show that a Dirac nodal line can emerge in Z2 trivial material by calculating the band structure of SnSe in a face centered cubic lattice as an example. We qualitatively show that it becomes a topological crystalline insulator when spin-orbit interaction is taken into account. We clarify the origin of the Dirac nodal line by obtaining irreducible representations corresponding to bands and explain the triviality of the Z2 index. We construct an effective model representing the Dirac nodal line using the k · p method, and discuss the Berry phase and a surface state expected from the Dirac nodal line.

Potential clinical value of PET/CT in predicting occult nodal metastasis in T1-T2N0M0 lung cancer patients staged by PET/CT

PubMed Central

Zhou, Xiang; Chen, Ruohua; Huang, Gang; Liu, Jianjun

2017-01-01

We assessed the clinical value of 2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/CT imaging for predicting occult nodal metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. This retrospective study included 54 patients with T1-2N0M0 NSCLC who had undergone 18F-FDG PET/CT before surgery. Occult nodal metastasis was detected in 25.9% (14/54) of the patients. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that increased glucose transporter 1 expression was associated with occult nodal metastasis, but hexokinase 2 expression was not. Compared to the negative nodal metastasis group, the positive nodal metastasis group was associated with increased maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and tumor size. Multivariate analysis indicated that SUVmax and tumor size were associated with nodal metastasis. Nodal metastasis could be predicted with a sensitivity of 92.9% and a specificity of 55.0% when the SUVmax cutoff was 4.35. When patients were divided into low-risk (tumor size ≤ 2.5 cm and SUVmax ≤ 4.35), moderate-risk (tumor size ≤ 2.5 cm and SUVmax > 4.35 or tumor size > 2.5 cm and SUVmax ≤ 4.35) and high-risk (tumor size > 2.5 cm and SUVmax > 4.35) groups, the lymph node metastasis rates were 4.3%, 22.7%, and 88.9%, respectively. These results indicate that the combination of SUVmax and tumor size has potential clinical value for predicting occult nodal metastasis in NSCLC patients. PMID:29137276

Mechanism for generation of left isomerism in Ccdc40 mutant embryos

PubMed Central

Sugrue, Kelsey F.

2017-01-01

Leftward fluid flow in the mouse node is generated by cilia and is critical for initiating asymmetry of the left-right axis. Coiled-coil domain containing-40 (Ccdc40) plays an evolutionarily conserved role in the assembly of motile cilia and establishment of the left-right axis. Approximately one-third of Ccdc40lnks mutant embryos display situs defects and here we investigate the underlying mechanism. Ccdc40lnks mutants show delayed induction of markers of the left-lateral plate mesoderm (L-LPM) including Lefty1, Lefty2 and Nodal. Consistent with defective cilia motility compromising fluid flow across the node, initiation of asymmetric perinodal Cerberus like-2 (Cerl2) expression is delayed and then randomized. This is followed by delayed and then randomized asymmetric Nodal expression around the node. We propose a model to explain how left isomerism arises in a proportion of Ccdc40lnks mutants. We postulate that with defective motile cilia, Cerl2 expression remains symmetric and Nodal is antagonized equally on both sides of the node. This effectively reduces Nodal activation bilaterally, leading to reduced and delayed activation of Nodal and its antagonists in the LPM. This model is further supported by the failure to establish Nodal expression in the left-LPM with reduced Nodal gene dosage in Ccdc40lnks/lnks;NodalLacZ/+ mutants causing a predominance of right not left isomerism. Together these results suggest a model where cilia generated fluid flow in the node functions to ensure robust Nodal activation and a timely left-sided developmental program in the LPM. PMID:28182636

Meshfree Modeling of Munitions Penetration in Soils

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-04-01

discretization ...................... 8 Figure 2. Nodal smoothing domain for the modified stabilized nonconforming nodal integration...projectile ............................................................................................... 36 Figure 17. Discretization for the...List of Acronyms DEM: discrete element methods FEM: finite element methods MSNNI: modified stabilized nonconforming nodal integration RK

Evaluation of the use of nodal methods for MTR neutronic analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reitsma, F.; Mueller, E.Z.

1997-08-01

Although modern nodal methods are used extensively in the nuclear power industry, their use for research reactor analysis has been very limited. The suitability of nodal methods for material testing reactor analysis is investigated with the emphasis on the modelling of the core region (fuel assemblies). The nodal approach`s performance is compared with that of the traditional finite-difference fine mesh approach. The advantages of using nodal methods coupled with integrated cross section generation systems are highlighted, especially with respect to data preparation, simplicity of use and the possibility of performing a great variety of reactor calculations subject to strict timemore » limitations such as are required for the RERTR program.« less

Incidental nodal metastasis of differentiated thyroid carcinoma in neck dissection specimens from head and neck cancer patients.

PubMed

Lenzi, R; Marchetti, M; Muscatello, L

2017-04-01

Occult differentiated thyroid carcinomas are not uncommon. The initial presentation of a thyroid carcinoma is often detection of a metastatic cervical lymph node. A retrospective review was performed of the medical records of 304 patients who underwent neck dissection between 1996 and 2008 for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Ten patients (3.3 per cent) had nodal metastasis originating from papillary thyroid cancer. All of these patients underwent thyroidectomy and post-operative 131iodine radiometabolic therapy. No patient developed a thyroid tumour after surgery. Despite its metastatic spread, thyroid cancer does not affect the overall prognosis of patients who are already being treated for a more aggressive malignancy. However, in otherwise healthy patients, it is worth treating this second malignancy to avoid potential complications related to local disease or metastatic thyroid cancer.

EGFR immunoexpression, RAS immunoexpression and their effects on survival in lung adenocarcinoma cases.

PubMed

Gundogdu, Ahmet Gokhan; Onder, Sevgen; Firat, Pinar; Dogan, Riza

2014-06-01

The impacts of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) immunoexpression and RAS immunoexpression on the survival and prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma patients are debated in the literature. Twenty-six patients, who underwent pulmonary resections between 2002 and 2007 in our clinic, and whose pathologic examinations yielded adenocarcinoma, were included in the study. EGFR and RAS expression levels were examined by immunohistochemical methods. The results were compared with the survival, stage of the disease, nodal involvement, lymphovascular invasion, and pleural invasion. Nonparametric bivariate analyses were used for statistical analyses. A significant link between EGFR immunoexpression and survival has been identified while RAS immunoexpression and survival have been proven to be irrelevant. Neither EGFR, nor RAS has displayed a significant link with the stage of the disease, nodal involvement, lymphovascular invasion, or pleural invasion. Positive EGFR immunoexpression affects survival negatively, while RAS immunoexpression has no effect on survival in lung adenocarcinoma patients.

Acceptance and Mindfulness Techniques as Applied to Refugee and Ethnic Minority Populations with PTSD: Examples from "Culturally Adapted CBT"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hinton, Devon E.; Pich, Vuth; Hofmann, Stefan G.; Otto, Michael W.

2013-01-01

In this article we illustrate how we utilize acceptance and mindfulness techniques in our treatment (Culturally Adapted CBT, or CA-CBT) for traumatized refugees and ethnic minority populations. We present a Nodal Network Model (NNM) of Affect to explain the treatment's emphasis on body-centered mindfulness techniques and its focus on psychological…

Stress-intensity factors for circumferential surface cracks in pipes and rods under tension and bending loads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raju, I. S.; Newman, J. C., Jr.

1985-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present stress-intensity factors for a wide range of nearly semi-elliptical surface cracks in pipes and rods. The configurations were subjected to either remote tension or bending loads. For pipes, the ratio of crack depth to crack length (a/c) ranged from 0.6 to 1; the ratio of crack depth to wall thickness (a/t) ranged from 0.2 to 0.8; and the ratio of internal radius to wall thickness (R/t) ranged from 1 to 10. For rods, the ratio of crack depth to crack length also ranged from 0.6 to 1; and the ratio of crack depth to rod diameter (a/D) ranged from 0.05 to 0.35. These particular crack configurations were chosen to cover the range of crack shapes (a/c) that have been observed in experiments conducted on pipes and rods under tension and bending fatigue loads. The stress-intensity factors were calculated by a three-dimensional finite-element method. The finite-element models employed singularity elements along the crack front and linear-strain elements elsewhere. The models had about 6500 degrees of freedom. The stress-intensity factors were evaluated using a nodal-force method.

Abundant aftershock sequence of the 2015 Mw7.5 Hindu Kush intermediate-depth earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chenyu; Peng, Zhigang; Yao, Dongdong; Guo, Hao; Zhan, Zhongwen; Zhang, Haijiang

2018-05-01

The 2015 Mw7.5 Hindu Kush earthquake occurred at a depth of 213 km beneath the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan. While many early aftershocks were missing from the global earthquake catalogues, this sequence was recorded continuously by eight broad-band stations within 500 km. Here we use a waveform matching technique to systematically detect earthquakes around the main shock. More than 3000 events are detected within 35 d after the main shock, as compared with 42 listed in the Advanced National Seismic System catalogue (or 196 in the International Seismological Centre catalogue). The aftershock sequence generally follows the Omori's law with a decay constant p = 0.92. We also apply the recently developed double-pair double-difference technique to relocate all detected aftershocks. Most of them are located to the west of the hypocentre of the main shock, consistent with the westward propagation of the main-shock rupture. The aftershocks outline a nearly vertical southward dipping plane, which matches well with one of the nodal planes of the main shock. We conclude that the aftershock sequence of this intermediate-depth earthquake shares many similarities with those for shallow earthquakes and infer that there are some common mechanisms responsible for shallow and intermediate-depth earthquakes.

On the Viability of Using Autonomous Three-Component Nodal Geophones to Calculate Teleseismic Ps Receiver Functions with an Application to the Old Faithful Hydrothermal System and the Cascadia Subduction Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, K. M.; Lin, F. C.

2017-12-01

Recent advances in seismic data-acquisition technology paired with an increasing interest from the academic passive source seismological community have opened up new scientific targets and imaging possibilities, often referred to as Large-N experiments (large number of instruments). The success of these and other deployments has motivated individual researchers, as well as the larger seismological community, to invest in the next generation of nodal geophones. Although the new instruments have battery life and bandwidth limitations compared to broadband instruments, the relatively low deployment and procurement cost of these new nodal geophones provides an additional novel tool for researchers. Here, we explore the viability of using autonomous three-component nodal geophones to calculate teleseismic Ps receiver functions by comparison of co-located broadband stations and highlight some potential advantages with a dense nodal array deployed around the Upper Geyser basin in Yellowstone National Park. Two key findings from this example include (1) very dense nodal arrays can be used to image small-scale features in the shallow crust that typical broadband station spacing would alias, and (2) nodal arrays with a larger footprint could be used to image deeper features with greater or equal detail as typical broadband deployments but at a reduced deployment cost. The success of the previous example has motivated a larger 2-D line across the Cascadia subduction zone. In the summer of 2017, we deployed 174 nodal geophones with an average site spacing of 750 m. Synthetic tests with dense station spacing ( 1 km) reveal subtler features of the system that is consistent with our preliminary receiver function results from our Cascadia deployment. With the increasing availability of nodal geophones to individual researchers and the successful demonstration that nodal geophones are a viable instrument for receiver function studies, numerous scientific targets can be investigated at reduced costs or in expanded detail.

Clinical Usefulness of [(18)F]Fluoro-2-Deoxy-D-Glucose Uptake in 178 Head-and-Neck Cancer Patients With Nodal Metastasis Treated With Definitive Chemoradiotherapy: Consideration of Its Prognostic Value and Ability to Provide Guidance for Optimal Selection of Patients for Planned Neck Dissection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Inokuchi, Haruo, E-mail: h.inokuchi@scchr.j; Kodaira, Takeshi; Tachibana, Hiroyuki

2011-03-01

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of pretreatment [(18)F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose-positron emission tomography for head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma patients with nodal metastasis treated with chemoradiotherapy. Methods and Materials: Between March 2002 and December 2006, 178 patients with head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma and nodal metastasis underwent fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography before chemoradiotherapy. Fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose uptake by both the primary lesion and the neck node was measured using the standard uptake value (SUV). The overall survival, disease-free survival, local control, nodal progression-free survival, and distant metastasis-free survival rates were calculated, and several prognostic factors were evaluated. Results: The patients with a nodal SUV {>=}6.00 hadmore » a significantly lower 3-year disease-free survival rate than those with a lower SUV (44% vs. 69%, p = .004). On multivariate analysis, a high SUV of nodal disease also proved to be a significantly unfavorable factor for disease-free survival (p = .04, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-3.23), nodal progression-free survival (p = .05; 95% CI, 1.00-4.15), and distant metastasis-free survival (p = .016; 95% CI, 1.25-8.92). Among the patients with a greater nodal SUV ({>=}6.00), those treated with planned neck dissection had better nodal progression-free survival than those in the observation group (p = .04, hazard ratio, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.00-5.85). Conclusion: Among head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma patients treated with chemoradiotherapy, the pretreatment SUV of nodal disease was one of the strongest prognostic factors and also provided important information for the selection of patients suitable for planned neck dissection.« less

Optical conductivity of three and two dimensional topological nodal-line semimetals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barati, Shahin; Abedinpour, Saeed H.

2017-10-01

The peculiar shape of the Fermi surface of topological nodal-line semimetals at low carrier concentrations results in their unusual optical and transport properties. We analytically investigate the linear optical responses of three- and two-dimensional nodal-line semimetals using the Kubo formula. The optical conductivity of a three-dimensional nodal-line semimetal is anisotropic. Along the axial direction (i.e., the direction perpendicular to the nodal-ring plane), the Drude weight has a linear dependence on the chemical potential at both low and high carrier dopings. For the radial direction (i.e., the direction parallel to the nodal-ring plane), this dependence changes from linear into quadratic in the transition from low into high carrier concentration. The interband contribution into optical conductivity is also anisotropic. In particular, at large frequencies, it saturates to a constant value for the axial direction and linearly increases with frequency along the radial direction. In two-dimensional nodal-line semimetals, no interband optical transition could be induced and the only contribution to the optical conductivity arises from the intraband excitations. The corresponding Drude weight is independent of the carrier density at low carrier concentrations and linearly increases with chemical potential at high carrier doping.

Cilia are required for asymmetric nodal induction in the sea urchin embryo.

PubMed

Tisler, Matthias; Wetzel, Franziska; Mantino, Sabrina; Kremnyov, Stanislav; Thumberger, Thomas; Schweickert, Axel; Blum, Martin; Vick, Philipp

2016-08-23

Left-right (LR) organ asymmetries are a common feature of metazoan animals. In many cases, laterality is established by a conserved asymmetric Nodal signaling cascade during embryogenesis. In most vertebrates, asymmetric nodal induction results from a cilia-driven leftward fluid flow at the left-right organizer (LRO), a ciliated epithelium present during gastrula/neurula stages. Conservation of LRO and flow beyond the vertebrates has not been reported yet. Here we study sea urchin embryos, which use nodal to establish larval LR asymmetry as well. Cilia were found in the archenteron of embryos undergoing gastrulation. Expression of foxj1 and dnah9 suggested that archenteron cilia were motile. Cilia were polarized to the posterior pole of cells, a prerequisite of directed flow. High-speed videography revealed rotating cilia in the archenteron slightly before asymmetric nodal induction. Removal of cilia through brief high salt treatments resulted in aberrant patterns of nodal expression. Our data demonstrate that cilia - like in vertebrates - are required for asymmetric nodal induction in sea urchin embryos. Based on these results we argue that the anterior archenteron represents a bona fide LRO and propose that cilia-based symmetry breakage is a synapomorphy of the deuterostomes.

Nodal Topological Phases in s-wave Superfluid of Ultracold Fermionic Gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Bei-Bing; Yang, Xiao-Sen

2018-02-01

The gapless Weyl superfluid has been widely studied in the three-dimensional ultracold fermionic superfluid. In contrast to Weyl superfluid, there exists another kind of gapless superfluid with topologically protected nodal lines, which can be regarded as the superfluid counterpart of nodal line semimetal in the condensed matter physics, just as Weyl superfluid with Weyl semimetal. In this paper we study the ground states of the cold fermionic gases in cubic optical lattices with one-dimensional spin-orbit coupling and transverse Zeeman field and map out the topological phase diagram of the system. We demonstrate that in addition to a fully gapped topologically trivial phase, some different nodal line superfluid phases appear when the Zeeman field is adjusted. The presence of topologically stable nodal lines implies the dispersionless zero-energy flat band in a finite region of the surface Brillouin zone. Experimentally these nodal line superfluid states can be detected via the momentum-resolved radio-frequency spectroscopy. The nodal line topological superfluid provide fertile grounds for exploring exotic quantum matters in the context of ultracold atoms. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 11547047 and 11504143

Mapping of nodal disease in locally advanced prostate cancer: Rethinking the clinical target volume for pelvic nodal irradiation based on vascular rather than bony anatomy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shih, Helen A.; Harisinghani, Mukesh; Zietman, Anthony L.

2005-11-15

Purpose: Toxicity from pelvic irradiation could be reduced if fields were limited to likely areas of nodal involvement rather than using the standard 'four-field box.' We employed a novel magnetic resonance lymphangiographic technique to highlight the likely sites of occult nodal metastasis from prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Eighteen prostate cancer patients with pathologically confirmed node-positive disease had a total of 69 pathologic nodes identifiable by lymphotropic nanoparticle-enhanced MRI and semiquantitative nodal analysis. Fourteen of these nodes were in the para-aortic region, and 55 were in the pelvis. The position of each of these malignant nodes was mapped to amore » common template based on its relation to skeletal or vascular anatomy. Results: Relative to skeletal anatomy, nodes covered a diffuse volume from the mid lumbar spine to the superior pubic ramus and along the sacrum and pelvic side walls. In contrast, the nodal metastases mapped much more tightly relative to the large pelvic vessels. A proposed pelvic clinical target volume to encompass the region at greatest risk of containing occult nodal metastases would include a 2.0-cm radial expansion volume around the distal common iliac and proximal external and internal iliac vessels that would encompass 94.5% of the pelvic nodes at risk as defined by our node-positive prostate cancer patient cohort. Conclusions: Nodal metastases from prostate cancer are largely localized along the major pelvic vasculature. Defining nodal radiation treatment portals based on vascular rather than bony anatomy may allow for a significant decrease in normal pelvic tissue irradiation and its associated toxicities.« less

Differential role of Sloan–Kettering Institute (Ski) protein in Nodal and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β)-induced Smad signaling in prostate cancer cells

PubMed Central

Khan, Shafiq A.

2012-01-01

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling pathways contain both tumor suppressor and tumor promoting activities. We have demonstrated that Nodal, another member of the TGF-β superfamily, and its receptors are expressed in prostate cancer cells. Nodal and TGF-β exerted similar biological effects on prostate cells; both inhibited proliferation in WPE, RWPE1 and DU145 cells, whereas neither had any effect on the proliferation of LNCaP or PC3 cells. Interestingly, Nodal and TGF-β induced migration in PC3 cells, but not in DU145 cells. TGF-β induced predominantly phosphorylation of Smad3, whereas Nodal induced phosphorylation of only Smad2. We also determined the expression and differential role of Ski, a corepressor of Smad2/3, in Nodal and TGF-β signaling in prostate cancer cells. Similar levels of Ski mRNA were found in several established prostate cell lines; however, high levels of Ski protein were only detected in prostate cancer cells and prostate cancer tissue samples. Exogenous Nodal and TGF-β had no effects on Ski mRNA levels. On the other hand, TGF-β induced a rapid degradation of Ski protein mediated by the proteasomal pathway, whereas Nodal had no effect on Ski protein. Reduced Ski levels correlated with increased basal and TGF-β-induced Smad2/3 phosphorylation. Knockdown of endogenous Ski reduced proliferation in DU145 cells and enhanced migration of PC3 cells. We conclude that high levels of Ski expression in prostate cancer cells may be responsible for repression of TGF-β and Smad3 signaling, but Ski protein levels do not influence Nodal and Smad2 signaling. PMID:22843506

Long-term results of high-dose conformal radiotherapy for patients with medically inoperable T1-3N0 non-small-cell lung cancer: is low incidence of regional failure due to incidental nodal irradiation?

PubMed

Chen, Ming; Hayman, James A; Ten Haken, Randall K; Tatro, Daniel; Fernando, Shaneli; Kong, Feng-Ming

2006-01-01

To report the results of high-dose conformal irradiation and examine incidental nodal irradiation and nodal failure in patients with inoperable early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This analysis included patients with inoperable CT-staged T1-3N0M0 NSCLC treated on our prospective dose-escalation trial. Patients were treated with radiation alone (total dose, 63-102.9 Gy in 2.1-Gy daily fractions) with a three-dimensional conformal technique without intentional nodal irradiation. Bilateral highest mediastinal and upper/lower paratracheal, prevascular and retrotracheal, sub- and para-aortic, subcarinal, paraesophageal, and ipsilateral hilar regions were delineated individually. Nodal failure and doses of incidental irradiation were studied. The potential median follow-up was 104 months. For patients who completed protocol treatment, median survival was 31 months. The actuarial overall survival rate was 86%, 61%, 43%, and 21% and the cause-specific survival rate was 89%, 70%, 53%, and 35% at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years, respectively. Weight loss (p = 0.008) and radiation dose in Gy (p = 0.013) were significantly associated with overall survival. In only 22% and 13% of patients examined did ipsilateral hilar and paratracheal (and subaortic for left-sided tumor) nodal regions receive a dose of > or = 40 Gy, respectively. Less than 10% of all other nodal regions received a dose of > or = 40 Gy. No patients failed initially at nodal sites. Radiation dose is positively associated with overall survival in patients with medically inoperable T1-3N0 NSCLC, though long-term results remain poor. The nodal failure rate is low and does not seem to be due to high-dose incidental irradiation.

Quantum oscillations in nodal line systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Hui; Moessner, Roderich; Lim, Lih-King

2018-04-01

We study signatures of magnetic quantum oscillations in three-dimensional nodal line semimetals at zero temperature. The extended nature of the degenerate bands can result in a Fermi surface geometry with topological genus one, as well as a Fermi surface of electron and hole pockets encapsulating the nodal line. Moreover, the underlying two-band model to describe a nodal line is not unique, in that there are two classes of Hamiltonian with distinct band topology giving rise to the same Fermi-surface geometry. After identifying the extremal cyclotron orbits in various magnetic field directions, we study their concomitant Landau levels and resulting quantum oscillation signatures. By Landau-fan-diagram analyses, we extract the nontrivial π Berry phase signature for extremal orbits linking the nodal line.

Nodes of Ranvier Act as Barriers to Restrict Invasion of Flanking Paranodal Domains in Myelinated Axons

PubMed Central

Thaxton, Courtney; Pillai, Anilkumar M.; Pribisko, Alaine L.; Dupree, Jeffrey L.; Bhat, Manzoor A.

2010-01-01

Accumulation of voltage gated sodium (Nav) channels at nodes of Ranvier is paramount for action potential propagation along myelinated fibers, yet the mechanisms governing nodal development, organization and stabilization remain unresolved. Here, we report that genetic ablation of the neuron-specific isoform of Neurofascin (NfascNF186) in vivo results in nodal disorganization, including loss of Nav channel and ankyrin-G (AnkG) enrichment at nodes in the peripheral (PNS) and central (CNS) nervous systems. Interestingly, the presence of paranodal domains failed to rescue nodal organization in the PNS and the CNS. Most importantly, using ultrastructural analysis, we demonstrate that the paranodal domains invade the nodal space in NfascNF186 mutant axons and occlude node formation. Our results suggest that NfascNF186-dependent assembly of the nodal complex acts as a molecular boundary to restrict the movement of flanking paranodal domains into the nodal area, thereby facilitating the stereotypic axonal domain organization and saltatory conduction along myelinated axons. PMID:21262464

A quantitative description of normal AV nodal conduction curve in man.

PubMed

Teague, S; Collins, S; Wu, D; Denes, P; Rosen, K; Arzbaecher, R

1976-01-01

The AV nodal conduction curve generated by the atrial extrastimulus technique has been described only qualitatively in man, making clinical comparison of known normal curves with those of suspected AV nodal dysfunction difficult. Also, the effects of physiological and pharmacological interventions have not been quantifiable. In 50 patients with normal AV conduction as defined by normal AH (less than 130 ms), normal AV nodal effective and functional refractory periods (less than 380 and less than 500 ms), and absence of demonstrable dual AV nodal pathways, we found that conduction curves (at sinus rhythm or longest paced cycle length) can be described by an exponential equation of the form delta = Ae-Bx. In this equation, delta is the increase in AV nodal conduction time of an extrastimulus compared to that of a regular beat and x is extrastimulus interval. The natural logarithm of this equation is linear in the semilogarithmic plane, thus permitting the constants A and B to be easily determined by a least-squares regression analysis with a hand calculator.

Topological nodal-line fermions in spin-orbit metal PbTaSe2

PubMed Central

Bian, Guang; Chang, Tay-Rong; Sankar, Raman; Xu, Su-Yang; Zheng, Hao; Neupert, Titus; Chiu, Ching-Kai; Huang, Shin-Ming; Chang, Guoqing; Belopolski, Ilya; Sanchez, Daniel S.; Neupane, Madhab; Alidoust, Nasser; Liu, Chang; Wang, BaoKai; Lee, Chi-Cheng; Jeng, Horng-Tay; Zhang, Chenglong; Yuan, Zhujun; Jia, Shuang; Bansil, Arun; Chou, Fangcheng; Lin, Hsin; Hasan, M. Zahid

2016-01-01

Topological semimetals can support one-dimensional Fermi lines or zero-dimensional Weyl points in momentum space, where the valence and conduction bands touch. While the degeneracy points in Weyl semimetals are robust against any perturbation that preserves translational symmetry, nodal lines require protection by additional crystalline symmetries such as mirror reflection. Here we report, based on a systematic theoretical study and a detailed experimental characterization, the existence of topological nodal-line states in the non-centrosymmetric compound PbTaSe2 with strong spin-orbit coupling. Remarkably, the spin-orbit nodal lines in PbTaSe2 are not only protected by the reflection symmetry but also characterized by an integer topological invariant. Our detailed angle-resolved photoemission measurements, first-principles simulations and theoretical topological analysis illustrate the physical mechanism underlying the formation of the topological nodal-line states and associated surface states for the first time, thus paving the way towards exploring the exotic properties of the topological nodal-line fermions in condensed matter systems. PMID:26829889

Predictors of false negative sentinel lymph node biopsy in trunk and extremity melanoma.

PubMed

Sinnamon, Andrew J; Neuwirth, Madalyn G; Bartlett, Edmund K; Zaheer, Salman; Etherington, Mark S; Xu, Xiaowei; Elder, David E; Czerniecki, Brian J; Fraker, Douglas L; Karakousis, Giorgos C

2017-12-01

Nodal recurrence following negative sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for melanoma is known as false-negative (FN) SLNB. Risk factors for FN SLNB among patients with trunk and extremity melanoma have not been well-defined. After retrospective review, SLNB procedures were classified FN, true positive (TP; positive SLNB), or true negative (TN; negative SLNB without recurrence). Factors associated with high false negative rate (FNR) and low negative predictive value (NPV) were identified by comparing FNs to TPs and TNs, respectively. Survival was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier methods. Of 1728 patients, 234 were TP and 37 were FN for overall FNR of 14% and NPV of 97.5%. Age ≥65 years was independently associated with high FNR (FNR 20% in this group). Breslow thickness >1 mm and ulceration were independently associated with low NPV. Among patients with ulcerated tumors >4 mm, NPV was 88%. Median time to recurrence for FNs was 13 months. Among patients with primary melanomas ≤2 mm in depth, overall and distant disease-free survival were significantly shorter with FN SLNB than TP SLNB. Older age is associated with increased FNR; patients with thick, ulcerated lesions should be considered for increased nodal surveillance after negative SLNB given low NPV in this group. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Heterozygous deletion of FOXA2 segregates with disease in a family with heterotaxy, panhypopituitarism, and biliary atresia.

PubMed

Tsai, Ellen A; Grochowski, Christopher M; Falsey, Alexandra M; Rajagopalan, Ramakrishnan; Wendel, Danielle; Devoto, Marcella; Krantz, Ian D; Loomes, Kathleen M; Spinner, Nancy B

2015-06-01

Biliary atresia (BA) is a pediatric cholangiopathy with unknown etiology occurring in isolated and syndromic forms. Laterality defects affecting the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems are the most common features present in syndromic BA. Most cases are sporadic, although reports of familial cases have led to the hypothesis of genetic susceptibility in some patients. We identified a child with BA, malrotation, and interrupted inferior vena cava whose father presented with situs inversus, polysplenia, panhypopituitarism, and mildly dysmorphic facial features. Chromosomal microarray analysis demonstrated a 277 kb heterozygous deletion on chromosome 20, which included a single gene, FOXA2, in the proband and her father. This deletion was confirmed to be de novo in the father. The proband and her father share a common diagnosis of heterotaxy, but they also each presented with a variety of other issues. Further genetic screening revealed that the proband carried an additional protein-altering polymorphism (rs1904589; p.His165Arg) in the NODAL gene that is not present in the father, and this variant has been shown to decrease expression of the gene. As FOXA2 can be a regulator of NODAL expression, we propose that haploinsufficiency for FOXA2 combined with a decreased expression of NODAL is the likely cause for syndromic BA in this proband. © 2015 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

Regulation of salt marsh mosquito populations by the 18.6-yr lunar-nodal cycle.

PubMed

Rochlin, Ilia; Morris, James T

2017-08-01

The 18.6-yr lunar-nodal cycle drives changes in tidal amplitude globally, affecting coastal habitat formation, species and communities inhabiting rocky shores, and salt marsh vegetation. However, the cycle's influence on salt marsh fauna lacked sufficient long-term data for testing its effect. We circumvented this problem by using salt marsh mosquito records obtained over a period of over four decades in two estuaries in the northeastern USA. Salt marsh mosquito habitat is near the highest tide level where the impact of the nodal cycle on flood frequency is greatest. Wavelet spectral and cross-correlation analyses revealed periodicity in salt marsh mosquito abundance that was negatively correlated with tidal amplitude. Tidal amplitude was a significant predictor of salt marsh mosquito abundance with the cycle maxima coinciding with lower mosquito populations, possibly due to access by predatory fish. However, these effects were detected only at the location with extensive salt marsh habitat and astronomical tides and were weakened or lacked significance at the location with small microtidal salt marshes and wind-driven tides. Mosquitoes can serve as proxy indicators for numerous invertebrate species on the salt marsh. These predictable cycles and their effects need to be taken into consideration when investigating, restoring, or managing intertidal communities that are also facing sea-level rise. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

Clinical and histopathological factors affecting failed sentinel node localization in axillary staging for breast cancer.

PubMed

Dordea, Matei; Colvin, Hugh; Cox, Phil; Pujol Nicolas, Andrea; Kanakala, Venkat; Iwuchukwu, Obi

2013-04-01

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has become the standard of care in axillary staging of clinically node-negative breast cancer patients. To analyze reasons for failure of SLN localization by means of a multivariate analysis of clinical and histopathological factors. We performed a review of 164 consecutive breast cancer patients who underwent SLNB. A superficial injection technique was used. 9/164 patients failed to show nodes. In 7/9 patients no evidence of radioactivity or blue dye was observed. Age and nodal status were the only statistically significant factors (p < 0.05). For every unit increase in age there was a 9% reduced chance of failed SLN localization. Patients with negative nodal status have 90% reduced risk of failed sentinel node localization than patients with macro or extra capsular nodal invasion. The results suggest that altered lymphatic dynamics secondary to tumour burden may play a role in failed sentinel node localization. We showed that in all failed localizations the radiocolloid persisted around the injection site, showing limited local diffusion only. While clinical and histopathological data may provide some clues as to why sentinel node localization fails, we further hypothesize that integrity of peri-areolar lymphatics is important for successful localization. Copyright © 2012 Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (Scottish charity number SC005317) and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Occult nodal metastasis in solid carcinomata

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moloy, P.J.; Nicolson, G.L.

1987-01-01

This book contains 23 selections. Some of the titles are: Rationale for radiotherapy in subclinical nodal disease; rationale of chemotherapy for nodal disease: The stabilization of topoisomerase II-DNA complexes as a mechanism of antineoplastic drug action; magnetic resonance imaging of malignant cervical adenopathy; and local and regional immune function in cancer patients.

Localization of malignant melanoma using monoclonal antibodies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wasselle, J.; Becker, J.; Cruse, W.

1991-04-01

Finding a screening test to evaluate patients with cancer for occult metastatic disease, as well as imaging all known disease, is a goal of research efforts. Twenty-nine evaluable patients with deeply invasive (stage I), regional nodal (stage II), or systemic (stage III) melanoma underwent imaging by administration of a preparation of the antimelanoma antibody labeled with technetium 99m. Scan results indicated that 28 of 32 confirmed metastatic sites were imaged with this technique (88% sensitivity). Analysis of the individual positive sites revealed that nodal basins and visceral metastases accounted for the highest percentage of metastatic sites imaged, with 14 (88%)more » of 16 nodal basin metastases and all four visceral metastases being detected through imaging. Occult nodal disease was detected in the iliac nodal chain in two of the 29 patients. The imaging of benign tumors and nodal basins not containing disease accounted for a confirmed false-positive rate of 21%. Three (10%) of the 29 scan results were confirmed to be false-negative. In vivo tumor localization with monoclonal antibodies showed a sensitivity similar to that of other roentgenographic procedures for identifying metastatic disease and was useful in two of three patients in identifying occult iliac nodal disease, a region that is difficult to evaluate with physical examination and other imaging modalities.« less

Nodal enhances the activity of FoxO3a and its synergistic interaction with Smads to regulate cyclin G2 transcription in ovarian cancer cells.

PubMed

Fu, G; Peng, C

2011-09-15

Nodal, a member of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily, has been recently shown to suppress cell proliferation and to stimulate the expression of cyclin G2 (CCNG2) in human epithelial ovarian cancer cells. However, the precise mechanisms underlying these events are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the transcriptional regulation of CCNG2 by the Nodal signaling pathway. In ovarian cancer cells, overexpression of Nodal or its receptors, activin receptor-like kinase 7 (ALK7) or ALK4, resulted in an increase in the CCNG2 promoter activity. Several putative Forkhead box class O (FoxO)3a-binding sites are present in the human CCNG2 promoter and overexpression of FoxO3a enhanced the CCNG2 promoter activity. The functional FoxO3a-binding element (FBE) was mapped to a proximal region located between -398 and -380 bp (FBE1) through deletion and mutation analyses, as well as chromatin immunoprecipitation (IP) assay. Interestingly, mutation of the FBE1 not only abolished the effect of FoxO3a, but also blocked Nodal-induced CCNG2 transcription. Nodal stimulated FoxO3a mRNA and protein expression through the canonical Smad pathway and suppressed FoxO3a inactivation by inhibiting AKT activity. Silencing of FoxO3a using small interfering RNA significantly reduced the effect of Nodal on the CCNG2 promoter activity. On the other hand, overexpression of Smad2 and Smad3 enhanced the FoxO3a-induced CCNG2 promoter activity whereas knockdown of Smad4 blocked the activity of FoxO3a. Furthermore, IP assays revealed that FoxO3a formed complexes with Smad proteins and that Nodal enhanced the binding of FoxO3a to the CCNG2 promoter. Finally, silencing of FoxO3a reversed the inhibitory effect of Nodal on cell proliferation. Taken together, these findings demonstrated that Nodal signaling promotes CCNG2 transcription by upregulating FoxO3a expression, inhibiting FoxO3a phosphorylation and enhancing its synergistic interaction with Smads. These results also suggest that FoxO3a is an important mediator of Nodal signaling in ovarian cancer cells.

Outcomes of Patients With Head-and-Neck Cancer of Unknown Primary Origin Treated With Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shoushtari, Asal; Saylor, Drew; Kerr, Kara-Lynne

2011-11-01

Purpose: To analyze survival, failure patterns, and toxicity in patients with head-and-neck carcinoma of unknown primary origin (HNCUP) treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Methods and materials: Records from 27 patients with HNCUP treated during the period 2002-2008 with IMRT were reviewed retrospectively. Nodal staging ranged from N1 to N3. The mean preoperative dose to gross or suspected disease, Waldeyer's ring, and uninvolved bilateral cervical nodes was 59.4, 53.5, and 51.0 Gy, respectively. Sixteen patients underwent neck dissection after radiation and 4 patients before radiation. Eight patients with advanced nodal disease (N2b-c, N3) or extracapsular extension received chemotherapy. Results: With amore » median follow-up of 41.9 months (range, 25.3-93.9 months) for nondeceased patients, the 5-year actuarial overall survival, disease-free survival, and nodal control rates were 70.9%, 85.2%, and 88.5%, respectively. Actuarial disease-free survival rates for N1, N2, and N3 disease were 100%, 94.1%, and 50.0%, respectively, at 5 years. When stratified by nonadvanced (N1, N2a nodal disease without extracapsular spread) vs. advanced nodal disease (N2b, N2c, N3), the 5-year actuarial disease-free survival rate for the nonadvanced nodal disease group was 100%, whereas for the advanced nodal disease group it was significantly lower at 66.7% (p = 0.017). Three nodal recurrences were observed: in 1 patient with bulky N2b disease and 2 in patients with N3 disease. No nodal failures occurred in patients with N1 or N2a disease who received only radiation and surgery. Conclusion: Definitive IMRT to 50-56 Gy followed by neck dissection results in excellent nodal control and overall and disease-free survival, with acceptable toxicity for patients with T0N1 or nonbulky T0N2a disease without extracapsular spread. Patients with extracapsular spread, advanced N2 disease, or N3 disease may benefit from concurrent chemotherapy, targeted therapeutic agents, or accelerated radiation regimens in addition to surgery.« less

Patterns of nodal relapse after surgery and postoperative radiation therapy for carcinomas of the major and minor salivary glands: What is the role of elective neck irradiation?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Allen M.; Garcia, Joaquin; Lee, Nancy Y.

2007-03-15

Purpose: To evaluate the incidence of nodal relapses from carcinomas of the salivary glands among patients with clinically negative necks in an attempt to determine the potential utility of elective neck irradiation (ENI). Methods and Materials: Between 1960 and 2004, 251 patients with clinically N0 carcinomas of the salivary glands were treated with surgery and postoperative radiation therapy. None of the patients had undergone previous neck dissection. Histology was: adenoid cystic (84 patients), mucoepidermoid (60 patients), adenocarcinoma (58 patients), acinic cell (21 patients), undifferentiated (11 patients), carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma (7 patients), squamous cell (7 patients), and salivary duct carcinomamore » (3 patients); 131 patients (52%) had ENI. Median follow-up was 62 months (range, 3-267 months). Results: The 5- and 10-year actuarial estimates of nodal relapse were 11% and 13%, respectively. The 10-year actuarial rates of nodal failure were 7%, 5%, 12%, and 16%, for patients with T1, T2, T3, and T4 disease, respectively (p = 0.11). The use of ENI reduced the 10-year nodal failure rate from 26% to 0% (p = 0.0001). The highest crude rates of nodal relapse among those treated without ENI were found in patients with squamous cell carcinoma (67%), undifferentiated carcinoma (50%), adenocarcinoma (34%), and mucoepidermoid carcinoma (29%). There were no nodal failures observed among patients with adenoid cystic or acinic cell histology. Conclusion: ENI effectively prevents nodal relapses and should be used for select patients at high risk for regional failure.« less

47 CFR 101.503 - Digital Electronic Message Service Nodal Stations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... DEMS Nodal Station licenses should specify the maximum number of 10.6 GHz DEMS User Stations to be served by that nodal station. Any increase in that number must be applied for pursuant to § 1.913 of this... Stations. 101.503 Section 101.503 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY...

47 CFR 101.503 - Digital Electronic Message Service Nodal Stations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... DEMS Nodal Station licenses should specify the maximum number of 10.6 GHz DEMS User Stations to be served by that nodal station. Any increase in that number must be applied for pursuant to § 1.913 of this... Stations. 101.503 Section 101.503 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY...

47 CFR 101.503 - Digital Electronic Message Service Nodal Stations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... DEMS Nodal Station licenses should specify the maximum number of 10.6 GHz DEMS User Stations to be served by that nodal station. Any increase in that number must be applied for pursuant to § 1.913 of this... Stations. 101.503 Section 101.503 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY...

47 CFR 101.503 - Digital Electronic Message Service Nodal Stations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... DEMS Nodal Station licenses should specify the maximum number of 10.6 GHz DEMS User Stations to be served by that nodal station. Any increase in that number must be applied for pursuant to § 1.913 of this... Stations. 101.503 Section 101.503 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY...

Topological nodal-line fermions in spin-orbit metal PbTaSe2

DOE PAGES

Bian, Guang; Chang, Tay-Rong; Sankar, Raman; ...

2016-02-02

Here we discuss how topological semimetals can support one-dimensional Fermi lines or zero-dimensional Weyl points in momentum space, where the valence and conduction bands touch. While the degeneracy points in Weyl semimetals are robust against any perturbation that preserves translational symmetry, nodal lines require protection by additional crystalline symmetries such as mirror reflection. Here we report, based on a systematic theoretical study and a detailed experimental characterization, the existence of topological nodal-line states in the non-centrosymmetric compound PbTaSe 2 with strong spin-orbit coupling. Remarkably, the spin-orbit nodal lines in PbTaSe 2 are not only protected by the reflection symmetry butmore » also characterized by an integer topological invariant. Our detailed angle-resolved photoemission measurements, first-principles simulations and theoretical topological analysis illustrate the physical mechanism underlying the formation of the topological nodal-line states and associated surface states for the first time, thus paving the way towards exploring the exotic properties of the topological nodal-line fermions in condensed matter systems.« less

Classification of reflection-symmetry-protected topological semimetals and nodal superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiu, Ching-Kai; Schnyder, Andreas P.

2014-11-01

While the topological classification of insulators, semimetals, and superconductors in terms of nonspatial symmetries is well understood, less is known about topological states protected by crystalline symmetries, such as mirror reflections and rotations. In this work, we systematically classify topological semimetals and nodal superconductors that are protected, not only by nonspatial (i.e., global) symmetries, but also by a crystal reflection symmetry. We find that the classification crucially depends on (i) the codimension of the Fermi surface (nodal line or point) of the semimetal (superconductor), (ii) whether the mirror symmetry commutes or anticommutes with the nonspatial symmetries, and (iii) how the Fermi surfaces (nodal lines or points) transform under the mirror reflection and nonspatial symmetries. The classification is derived by examining all possible symmetry-allowed mass terms that can be added to the Bloch or Bogoliubov-de Gennes Hamiltonian in a given symmetry class and by explicitly deriving topological invariants. We discuss several examples of reflection-symmetry-protected topological semimetals and nodal superconductors, including topological crystalline semimetals with mirror Z2 numbers and topological crystalline nodal superconductors with mirror winding numbers.

Maternal Gdf3 is an obligatory cofactor in Nodal signaling for embryonic axis formation in zebrafish

PubMed Central

Bisgrove, Brent W; Su, Yi-Chu

2017-01-01

Zebrafish Gdf3 (Dvr1) is a member of the TGFβ superfamily of cell signaling ligands that includes Xenopus Vg1 and mammalian Gdf1/3. Surprisingly, engineered homozygous mutants in zebrafish have no apparent phenotype. Elimination of Gdf3 in oocytes of maternal-zygotic mutants results in embryonic lethality that can be fully rescued with gdf3 RNA, demonstrating that Gdf3 is required only early in development, beyond which mutants are viable and fertile. Gdf3 mutants are refractory to Nodal ligands and Nodal repressor Lefty1. Signaling driven by TGFβ ligand Activin and constitutively active receptors Alk4 and Alk2 remain intact in gdf3 mutants, indicating that Gdf3 functions at the same pathway step as Nodal. Targeting gdf3 and ndr2 RNA to specific lineages indicates that exogenous gdf3 is able to fully rescue mutants only when co-expressed with endogenous Nodal. Together, these findings demonstrate that Gdf3 is an essential cofactor of Nodal signaling during establishment of the embryonic axis. PMID:29140249

Unilateral dampening of Bmp activity by nodal generates cardiac left-right asymmetry.

PubMed

Veerkamp, Justus; Rudolph, Franziska; Cseresnyes, Zoltan; Priller, Florian; Otten, Cécile; Renz, Marc; Schaefer, Liliana; Abdelilah-Seyfried, Salim

2013-03-25

Signaling by Nodal and Bmp is essential for cardiac laterality. How activities of these pathways translate into left-right asymmetric organ morphogenesis is largely unknown. We show that, in zebrafish, Nodal locally reduces Bmp activity on the left side of the cardiac field. This effect is mediated by the extracellular matrix enzyme Hyaluronan synthase 2, expression of which is induced by Nodal. Unilateral reduction of Bmp signaling results in lower expression of nonmuscle myosin II and higher cell motility on the left, driving asymmetric displacement of the entire cardiac field. In silico modeling shows that left-right differences in cell motility are sufficient to induce a robust, directional migration of cardiac tissue. Thus, the mechanism underlying the formation of cardiac left-right asymmetry involves Nodal modulating an antimotogenic Bmp activity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nodal aberration theory for wild-filed asymmetric optical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yang; Cheng, Xuemin; Hao, Qun

2016-10-01

Nodal Aberration Theory (NAT) was used to calculate the zero field position in Full Field Display (FFD) for the given aberration term. Aiming at wide-filed non-rotational symmetric decentered optical systems, we have presented the nodal geography behavior of the family of third-order and fifth-order aberrations. Meanwhile, we have calculated the wavefront aberration expressions when one optical element in the system is tilted, which was not at the entrance pupil. By using a three-piece-cellphone lens example in optical design software CodeV, the nodal geography is testified under several situations; and the wavefront aberrations are calculated when the optical element is tilted. The properties of the nodal aberrations are analyzed by using Fringe Zernike coefficients, which are directly related with the wavefront aberration terms and usually obtained by real ray trace and wavefront surface fitting.

A nodal signaling pathway regulates the laterality of neuroanatomical asymmetries in the zebrafish forebrain.

PubMed

Concha, M L; Burdine, R D; Russell, C; Schier, A F; Wilson, S W

2000-11-01

Animals show behavioral asymmetries that are mediated by differences between the left and right sides of the brain. We report that the laterality of asymmetric development of the diencephalic habenular nuclei and the photoreceptive pineal complex is regulated by the Nodal signaling pathway and by midline tissue. Analysis of zebrafish embryos with compromised Nodal signaling reveals an early role for this pathway in the repression of asymmetrically expressed genes in the diencephalon. Later signaling mediated by the EGF-CFC protein One-eyed pinhead and the forkhead transcription factor Schmalspur is required to overcome this repression. When expression of Nodal pathway genes is either absent or symmetrical, neuroanatomical asymmetries are still established but are randomized. This indicates that Nodal signaling is not required for asymmetric development per se but is essential to determine the laterality of the asymmetry.

Regional Nodal Irradiation in Early-Stage Breast Cancer.

PubMed

Whelan, Timothy J; Olivotto, Ivo A; Parulekar, Wendy R; Ackerman, Ida; Chua, Boon H; Nabid, Abdenour; Vallis, Katherine A; White, Julia R; Rousseau, Pierre; Fortin, Andre; Pierce, Lori J; Manchul, Lee; Chafe, Susan; Nolan, Maureen C; Craighead, Peter; Bowen, Julie; McCready, David R; Pritchard, Kathleen I; Gelmon, Karen; Murray, Yvonne; Chapman, Judy-Anne W; Chen, Bingshu E; Levine, Mark N

2015-07-23

Most women with breast cancer who undergo breast-conserving surgery receive whole-breast irradiation. We examined whether the addition of regional nodal irradiation to whole-breast irradiation improved outcomes. We randomly assigned women with node-positive or high-risk node-negative breast cancer who were treated with breast-conserving surgery and adjuvant systemic therapy to undergo either whole-breast irradiation plus regional nodal irradiation (including internal mammary, supraclavicular, and axillary lymph nodes) (nodal-irradiation group) or whole-breast irradiation alone (control group). The primary outcome was overall survival. Secondary outcomes were disease-free survival, isolated locoregional disease-free survival, and distant disease-free survival. Between March 2000 and February 2007, a total of 1832 women were assigned to the nodal-irradiation group or the control group (916 women in each group). The median follow-up was 9.5 years. At the 10-year follow-up, there was no significant between-group difference in survival, with a rate of 82.8% in the nodal-irradiation group and 81.8% in the control group (hazard ratio, 0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72 to 1.13; P=0.38). The rates of disease-free survival were 82.0% in the nodal-irradiation group and 77.0% in the control group (hazard ratio, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.61 to 0.94; P=0.01). Patients in the nodal-irradiation group had higher rates of grade 2 or greater acute pneumonitis (1.2% vs. 0.2%, P=0.01) and lymphedema (8.4% vs. 4.5%, P=0.001). Among women with node-positive or high-risk node-negative breast cancer, the addition of regional nodal irradiation to whole-breast irradiation did not improve overall survival but reduced the rate of breast-cancer recurrence. (Funded by the Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute and others; MA.20 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00005957.).

Dose-volume effects in pathologic lymph nodes in locally advanced cervical cancer.

PubMed

Bacorro, Warren; Dumas, Isabelle; Escande, Alexandre; Gouy, Sebastien; Bentivegna, Enrica; Morice, Philippe; Haie-Meder, Christine; Chargari, Cyrus

2018-03-01

In cervical cancer patients, dose-volume relationships have been demonstrated for tumor and organs-at-risk, but not for pathologic nodes. The nodal control probability (NCP) according to dose/volume parameters was investigated. Patients with node-positive cervical cancer treated curatively with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and image-guided brachytherapy (IGABT) were identified. Nodal doses during EBRT, IGABT and boost were converted to 2-Gy equivalent (α/β = 10 Gy) and summed. Pathologic nodes were followed individually from diagnosis to relapse. Statistical analyses comprised log-rank tests (univariate analyses), Cox proportional model (factors with p ≤ 0.1 in univariate) and Probit analyses. A total of 108 patients with 254 unresected pathological nodes were identified. The mean nodal volume at diagnosis was 3.4 ± 5.8 cm 3 . The mean total nodal EQD2 doses were 55.3 ± 5.6 Gy. Concurrent chemotherapy was given in 96%. With a median follow-up of 33.5 months, 20 patients (18.5%) experienced relapse in nodes considered pathologic at diagnosis. Overall nodal recurrence rate was 9.1% (23/254). On univariate analyses, nodal volume (threshold: 3 cm 3 , p < .0001) and lymph node dose (≥57.5 Gy α/β10 , p = .039) were significant for nodal control. The use of simultaneous boost was borderline for significance (p = .07). On multivariate analysis, volume (HR = 8.2, 4.0-16.6, p < .0001) and dose (HR = 2, 1.05-3.9, p = .034) remained independent factors. Probit analysis combining dose and volume showed significant relationships with NCP, with increasing gap between the curves with higher nodal volumes. A nodal dose-volume effect on NCP is demonstrated for the first time, with increasing NCP benefit of additional doses to higher-volume nodes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SU-E-J-179: Prediction of Pelvic Nodal Coverage Using Mutual Information Between Cone-Beam and Planning CTs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jani, S; Kishan, A; O'Connell, D

2014-06-01

Purpose: To investigate if pelvic nodal coverage for prostate patients undergoing intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) can be predicted using mutual image information computed between planning and cone-beam CTs (CBCTs). Methods: Four patients with high-risk prostate adenocarcinoma were treated with IMRT on a Varian TrueBeam. Plans were designed such that 95% of the nodal planning target volume (PTV) received the prescription dose of 45 Gy (N=1) or 50.4 Gy (N=3). Weekly CBCTs (N=25) were acquired and the nodal clinical target volumes and organs at risk were contoured by a physician. The percent nodal volume receiving prescription dose was recorded as amore » ground truth. Using the recorded shifts performed by the radiation therapists at the time of image acquisition, CBCTs were aligned with the planning kVCT. Mutual image information (MI) was calculated between the CBCT and the aligned planning CT within the contour of the nodal PTV. Due to variable CBCT fields-of-view, CBCT images covering less than 90% of the nodal volume were excluded from the analysis, resulting in the removal of eight CBCTs. Results: A correlation coefficient of 0.40 was observed between the MI metric and the percent of the nodal target volume receiving the prescription dose. One patient's CBCTs had clear outliers from the rest of the patients. Upon further investigation, we discovered image artifacts that were present only in that patient's images. When those four images were excluded, the correlation improved to 0.81. Conclusion: This pilot study shows the potential of predicting pelvic nodal dosimetry by computing the mutual image information between planning CTs and patient setup CBCTs. Importantly, this technique does not involve manual or automatic contouring of the CBCT images. Additional patients and more robust exclusion criteria will help validate our findings.« less

Tumour thickness as a predictor of nodal metastases in oral cancer: comparison between tongue and floor of mouth subsites.

PubMed

Balasubramanian, Deepak; Ebrahimi, Ardalan; Gupta, Ruta; Gao, Kan; Elliott, Michael; Palme, Carsten E; Clark, Jonathan R

2014-12-01

To identify whether tumour thickness as a predictor of nodal metastases in oral squamous cell carcinoma differs between tongue and floor of mouth (FOM) subsites. Retrospective review of 343 patients treated between 1987 and 2012. The neck was considered positive in the presence of pathologically proven nodal metastases on neck dissection or during follow-up. There were 222 oral tongue and 121 FOM tumours. In patients with FOM tumours 2.1-4mm thick, the rate of nodal metastases was 41.7%. In contrast, for tongue cancers of a similar thickness the rate was only 11.2%. This increased to 38.5% in patients with tongue cancers that were 4.1-6mm thick. Comparing these two subsites, FOM cancers cross the critical 20% threshold of probability for nodal metastases between 1 and 2mm whereas tongue cancers cross the 20% threshold just under 4mm thickness. On logistic regression adjusting for relevant covariates, there was a significant difference in the propensity for nodal metastases based on tumour thickness according to subsite (p=0.028). Thin FOM tumours (2.1-4mm) have a high rate of nodal metastases. Elective neck dissection is appropriate in FOM tumours ⩾2mm thick and in tongue tumours ⩾4mm thick. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nodal signalling determines biradial asymmetry in Hydra.

PubMed

Watanabe, Hiroshi; Schmidt, Heiko A; Kuhn, Anne; Höger, Stefanie K; Kocagöz, Yigit; Laumann-Lipp, Nico; Ozbek, Suat; Holstein, Thomas W

2014-11-06

In bilaterians, three orthogonal body axes define the animal form, with distinct anterior-posterior, dorsal-ventral and left-right asymmetries. The key signalling factors are Wnt family proteins for the anterior-posterior axis, Bmp family proteins for the dorsal-ventral axis and Nodal for the left-right axis. Cnidarians, the sister group to bilaterians, are characterized by one oral-aboral body axis, which exhibits a distinct biradiality of unknown molecular nature. Here we analysed the biradial growth pattern in the radially symmetrical cnidarian polyp Hydra, and we report evidence of Nodal in a pre-bilaterian clade. We identified a Nodal-related gene (Ndr) in Hydra magnipapillata, and this gene is essential for setting up an axial asymmetry along the main body axis. This asymmetry defines a lateral signalling centre, inducing a new body axis of a budding polyp orthogonal to the mother polyp's axis. Ndr is expressed exclusively in the lateral bud anlage and induces Pitx, which encodes an evolutionarily conserved transcription factor that functions downstream of Nodal. Reminiscent of its function in vertebrates, Nodal acts downstream of β-Catenin signalling. Our data support an evolutionary scenario in which a 'core-signalling cassette' consisting of β-Catenin, Nodal and Pitx pre-dated the cnidarian-bilaterian split. We presume that this cassette was co-opted for various modes of axial patterning: for example, for lateral branching in cnidarians and left-right patterning in bilaterians.

Pressure-induced organic topological nodal-line semimetal in the three-dimensional molecular crystal Pd (dddt) 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Zhao; Wang, Haidi; Wang, Z. F.; Yang, Jinlong; Liu, Feng

2018-04-01

The nodal-line semimetal represents a class of topological materials characterized with highest band degeneracy. It is usually found in inorganic materials of high crystal symmetry or a minimum symmetry of inversion aided with accidental band degeneracy [Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 176402 (2017), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.176402]. Based on first-principles band structure, Wannier charge center, and topological surface state calculations, here we predict a pressure-induced topological nodal-line semimetal in the absence of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in the synthesized single-component 3D molecular crystal Pd (dddt) 2 . We show a Γ -centered single nodal line undulating within a narrow energy window across the Fermi level. This intriguing nodal line is generated by pressure-induced accidental band degeneracy, without protection from any crystal symmetry. When SOC is included, the fourfold degenerated nodal line is gapped and Pd (dddt) 2 becomes a strong 3D topological metal with an Z2 index of (1;000). However, the tiny SOC gap makes it still possible to detect the nodal-line properties experimentally. Our findings afford an attractive route for designing and realizing topological states in 3D molecular crystals, as they are weakly bonded through van der Waals forces with a low crystal symmetry so that their electronic structures can be easily tuned by pressure.

Prognostic impact of the level of nodal involvement: retrospective analysis of patients with advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma.

PubMed

Murakami, R; Nakayama, H; Semba, A; Hiraki, A; Nagata, M; Kawahara, K; Shiraishi, S; Hirai, T; Uozumi, H; Yamashita, Y

2017-01-01

We retrospectively evaluated the prognostic impact of the level of nodal involvement in patients with advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Between 2005 and 2010, 105 patients with clinical stage III or IV oral SCC had chemoradiotherapy preoperatively. Clinical (cN) and pathological nodal (pN) involvement was primarily at levels Ib and II. We defined nodal involvement at levels Ia and III-V as anterior and inferior extensions, respectively, and recorded such findings as extensive. With respect to pretreatment variables (age, clinical stage, clinical findings of the primary tumour, and nodal findings), univariate analysis showed that extensive cN was the only significant factor for overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 3.27; 95% CI 1.50 to 7.13; p=0.001). Univariate analysis showed that all pN findings, including the nodal classification (invaded nodes, multiple, and contralateral) and extensive involvement were significant, and multivariate analysis confirmed that extensive pN (HR 4.71; 95% CI 1.85 to 11.97; p=0.001) and multiple pN (HR 2.59; 95% CI 1.10 to 6.09; p=0.029) were independent predictors of overall survival. Assessment based on the level of invaded neck nodes may be a better predictor of survival than the current nodal classification. Copyright © 2016 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nodal lines and nodal loops in nonsymmorphic odd-parity superconductors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Micklitz, T.; Norman, M. R.

2017-01-01

We discuss the nodal structure of odd-parity superconductors in the presence of nonsymmorphic crystal symmetries, both with and without spin-orbit coupling, and with and without time-reversal symmetry. We comment on the relation of our work to previous work in the literature, and also the implications for unconventional superconductors such as UPt3.

Does atrioventricular reentry tachycardia (AVRT) or atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT) in children affect their cognitive and emotional development?

PubMed

Maryniak, Agnieszka; Bielawska, Alicja; Bieganowska, Katarzyna; Miszczak-Knecht, Maria; Walczak, Franciszek; Szumowski, Lukasz

2013-04-01

The current study sought to assess cognitive and emotional functions among children and adolescents with atrioventricular reentry tachycardia (AVRT) and atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT). 113 patients (62 girls and 51 boys ages, 9-18 years) scheduled for radiofrequency ablation due to AVRT or AVNRT underwent neuropsychologic examination. The study excluded patients who had experienced cardiac arrest, congenital heart defects, neurologic disorders, or other diseases affecting cognitive or emotional development. Standardized tests for examining verbal and visual memory as well as visual-spatial functioning were performed. For patients exhibiting deficits in two or more tests, a diagnosis of "cognitive deficits" was determined. Levels of anxiety were tested using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Cognitive deficits were found in 47.8 % of the patients. The age at first arrhythmia attack was related to memory dysfunction. The mean age at which the first symptoms occurred was significantly lower for patients with deficits (8.3 years) than for patients who had no deficit (10.2 years) (t = 2.15; p = 0.03). Boys exhibited a significantly higher level of trait anxiety than girls (t = 3.42; p = 0.0009). A significant negative correlation was found between anxiety and the age at appearance of the first symptoms (r = -0.26; p = 0.005). These findings led us to conclude that cognitive and emotional developments can be negatively affected by AVNRT and AVRT, particularly if tachycardia appears early in life.

Age Related Changes in Topological Properties of Brain Functional Network and Structural Connectivity.

PubMed

Shah, Chandan; Liu, Jia; Lv, Peilin; Sun, Huaiqiang; Xiao, Yuan; Liu, Jieke; Zhao, Youjin; Zhang, Wenjing; Yao, Li; Gong, Qiyong; Lui, Su

2018-01-01

Introduction: There are still uncertainties about the true nature of age related changes in topological properties of the brain functional network and its structural connectivity during various developmental stages. In this cross- sectional study, we investigated the effects of age and its relationship with regional nodal properties of the functional brain network and white matter integrity. Method: DTI and fMRI data were acquired from 458 healthy Chinese participants ranging from age 8 to 81 years. Tractography was conducted on the DTI data using FSL. Graph Theory analyses were conducted on the functional data yielding topological properties of the functional network using SPM and GRETNA toolbox. Two multiple regressions were performed to investigate the effects of age on nodal topological properties of the functional brain network and white matter integrity. Result: For the functional studies, we observed that regional nodal characteristics such as node betweenness were decreased while node degree and node efficiency was increased in relation to increasing age. Perversely, we observed that the relationship between nodal topological properties and fasciculus structures were primarily positive for nodal betweenness but negative for nodal degree and nodal efficiency. Decrease in functional nodal betweenness was primarily located in superior frontal lobe, right occipital lobe and the global hubs. These brain regions also had both direct and indirect anatomical relationships with the 14 fiber bundles. A linear age related decreases in the Fractional anisotropy (FA) value was found in the callosum forceps minor. Conclusion: These results suggests that age related differences were more pronounced in the functional than in structural measure indicating these measures do not have direct one-to-one mapping. Our study also indicates that the fiber bundles with longer fibers exhibited a more pronounced effect on the properties of functional network.

Patterns of failure after the reduced volume approach for elective nodal irradiation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

PubMed

Seol, Ki Ho; Lee, Jeong Eun

2016-03-01

To evaluate the patterns of nodal failure after radiotherapy (RT) with the reduced volume approach for elective neck nodal irradiation (ENI) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Fifty-six NPC patients who underwent definitive chemoradiotherapy with the reduced volume approach for ENI were reviewed. The ENI included retropharyngeal and level II lymph nodes, and only encompassed the echelon inferior to the involved level to eliminate the entire neck irradiation. Patients received either moderate hypofractionated intensity-modulated RT for a total of 72.6 Gy (49.5 Gy to elective nodal areas) or a conventional fractionated three-dimensional conformal RT for a total of 68.4-72 Gy (39.6-45 Gy to elective nodal areas). Patterns of failure, locoregional control, and survival were analyzed. The median follow-up was 38 months (range, 3 to 80 months). The out-of-field nodal failure when omitting ENI was none. Three patients developed neck recurrences (one in-field recurrence in the 72.6 Gy irradiated nodal area and two in the elective irradiated region of 39.6 Gy). Overall disease failure at any site developed in 11 patients (19.6%). Among these, there were six local failures (10.7%), three regional failures (5.4%), and five distant metastases (8.9%). The 3-year locoregional control rate was 87.1%, and the distant failure-free rate was 90.4%; disease-free survival and overall survival at 3 years was 80% and 86.8%, respectively. No patient developed nodal failure in the omitted ENI site. Our investigation has demonstrated that the reduced volume approach for ENI appears to be a safe treatment approach in NPC.

Patterns of failure after the reduced volume approach for elective nodal irradiation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

PubMed Central

Seol, Ki Ho

2016-01-01

Purpose To evaluate the patterns of nodal failure after radiotherapy (RT) with the reduced volume approach for elective neck nodal irradiation (ENI) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Materials and Methods Fifty-six NPC patients who underwent definitive chemoradiotherapy with the reduced volume approach for ENI were reviewed. The ENI included retropharyngeal and level II lymph nodes, and only encompassed the echelon inferior to the involved level to eliminate the entire neck irradiation. Patients received either moderate hypofractionated intensity-modulated RT for a total of 72.6 Gy (49.5 Gy to elective nodal areas) or a conventional fractionated three-dimensional conformal RT for a total of 68.4–72 Gy (39.6–45 Gy to elective nodal areas). Patterns of failure, locoregional control, and survival were analyzed. Results The median follow-up was 38 months (range, 3 to 80 months). The out-of-field nodal failure when omitting ENI was none. Three patients developed neck recurrences (one in-field recurrence in the 72.6 Gy irradiated nodal area and two in the elective irradiated region of 39.6 Gy). Overall disease failure at any site developed in 11 patients (19.6%). Among these, there were six local failures (10.7%), three regional failures (5.4%), and five distant metastases (8.9%). The 3-year locoregional control rate was 87.1%, and the distant failure-free rate was 90.4%; disease-free survival and overall survival at 3 years was 80% and 86.8%, respectively. Conclusion No patient developed nodal failure in the omitted ENI site. Our investigation has demonstrated that the reduced volume approach for ENI appears to be a safe treatment approach in NPC. PMID:27104162

Elective nodal irradiation (ENI) vs. involved field radiotherapy (IFRT) for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): A comparative analysis of toxicities and clinical outcomes.

PubMed

Fernandes, Annemarie T; Shen, Jason; Finlay, Jarod; Mitra, Nandita; Evans, Tracey; Stevenson, James; Langer, Corey; Lin, Lilie; Hahn, Stephen; Glatstein, Eli; Rengan, Ramesh

2010-05-01

Elective nodal irradiation (ENI) and involved field radiotherapy (IFRT) are definitive radiotherapeutic approaches used to treat patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). ENI delivers prophylactic radiation to clinically uninvolved lymph nodes, while IFRT only targets identifiable gross nodal disease. Because clinically uninvolved nodal stations may harbor microscopic disease, IFRT raises concerns for increased nodal failures. This retrospective cohort analysis evaluates failure rates and treatment-related toxicities in patients treated at a single institution with ENI and IFRT. We assessed all patients with stage III locally advanced or stage IV oligometastatic NSCLC treated with definitive radiotherapy from 2003 to 2008. Each physician consistently treated with either ENI or IFRT, based on their treatment philosophy. Of the 108 consecutive patients assessed (60 ENI vs. 48 IFRT), 10 patients had stage IV disease and 95 patients received chemotherapy. The median follow-up time for survivors was 18.9 months. On multivariable logistic regression analysis, patients treated with IFRT demonstrated a significantly lower risk of high grade esophagitis (Odds ratio: 0.31, p = 0.036). The differences in 2-year local control (39.2% vs. 59.6%), elective nodal control (84.3% vs. 84.3%), distant control (47.7% vs. 52.7%) and overall survival (40.1% vs. 43.7%) rates were not statistically significant between ENI vs. IFRT. Nodal failure rates in clinically uninvolved nodal stations were not increased with IFRT when compared to ENI. IFRT also resulted in significantly decreased esophageal toxicity, suggesting that IFRT may allow for integration of concurrent systemic chemotherapy in a greater proportion of patients. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Omitting elective nodal irradiation during thoracic irradiation in limited-stage small cell lung cancer--evidence from a phase II trial.

PubMed

Colaco, Rovel; Sheikh, Hamid; Lorigan, Paul; Blackhall, Fiona; Hulse, Paul; Califano, Raffaele; Ashcroft, Linda; Taylor, Paul; Thatcher, Nicholas; Faivre-Finn, Corinne

2012-04-01

Omitting elective nodal irradiation (ENI) in limited-stage disease small cell lung cancer (LD-SCLC) is expected to result in smaller radiation fields. We report on data from a randomised phase II trial that omitted ENI in patients receiving concurrent chemo-radiotherapy for LD-SCLC. 38 patients with LD-SCLC were randomised to receive once-daily (66 Gy in 33 fractions) or twice-daily (45 Gy in 30 fractions) radiotherapy (RT). 3D-conformal RT was given concurrently with cisplatin and etoposide starting with the second cycle of a total of four cycles. The gross tumour volume was defined as primary tumour with involved lymph nodes (nodes ≥1 cm in short axis) identifiable with CT imaging. ENI was not used. Six recurrence patterns were identified: recurrence within planning target volume (PTV) only, recurrence within PTV+regional nodal recurrence and/or distant recurrence, isolated nodal recurrence outside PTV, nodal recurrence outside PTV+distant recurrence, distant metastases only and no recurrence. At median follow-up 16.9 months, 31/38 patients were evaluable and 14/31 patients had relapsed. There were no isolated nodal recurrences. Eight patients relapsed with intra-thoracic disease: 2 within PTV only, 4 within PTV and distantly and 2 with nodal recurrence outside PTV plus distant metastases. Rates of grade 3+ acute oesophagitis and pneumonitis in the 31 evaluable patients were 23 and 3% respectively. In our study of LD-SCLC, omitting ENI based on CT imaging was not associated with a high risk of isolated nodal recurrence, although further prospective studies are needed to confirm this. Routine ENI omission will be further evaluated prospectively in the ongoing phase III CONVERT trial (NCT00433563). Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Usability study of the EduMod eLearning Program for contouring nodal stations of the head and neck.

PubMed

Deraniyagala, Rohan; Amdur, Robert J; Boyer, Arthur L; Kaylor, Scott

2015-01-01

A major strategy for improving radiation oncology education and competence evaluation is to develop eLearning programs that reproduce the real work environment. A valuable measure of the quality of an eLearning program is "usability," which is a multidimensional endpoint defined from the end user's perspective. The gold standard for measuring usability is the Software Usability Measurement Inventory (SUMI). The purpose of this study is to use the SUMI to measure usability of an eLearning course that uses innovative software to teach and test contouring of nodal stations of the head and neck. This is a prospective institutional review board-approved study in which all participants gave written informed consent. The study population was radiation oncology residents from 8 different programs across the United States. The subjects had to pass all sections of the same 2 eLearning modules and then complete the SUMI usability evaluation instrument. We reached the accrual goal of 25 participants. Usability results for the EduMod eLearning course, "Nodal Stations of the Head and Neck," were compared with a large database of scores of other major software programs. Results were evaluated in 5 domains: Affect, Helpfulness, Control, Learnability, and Global Usability. In all 5 domains, usability scores for the study modules were higher than the database mean and statistically superior in 4 domains. This is the first study to evaluate usability of an eLearning program related to radiation oncology. Usability of 2 representative modules related to contouring nodal stations of the head and neck was highly favorable, with scores that were superior to the industry standard in multiple domains. These results support the continued development of this type of eLearning program for teaching and testing radiation oncology technical skills. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Radiation Oncology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electrophysiologic effects of a novel selective adenosine A1 agonist (CVT-510) on atrioventricular nodal conduction in humans.

PubMed

Lerman, B B; Ellenbogen, K A; Kadish, A; Platia, E; Stein, K M; Markowitz, S M; Mittal, S; Slotwiner, D J; Scheiner, M; Iwai, S; Belardinelli, L; Jerling, M; Shreeniwas, R; Wolff, A A

2001-07-01

CVT-510, N-(3(R)-tetrahydrofuranyl)-6-aminopurine riboside, is a selective A(1)-adenosine receptor agonist with potential potent antiarrhythmic effects in tachycardias involving the atrioventricular (AV) node. This study, the first in humans, was designed to determine the effects of CVT-510 on AV nodal conduction and hemodynamics. Patients in sinus rhythm with normal AV nodal function at electrophysiologic study (n = 32) received a single intravenous bolus of CVT-510. AH and HV intervals were measured during sinus rhythm and during atrial pacing at 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 45, and 60 minutes after the bolus. Increasing doses of CVT-510 (0.3 to 10 microg/kg) caused a dose-dependent increase in the AH interval. At 1 minute, a dose of 10 microg/kg increased the AH interval during sinus rhythm from 93 +/- 23 msec to 114 +/- 37 msec, p = 0.01 and from 114 +/- 31 msec to 146 +/- 44 msec during atrial pacing at 600 msec, p = 0.003). The AH interval returned to baseline by 20 minutes. CVT-510 at doses of 0.3 to 10 microg/kg had no effect on sinus rate, HV interval, or systemic blood pressure, and was not associated with serious adverse effects. At doses of 15 and 30 microg/kg, CVT-510 produced transient second/third degree AV heart block in all four patients treated. One of these patients also had a prolonged sedative effect that was reversed with aminophylline. CVT-510 promptly prolongs AV nodal conduction and does not affect sinus rate or blood pressure. Selective stimulation of the A(1)-adenosine receptor by CVT-510 may be useful for immediate control of heart rate in atrial fibrillation/flutter and to convert paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia to sinus rhythm, while avoiding vasodilatation mediated by the A(2)-adenosine receptor, as well as the vasodepressor and negative inotropic effects associated with beta-adrenergic receptor blockade and/or calcium channel blockers.

Is there a role for pre-operative contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging for radical surgery in malignant pleural mesothelioma?

PubMed

Stewart, Duncan; Waller, David; Edwards, John; Jeyapalan, Kanagaratnam; Entwisle, James

2003-12-01

To assess the use of contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CEMRI) in addition to computed tomography in the pre-operative assessment of patients for radical surgery in malignant pleural mesothelioma. Over a 45-month period, 51 of 76 patients assessed (69 men and seven women), underwent extra-pleural pneumonectomy or radical pleurectomy/decortication. Post-operative pathological stage was correlated with radiological staging, with particular emphasis on tumour resectability. Seventeen (22%) patients were found on CEMRI to have unresectable, but histologically unconfirmed disease, not previously seen on CT. Fifty-one (67%) patients proceeded to radical surgery, but pathological nodal data were incomplete in three, so excluding these patients from further analyses. The median pre-operative interval after CEMRI was 17 days. Two patients were found to have unexpectedly extensive disease at thoracotomy, thus the sensitivity of CEMRI for prediction of resectability was 97%. Using the International Mesothelioma Interest Group system, tumour stage was correctly predicted by CEMRI in 48% of patients, but understaged in 50% of cases, largely due to the underestimation of pericardial involvement, but this did not affect resectability and had no significant effect on prognosis. Nodal stage was correctly identified in 60% of patients. CEMRI was successful in predicting pathological tumour stage T3 or less (sensitivity of 85%; specificity of 100%), but less so in identifying tumour stage T2 or less (sensitivity of 23%; specificity of 96%) or N2 nodal disease (sensitivity 66%; specificity 73%). CEMRI is most useful in the differentiation of T3 and T4 disease and may be unnecessary at earlier stages. Its multiplanar tumour localisation abilities are of value in the assessment of resectability. It is unlikely to contribute significantly to nodal staging, but it remains a valuable adjunct in the selection of patients for radical surgery.

Topological transport in Dirac nodal-line semimetals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rui, W. B.; Zhao, Y. X.; Schnyder, Andreas P.

2018-04-01

Topological nodal-line semimetals are characterized by one-dimensional Dirac nodal rings that are protected by the combined symmetry of inversion P and time-reversal T . The stability of these Dirac rings is guaranteed by a quantized ±π Berry phase and their low-energy physics is described by a one-parameter family of (2+1)-dimensional quantum field theories exhibiting the parity anomaly. Here we study the Berry-phase supported topological transport of P T -invariant nodal-line semimetals. We find that small inversion breaking allows for an electric-field-induced anomalous transverse current, whose universal component originates from the parity anomaly. Due to this Hall-like current, carriers at opposite sides of the Dirac nodal ring flow to opposite surfaces when an electric field is applied. To detect the topological currents, we propose a dumbbell device, which uses surface states to filter charges based on their momenta. Suggestions for experiments and device applications are discussed.

Hybrid nodal loop metal: Unconventional magnetoresponse and material realization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiaoming; Yu, Zhi-Ming; Lu, Yunhao; Sheng, Xian-Lei; Yang, Hui Ying; Yang, Shengyuan A.

2018-03-01

A nodal loop is formed by a band crossing along a one-dimensional closed manifold, with each point on the loop a linear nodal point in the transverse dimensions, and can be classified as type I or type II depending on the band dispersion. Here, we propose a class of nodal loops composed of both type-I and type-II points, which are hence termed as hybrid nodal loops. Based on first-principles calculations, we predict the realization of such loops in the existing electride material Ca2As . For a hybrid loop, the Fermi surface consists of coexisting electron and hole pockets that touch at isolated points for an extended range of Fermi energies, without the need for fine-tuning. This leads to unconventional magnetic responses, including the zero-field magnetic breakdown and the momentum-space Klein tunneling observable in the magnetic quantum oscillations, as well as the peculiar anisotropy in the cyclotron resonance.

Nodal patterning without Lefty inhibitory feedback is functional but fragile

PubMed Central

Gagnon, James A; Pauli, Andrea; Zimmerman, Steven; Aksel, Deniz C; Reyon, Deepak; Tsai, Shengdar Q; Joung, J Keith

2017-01-01

Developmental signaling pathways often activate their own inhibitors. Such inhibitory feedback has been suggested to restrict the spatial and temporal extent of signaling or mitigate signaling fluctuations, but these models are difficult to rigorously test. Here, we determine whether the ability of the mesendoderm inducer Nodal to activate its inhibitor Lefty is required for development. We find that zebrafish lefty mutants exhibit excess Nodal signaling and increased specification of mesendoderm, resulting in embryonic lethality. Strikingly, development can be fully restored without feedback: Lethal patterning defects in lefty mutants can be rescued by ectopic expression of lefty far from its normal expression domain or by spatially and temporally uniform exposure to a Nodal inhibitor drug. While drug-treated mutants are less tolerant of mild perturbations to Nodal signaling levels than wild type embryos, they can develop into healthy adults. These results indicate that patterning without inhibitory feedback is functional but fragile. PMID:29215332

Interpretation of Microseismicity Observed From Surface and Borehole Seismic Arrays During Hydraulic Fracturing in Shale - Bedding Plane Slip Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanek, F.; Jechumtalova, Z.; Eisner, L.

2017-12-01

We present a geomechanical model explaining microseismicity induced by hydraulic fracturing in shales developed from many datasets acquired with two most common types of seismic monitoring arrays, surface and dual-borehole arrays. The geomechanical model explains the observed source mechanisms and locations of induced events from two stimulated shale reservoirs. We observe shear dip-slip source mechanisms with nodal planes aligned with location trends. We show that such seismicity can be explained as a shearing along bedding planes caused by aseismic opening of vertical hydraulic fractures. The source mechanism inversion was applied only to selected high-quality events with sufficient signal-to-noise ratio. We inverted P- and P- and S-wave arrival amplitudes to full-moment tensor and decomposed it to shear, volumetric and compensated linear vector dipole components. We also tested an effect of noise presented in the data to evaluate reliability of non-shear components. The observed seismicity from both surface and downhole monitoring of shale stimulations is very similar. The locations of induced microseismic events are limited to narrow depth intervals and propagate along distinct trend(s) showing fracture propagation in direction of maximum horizontal stress from injection well(s). The source mechanisms have a small non-shear component which can be partly explained as an effect of noise in the data, i.e. events represent shearing on faults. We observe predominantly dip-slip events with a strike of the steeper (almost vertical) nodal plane parallel to the fracture propagation. Therefore the other possible nodal plane is almost horizontal. The rake angles of the observed mechanisms divide these dip-slips into two groups with opposite polarities. It means that we observe opposite movements on the nearly identically oriented faults. Realizing a typical structural weakness of shale in horizontal planes, we interpret observed microseismicity as a result of shearing along bedding planes caused by seismically silent (aseismic) vertical fracture opening.

EGFR immunoexpression, RAS immunoexpression and their effects on survival in lung adenocarcinoma cases

PubMed Central

Onder, Sevgen; Firat, Pinar; Dogan, Riza

2014-01-01

Background The impacts of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) immunoexpression and RAS immunoexpression on the survival and prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma patients are debated in the literature. Methods Twenty-six patients, who underwent pulmonary resections between 2002 and 2007 in our clinic, and whose pathologic examinations yielded adenocarcinoma, were included in the study. EGFR and RAS expression levels were examined by immunohistochemical methods. The results were compared with the survival, stage of the disease, nodal involvement, lymphovascular invasion, and pleural invasion. Nonparametric bivariate analyses were used for statistical analyses. Results A significant link between EGFR immunoexpression and survival has been identified while RAS immunoexpression and survival have been proven to be irrelevant. Neither EGFR, nor RAS has displayed a significant link with the stage of the disease, nodal involvement, lymphovascular invasion, or pleural invasion. Conclusions Positive EGFR immunoexpression affects survival negatively, while RAS immunoexpression has no effect on survival in lung adenocarcinoma patients. PMID:24977003

Quantum oscillations and nodal pockets from Fermi surface reconstruction in the underdoped cuprates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrison, Neil

2012-02-01

Fermiology in the underdoped high Tc cuprates presents us with unique challenges, requiring experimentalists to look deeper into the data than is normally required for clues. Recent measurements of an oscillatory chemical potential affecting the oscillations at high magnetic fields provide a strong indication of a single type of carrier pocket. When considered in conjunction with photoemission and specific heat measurements, a Fermi surface comprised almost entirely of nodal pockets is suggested. The mystery of the Fermi surface is deepened, however, by a near doping-independent Fermi surface cross-sectional area and negative Hall and Seebeck coefficients. We explore ways in which these findings can be reconciled, taking an important hint from the diverging effective mass yielded by quantum oscillations at low dopings. The author wishes to thank Suchitra Sebastian, Moaz Atarawneh, Doug Bonn, Walter Hardy, Ruixing Liang, Charles Mielke and Gilbert Lonzarich who have contributed to this work. The work is supported by the NSF through the NHMFL and by the DOE project ``Science at 100 tesla.''

Identification of lesion and nodal resistance in pea (Pisum sativum L.) to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum using genome-wide association studies and RNA-Seq

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Nodal resistance in plants is a phenomenon where a fungal infection is prevented from passing through a node and the infection is limited to an internode region. Nodal resistance has been observed in some pathosystems such as the pea (Pisum sativum L.)-white mold (WM) (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib....

Brady's Geothermal Field - Map of DAS, Nodal, Vibroseis and Reftek Station Deployment

DOE Data Explorer

Kurt Feigl

2016-10-15

Map of DAS, nodal, vibroseis and Reftek stations during March 2016 deployment. The plot on the left has nodal stations labeled; the plot on the right has vibroseis observations labeled. Stations are shown in map-view using Brady's rotated X-Y coordinates with side plots denoting elevation with respect to the WGS84 ellipsoid. Blue circles denote vibroseis data, x symbols denote DAS (cyan for horizontal and magenta for vertical), black asterisks denote Reftek data, and red plus signs denote nodal data. This map can be found on UW-Madison's askja server at /PoroTomo/DATA/MAPS/Deployment_Stations.pdf

Integration of nodal and BMP signals in the heart requires FoxH1 to create left-right differences in cell migration rates that direct cardiac asymmetry.

PubMed

Lenhart, Kari F; Holtzman, Nathalia G; Williams, Jessica R; Burdine, Rebecca D

2013-01-01

Failure to properly establish the left-right (L/R) axis is a major cause of congenital heart defects in humans, but how L/R patterning of the embryo leads to asymmetric cardiac morphogenesis is still unclear. We find that asymmetric Nodal signaling on the left and Bmp signaling act in parallel to establish zebrafish cardiac laterality by modulating cell migration velocities across the L/R axis. Moreover, we demonstrate that Nodal plays the crucial role in generating asymmetry in the heart and that Bmp signaling via Bmp4 is dispensable in the presence of asymmetric Nodal signaling. In addition, we identify a previously unappreciated role for the Nodal-transcription factor FoxH1 in mediating cell responsiveness to Bmp, further linking the control of these two pathways in the heart. The interplay between these TGFβ pathways is complex, with Nodal signaling potentially acting to limit the response to Bmp pathway activation and the dosage of Bmp signals being critical to limit migration rates. These findings have implications for understanding the complex genetic interactions that lead to congenital heart disease in humans.

The Bmp signaling pathway regulates development of left-right asymmetry in amphioxus.

PubMed

Soukup, Vladimir; Kozmik, Zbynek

2018-02-01

Establishment of asymmetry along the left-right (LR) body axis in vertebrates requires interplay between Nodal and Bmp signaling pathways. In the basal chordate amphioxus, the left-sided activity of the Nodal signaling has been attributed to the asymmetric morphogenesis of paraxial structures and pharyngeal organs, however the role of Bmp signaling in LR asymmetry establishment has not been addressed to date. Here, we show that Bmp signaling is necessary for the development of LR asymmetric morphogenesis of amphioxus larvae through regulation of Nodal signaling. Loss of Bmp signaling results in loss of the left-sided expression of Nodal, Gdf1/3, Lefty and Pitx and in gain of ectopic expression of Cerberus on the left side. As a consequence, the larvae display loss of the offset arrangement of axial structures, loss of the left-sided pharyngeal organs including the mouth, and ectopic development of the right-sided organs on the left side. Bmp inhibition thus phenocopies inhibition of Nodal signaling and results in the right isomerism. We conclude that Bmp and Nodal pathways act in concert to specify the left side and that Bmp signaling plays a fundamental role during LR development in amphioxus. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improving the pathologic evaluation of lung cancer resection specimens.

PubMed

Osarogiagbon, Raymond U; Hilsenbeck, Holly L; Sales, Elizabeth W; Berry, Allen; Jarrett, Robert W; Giampapa, Christopher S; Finch-Cruz, Clara N; Spencer, David

2015-08-01

Accurate post-operative prognostication and management heavily depend on pathologic nodal stage. Patients with nodal metastasis benefit from post-operative adjuvant chemotherapy, those with mediastinal nodal involvement may also benefit from adjuvant radiation therapy. However, the quality of pathologic nodal staging varies significantly, with major survival implications in large populations of patients. We describe the quality gap in pathologic nodal staging, and provide evidence of its potential reversibility by targeted corrective interventions. One intervention, designed to improve the surgical lymphadenectomy, specimen labeling, and secure transfer between the operating theatre and the pathology laboratory, involves use of pre-labeled specimen collection kits. Another intervention involves application of an improved method of gross dissection of lung resection specimens, to reduce the inadvertent loss of intrapulmonary lymph nodes to histologic examination for metastasis. These corrective interventions are the subject of a regional dissemination and implementation project in diverse healthcare systems in a tri-state region of the United States with some of the highest lung cancer incidence and mortality rates. We discuss the potential of these interventions to significantly improve the accuracy of pathologic nodal staging, risk stratification, and the quality of specimens available for development of stage-independent prognostic markers in lung cancer.

Topological nodal superconducting phases and topological phase transition in the hyperhoneycomb lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouhon, Adrien; Schmidt, Johann; Black-Schaffer, Annica M.

2018-03-01

We establish the topology of the spin-singlet superconducting states in the bare hyperhoneycomb lattice, and we derive analytically the full phase diagram using only symmetry and topology in combination with simple energy arguments. The phase diagram is dominated by two states preserving time-reversal symmetry. We find a line-nodal state dominating at low doping levels that is topologically nontrivial and exhibits surface Majorana flatbands, which we show perfectly match the bulk-boundary correspondence using the Berry phase approach. At higher doping levels, we find a fully gapped state with trivial topology. By analytically calculating the topological invariant of the nodal lines, we derive the critical point between the line-nodal and fully gapped states as a function of both pairing parameters and doping. We find that the line-nodal state is favored not only at lower doping levels but also if symmetry-allowed deformations of the lattice are present. Adding simple energy arguments, we establish that a fully gapped state with broken time-reversal symmetry likely appears covering the actual phase transition. We find this fully gapped state to be topologically trivial, while we find an additional point-nodal state at very low doing levels that also break time-reversal symmetry and has nontrivial topology with associated Fermi surface arcs. We eventually address the robustness of the phase diagram to generalized models also including adiabatic spin-orbit coupling, and we show how all but the point-nodal state are reasonably stable.

Influence of FDG-PET on primary nodal target volume definition for head and neck carcinomas.

PubMed

van Egmond, Sylvia L; Piscaer, Vera; Janssen, Luuk M; Stegeman, Inge; Hobbelink, Monique G; Grolman, Wilko; Terhaard, Chris H

The role of 2-[ 18 F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) in routine diagnostic staging remains controversial. In case of discordance between FDG-PET and CT, a compromise has to be made between the risk of false positive FDG-PET and the risk of delaying appropriate salvage intervention. Second, with intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), smaller radiation fields allow tissue sparing, but could also lead to more marginal failures. We retrospectively studied 283 patients with head and neck carcinoma scheduled for radiotherapy between 2002 and 2010. We analyzed the influence of FDG-PET/CT versus CT alone on defining nodal target volume definition and evaluated its long-term clinical results. Second, the location of nodal recurrences was related to the radiation regional dose distribution. In 92 patients, CT and FDG-PET, performed in mold, showed discordant results. In 33%, nodal staging was altered by FDG-PET. In 24%, FDG-PET also led to an alteration in nodal treatment, including a nodal upstage of 18% and downstage of 6%. In eight of these 92 patients, a regional recurrence occurred. Only two patients had a recurrence in the discordant node on FDG-PET and CT and both received a boost (high dose radiation). These results support the complementary value of FDG-PET/CT compared to CT alone in defining nodal target volume definition for radiotherapy of head and neck cancer.

BMP inhibition by DAN in Hensen's node is a critical step for the establishment of left-right asymmetry in the chick embryo.

PubMed

Katsu, Kenjiro; Tokumori, Daisuke; Tatsumi, Norifumi; Suzuki, Atsushi; Yokouchi, Yuji

2012-03-01

During left-right (L-R) axis formation, Nodal is expressed in the node and has a central role in the transfer of L-R information in the vertebrate embryo. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling also has an important role for maintenance of gene expression around the node. Several members of the Cerberus/Dan family act on L-R patterning by regulating activity of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family. We demonstrate here that chicken Dan plays a critical role in L-R axis formation. Chicken Dan is expressed in the left side of the node shortly after left-handed Shh expression and before the appearance of asymmetrically expressed genes in the lateral plate mesoderm (LPM). In vitro experiments revealed that DAN inhibited BMP signaling but not NODAL signaling. SHH had a positive regulatory effect on Dan expression while BMP4 had a negative effect. Using overexpression and RNA interference-mediated knockdown strategies, we demonstrate that Dan is indispensable for Nodal expression in the LPM and for Lefty-1 expression in the notochord. In the perinodal region, expression of Dan and Nodal was independent of each other. Nodal up-regulation by DAN required NODAL signaling, suggesting that DAN might act synergistically with NODAL. Our data indicate that Dan plays an essential role in the establishment of the L-R axis by inhibiting BMP signaling around the node. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Maternal nodal and zebrafish embryogenesis.

PubMed

Bennett, James T; Stickney, Heather L; Choi, Wen-Yee; Ciruna, Brian; Talbot, William S; Schier, Alexander F

2007-11-08

In fish and amphibians, the dorsal axis is specified by the asymmetric localization of maternally provided components of the Wnt signalling pathway. Gore et al. suggest that the Nodal signal Squint (Sqt) is required as a maternally provided dorsal determinant in zebrafish. Here we test their proposal and show that the maternal activities of sqt and the related Nodal gene cyclops (cyc) are not required for dorsoventral patterning.

The São Vicente earthquake of 2008 April and seismicity in the continental shelf off SE Brazil: further evidence for flexural stresses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Assumpção, M.; Dourado, J. C.; Ribotta, L. C.; Mohriak, W. U.; Dias, Fábio L.; Barbosa, J. R.

2011-12-01

The continental margin and shelf of most stable intraplate regions tend to be relatively more seismically active than the continental interior. In the southeast continental margin of Brazil, a seismic zone extends from Rio Grande do Sul to Espírito Santo, with seismic activity occurring mainly along the continental slope and suggesting a close relationship with flexural stresses caused by the weight of the sediments. In this region, earthquakes with magnitudes larger than 5 mb occur every 20-25 yr, on average. The focal mechanism solutions of previous earthquakes in this zone indicated reverse faulting on planes dipping approximately 45° with horizontal P-axes. The recent 5.2 mb earthquake of 2008 April 23 occurred 125 km south of São Vicente and was well recorded by many stations in SE Brazil, as well as at teleseismic distances in North America and Africa. Its focal depth was 17 km, locating the hypocentre in the lower crust. A well-determined focal mechanism solution shows one vertical nodal plane and one subhorizontal nodal plane. The P- and T-axes exhibit large dips, which were confirmed by a regional moment tensor inversion. This unusual orientation of the fault mechanism can be attributed to a rotation of the principal stress directions in the lower crust caused by flexural effects due to the load of recent sedimentation.

On the Nodal Lines of Eisenstein Series on Schottky Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jakobson, Dmitry; Naud, Frédéric

2017-04-01

On convex co-compact hyperbolic surfaces {X=Γ backslash H2}, we investigate the behavior of nodal curves of real valued Eisenstein series {F_λ(z,ξ)}, where {λ} is the spectral parameter, {ξ} the direction at infinity. Eisenstein series are (non-{L^2}) eigenfunctions of the Laplacian {Δ_X} satisfying {Δ_X F_λ=(1/4+λ^2)F_λ}. As {λ} goes to infinity (the high energy limit), we show that, for generic {ξ}, the number of intersections of nodal lines with any compact segment of geodesic grows like {λ}, up to multiplicative constants. Applications to the number of nodal domains inside the convex core of the surface are then derived.

Winding numbers of nodal points in Fe-based superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chichinadze, Dmitry V.; Chubukov, Andrey V.

2018-03-01

We analyze the nodal points in multiorbital Fe-based superconductors from a topological perspective. We consider the s+- gap structure with accidental nodes, and the d -wave gap with nodes along the symmetry directions. In both cases, the nodal points can be moved by varying an external parameter, e.g., a degree of interpocket pairing. Eventually, the nodes merge and annihilate via a Lifshitz-type transition. We discuss the Lifshitz transition in Fe-based superconductors from a topological point of view. We show, both analytically and numerically, that the merging nodal points have winding numbers of opposite sign. This is consistent with the general reasoning that the total winding number is a conserved quantity in the Lifshitz transition.

Shallow seismicity of arc-continent collision near Lae, Papua New Guinea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulig, Christopher; McCaffrey, Robert; Abers, Geoffrey A.; Letz, Horst

1993-11-01

In northeastern New Guinea, the narrow Ramu-Markham Valley (RMV) separates island arc rocks to the north from those of continental origin to the south and appears to be the western, onland extension of the New Britain trench. To explore the tectonic processes at the leading edge of the island arc during collision, we operated a portable seismic network for six weeks near the city of Lae at the eastern end of the RMV. We observed a narrow, near-vertical belt of seismicity between 10 and 30 km depth, that we call the Lae Seismic Zone (LSZ), starting at the RMV in the southwest and trending northeasterly cutting across surface geologic structure. The truncation of the LSZ along a steep plane by the Ramu-Markham Fault Zone (RMFZ) and earthquake first motions suggest that the earthquakes occur in the hanging wall of a steep, N-dipping fault that crops out at the RMFZ. We also consider that the LSZ is within the lower plate of a gently dipping thrust. Below 20 km depth the microearthquake zone is truncated by a gently, NE-dipping plane coinciding in depth and dip with nodal planes of recent large ( mb = 5.6 and 6.0) thrust earthquakes. We suggest that the Huon Peninsula is being emplaced onto the Australian plate along a gently (~ 25°) dipping thrust fault that is 20 km deep beneath Lae. The RMFZ may be a steeply dipping thrust fault that connects with this gently, N-dipping thrust but accommodates little convergence at present. The LSZ trends nearly perpendicular to an anticlinal range which appears to be sheared in a left-lateral sense. P-wave first motions for earthquakes in the LSZ with steep (70° to 90° dip) nodal planes that strike parallel to the LSZ suggest a component of south-side-up displacement also. Hence, the crustal block south of the LSZ may be rising relative to the Huon Peninsula and the rapid Quaternary uplift rates estimated for the Lae coastal region may be higher than the uplift rate of the Huon Peninsula as a whole. We suggest that the LSZ reveals a tear of small offset in the Huon terrane but may be similar to a structure that produced a magnitude 7 earthquake near Madang in 1970.

Barrier tunneling of the loop-nodal semimetal in the hyperhoneycomb lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guan, Ji-Huan; Zhang, Yan-Yang; Lu, Wei-Er; Xia, Yang; Li, Shu-Shen

2018-05-01

We theoretically investigate the barrier tunneling in the 3D model of the hyperhoneycomb lattice, which is a nodal-line semimetal with a Dirac loop at zero energy. In the presence of a rectangular potential, the scattering amplitudes for different injecting states around the nodal loop are calculated, by using analytical treatments of the effective model, as well as numerical simulations of the tight binding model. In the low energy regime, states with remarkable transmissions are only concentrated in a small range around the loop plane. When the momentum of the injecting electron is coplanar with the nodal loop, nearly perfect transmissions can occur for a large range of injecting azimuthal angles if the potential is not high. For higher potential energies, the transmission shows a resonant oscillation with the potential, but still with peaks being perfect transmissions that do not decay with the potential width. These strikingly robust transports of the loop-nodal semimetal can be approximately explained by a momentum dependent Dirac Hamiltonian.

Comparison of Modal to Nodal Approaches for Wavefront Correction,

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-02-01

the influence function of the wavefront corrector. (Implicit here is the assumption that the influence function is the same for every node, which is...To implement a nodal correction, the wavefront to be corrected is -. .. decomposed using a basis which is determined by the nodal (actuator) influence ... function of the wavefront corrector. This decomposition results in a set of coefficients which correspond to the drive signal required at the

Recognizing nodal marginal zone lymphoma: recent advances and pitfalls. A systematic review

PubMed Central

van den Brand, Michiel; van Krieken, J. Han J.M.

2013-01-01

The diagnosis of nodal marginal zone lymphoma is one of the remaining problem areas in hematopathology. Because no established positive markers exist for this lymphoma, it is frequently a diagnosis of exclusion, making distinction from other low-grade B-cell lymphomas difficult or even impossible. This systematic review summarizes and discusses the current knowledge on nodal marginal zone lymphoma, including clinical features, epidemiology and etiology, histology, and cytogenetic and molecular features. In particular, recent advances in diagnostics and pathogenesis are discussed. New immunohistochemical markers have become available that could be used as positive markers for nodal marginal zone lymphoma. These markers could be used to ensure more homogeneous study groups in future research. Also, recent gene expression studies and studies describing specific gene mutations have provided clues to the pathogenesis of nodal marginal zone lymphoma, suggesting deregulation of the nuclear factor kappa B pathway. Nevertheless, nodal marginal zone lymphoma remains an enigmatic entity, requiring further study to define its pathogenesis to allow an accurate diagnosis and tailored treatment. However, recent data indicate that it is not related to splenic or extranodal lymphoma, and that it is also not related to lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma. Thus, even though the diagnosis is not always easy, it is clearly a separate entity. PMID:23813646

Role of Nodal-PITX2C signaling pathway in glucose-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.

PubMed

Su, Dongmei; Jing, Sun; Guan, Lina; Li, Qian; Zhang, Huiling; Gao, Xiaobo; Ma, Xu

2014-06-01

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in cardiovascular disease. Recent studies have shown that cardiomyocytes, in response to high glucose (HG) stimuli, undergo hypertrophic growth. While much work still needs to be done to elucidate this important mechanism of hypertrophy, previous works have showed that some pathways or genes play important roles in hypertrophy. In this study, we showed that sublethal concentrations of glucose (25 mmol/L) could induce cardiomyocyte hypertrophy with an increase in the cellular surface area and the upregulation of the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) gene, a hypertrophic marker. High glucose (HG) treatments resulted in the upregulation of the Nodal gene, which is under-expressed in cardiomyocytes. We also determined that the knockdown of the Nodal gene resisted HG-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. The overexpression of Nodal was able to induce hypertrophy in cardiomyocytes, which was associated with the upregulation of the PITX2C gene. We also showed that increases in the PITX2C expression, in response to Nodal, were mediated by the Smad4 signaling pathway. This study is highly relevant to the understanding of the effects of the Nodal-PITX2C pathway on HG-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, as well as the related molecular mechanisms.

Risk of isolated nodal failure for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with the elective nodal irradiation (ENI) using 3D-conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) techniques--a retrospective analysis.

PubMed

Kepka, Lucyna; Bujko, Krzysztof; Zolciak-Siwinska, Agnieszka

2008-01-01

To estimate retrospectively the rate of isolated nodal failures (INF) in NSCLC patients treated with the elective nodal irradiation (ENI) using 3D-conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT). One hundred and eighty-five patients with I-IIIB stage treated with 3D-CRT in consecutive clinical trials differing in an extent of the ENI were analyzed. According to the extent of the ENI, two groups were distinguished: extended (n = 124) and limited (n = 61) ENI. INF was defined as regional nodal failure occurring without local progression. Cumulative Incidence of INF (CIINF) was evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis with regard to prognostic factors. With a median follow up of 30 months, the two-year actuarial overall survival was 35%. The two-year CIINF rate was 12%. There were 16 (9%) INF, eight (6%) for extended and eight (13%) for limited ENI. In the univariate analysis bulky mediastinal disease (BMD), left side, higher N stage, and partial response to RT had a significant negative impact on the CIINF. BMD was the only independent predictor of the risk of incidence of the INF (p = 0.001). INF is more likely to occur in case of more advanced nodal status.

Assessment of Ultrasound Features Predicting Axillary Nodal Metastasis in Breast Cancer: The Impact of Cortical Thickness

PubMed Central

Stachs, A.; Thi, A. Tra-Ha; Dieterich, M.; Stubert, J.; Hartmann, S.; Glass, Ä.; Reimer, T.; Gerber, B.

2015-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of axillary ultrasound (AUS) in detecting nodal metastasis in patients with early-stage breast cancer and to identify AUS features with high predictive power. Materials and Methods: Prospective single-center preliminary study in 105 patients with a primary diagnosis of breast cancer and clinically negative axilla. AUS was performed using a 12 MHz linear-array transducer before ultrasound-guided needle biopsy. Nodal characteristics (shape, longitudinal-transverse [LT] axis ratio, margins, cortical thickness, hyperechoic hilum) were correlated with histopathological nodal status after SLNB or axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). Results: Nodal metastases were present in 42/105 patients (40.0%). Univariate analyses showed that absence of hyperechoic hilum, round shape, LT axis ratio<2, sharp margins and cortical thickness>3 mm were associated with lymph node metastasis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed cortical thickness > 3 mm as an independent predictive parameter for nodal involvement. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy were 66.7, 74.6, 63.6, 77.0% and 71.4% respectively when cortical thickness > 3 mm was applied as the criterion for AUS positivity. Axillary tumor volume was low in patients with pT1/2 tumors and negative AUS, since only 3.2% of patients had > 2 metastatic lymph nodes. Conclusion: Cortical thickness>3 mm is a reliable predictor of nodal metastatic involvement. Negative AUS does not exclude lymph node metastases, but extensive axillary tumor volume is rare. PMID:27689144

Developmental changes in electrophysiological characteristics of human induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived cardiomyocytes

PubMed Central

Ben-Ari, Meital; Naor, Shulamit; Zeevi-Levin, Naama; Schick, Revital; Ben Jehuda, Ronen; Reiter, Irina; Raveh, Amit; Grijnevitch, Inna; Barak, Omri; Rosen, Michael R.; Weissman, Amir; Binah, Ofer

2016-01-01

Background Previous studies proposed that throughout differentiation of human induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) only 3 types of action potentials (AP) exist: nodal, atrial and ventricular-like. Objective To investigate whether there are precisely 3 phenotypes or a continuum exists among them, we tested 2 hypotheses: (1) during culture development a cardiac precursor cell is present that - depending on age - can evolve into the 3 phenotypes. (2) The predominant pattern is early prevalence of nodal phenotype, transient appearance of atrial phenotype, evolution to ventricular phenotype, and persistence of transitional phenotypes. Methods To test these hypotheses we: (1) performed FACS analysis of nodal, atrial and ventricular markers; (2) recorded AP from 280 7-to-95 day old iPSC-CMs; (3) analyzed AP characteristics. Results The major findings were: (1) FACS analysis of 30 and 60-day old cultures showed that an iPSC-CMs population shifts from nodal into atrial/ventricular phenotype, while including significant transitional populations.(2) The AP population did not consist of 3 distinct phenotypes; (3) Culture aging was associated with a shift from nodal to ventricular dominance, with a transient (57–70 days) appearance of atrial phenotype; (4) Beat Rate Variability was more prominent in nodal than ventricular cardiomyocytes while If density increased in older cultures. Conclusions From the onset of development the iPSC-CMs population includes nodal, atrial and ventricular AP and a broad spectrum of transitional phenotypes. The most readily distinguishable phenotype is atrial which appears only transiently, yet dominates at 57–70 days of evolution. PMID:27639456

The Accuracy of Integrated [18F] Fluorodeoxyglucose-Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in Detection of Pelvic and Para-aortic Nodal Metastasis in Patients with High Risk Endometrial Cancer

PubMed Central

Gholkar, Nikhil Shirish; Saha, Subhas Chandra; Prasad, GRV; Bhattacharya, Anish; Srinivasan, Radhika; Suri, Vanita

2014-01-01

Lymph nodal (LN) metastasis is the most important prognostic factor in high-risk endometrial cancer. However, the benefit of routine lymphadenectomy in endometrial cancer is controversial. This study was conducted to assess the accuracy of [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography ([18F] FDG-PET/CT) in detection of pelvic and para-aortic nodal metastases in high-risk endometrial cancer. 20 patients with high-risk endometrial carcinoma underwent [18F] FDG-PET/CT followed by total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and systematic pelvic lymphadenectomy with or without para-aortic lymphadenectomy. The findings on histopathology were compared with [18F] FDG-PET/CT findings to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy of [18F] FDG-PET/CT. The pelvic nodal findings were analyzed on a patient and nodal chain based criteria. The para-aortic nodal findings were reported separately. Histopathology documented nodal involvement in two patients (10%). For detection of pelvic nodes, on a patient based analysis, [18F] FDG-PET/CT had a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 61.11%, PPV of 22.22%, NPV of 100% and accuracy of 65% and on a nodal chain based analysis, [18F] FDG-PET/CT had a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 80%, PPV of 20%, NPV of 100%, and accuracy of 80.95%. For detection of para-aortic nodes, [18F] FDG-PET/CT had sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 66.67%, PPV of 20%, NPV of 100%, and accuracy of 69.23%. Although [18F] FDG-PET/CT has high sensitivity for detection of LN metastasis in endometrial carcinoma, it had moderate accuracy and high false positivity. However, the high NPV is important in selecting patients in whom lymphadenectomy may be omitted. PMID:25538488

Development of a phenotyping platform for high throughput screening of nodal root angle in sorghum.

PubMed

Joshi, Dinesh C; Singh, Vijaya; Hunt, Colleen; Mace, Emma; van Oosterom, Erik; Sulman, Richard; Jordan, David; Hammer, Graeme

2017-01-01

In sorghum, the growth angle of nodal roots is a major component of root system architecture. It strongly influences the spatial distribution of roots of mature plants in the soil profile, which can impact drought adaptation. However, selection for nodal root angle in sorghum breeding programs has been restricted by the absence of a suitable high throughput phenotyping platform. The aim of this study was to develop a phenotyping platform for the rapid, non-destructive and digital measurement of nodal root angle of sorghum at the seedling stage. The phenotyping platform comprises of 500 soil filled root chambers (50 × 45 × 0.3 cm in size), made of transparent perspex sheets that were placed in metal tubs and covered with polycarbonate sheets. Around 3 weeks after sowing, once the first flush of nodal roots was visible, roots were imaged in situ using an imaging box that included two digital cameras that were remotely controlled by two android tablets. Free software ( openGelPhoto.tcl ) allowed precise measurement of nodal root angle from the digital images. The reliability and efficiency of the platform was evaluated by screening a large nested association mapping population of sorghum and a set of hybrids in six independent experimental runs that included up to 500 plants each. The platform revealed extensive genetic variation and high heritability (repeatability) for nodal root angle. High genetic correlations and consistent ranking of genotypes across experimental runs confirmed the reproducibility of the platform. This low cost, high throughput root phenotyping platform requires no sophisticated equipment, is adaptable to most glasshouse environments and is well suited to dissect the genetic control of nodal root angle of sorghum. The platform is suitable for use in sorghum breeding programs aiming to improve drought adaptation through root system architecture manipulation.

Source character of microseismicity in the San Francisco Bay block, California, and implications for seismic hazard

USGS Publications Warehouse

Olson, J.A.; Zoback, M.L.

1998-01-01

We examine relocated seismicity within a 30-km-wide crustal block containing San Francisco Bay and bounded by two major right-lateral strike-slip fault systems, the Hayward and San Andreas faults, to determine seismicity distribution, source character, and possible relationship to proposed faults. Well-located low-level seismicity (Md ??? 3.0) has occurred persistently within this block throughout the recording interval (1969 to 1995), with the highest levels of activity occurring along or directly adjacent to (within ???5 km) the bounding faults and falling off toward the long axis of the bay. The total seismic moment release within the interior of the Bay block since 1969 is equivalent to one ML 3.8 earthquake, one to two orders of magnitude lower than activity along and within 5 km of the bounding faults. Focal depths of reliably located events within the Bay block are generally less than 13 km with most seismicity in the depth range of 7 to 12 km, similar to focal depths along both the adjacent portions of the San Andreas and Hayward faults. Focal mechanisms for Md 2 to 3 events within the Bay block mimic focal mechanisms along the adjacent San Andreas fault zone and in the East Bay, suggesting that Bay block is responding to a similar regional stress field. Two potential seismic source zones have been suggested within the Bay block. Our hypocentral depths and focal mechanisms suggest that a proposed subhorizontal detachment fault 15 to 18 km beneath the Bay is not seismically active. Several large-scale linear NW-trending aeromagnetic anomalies within the Bay block were previously suggested to represent large through-going subvertical fault zones. The two largest earthquakes (both Md 3.0) in the Bay block since 1969 occur near two of these large-scale linear aeromagnetic anomalies; both have subvertical nodal planes with right-lateral slip subparallel to the magnetic anomalies, suggesting that structures related to the anomalies may be capable of brittle failure. Geodetic, focal mechanism and seismicity data all suggest the Bay block is responding elastically to the same regional stresses affecting the bounding faults; however, continuous Holocene reflectors across the proposed fault zones suggest that if the magnetic anomalies represent basement fault zones, then these faults must have recurrence times one to several orders of magnitude longer than on the bounding faults.

Quantum transport in Dirac materials: Signatures of tilted and anisotropic Dirac and Weyl cones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trescher, Maximilian; Sbierski, Björn; Brouwer, Piet W.; Bergholtz, Emil J.

2015-03-01

We calculate conductance and noise for quantum transport at the nodal point for arbitrarily tilted and anisotropic Dirac or Weyl cones. Tilted and anisotropic dispersions are generic in the absence of certain discrete symmetries, such as particle-hole and lattice point group symmetries. Whereas anisotropy affects the conductance g , but leaves the Fano factor F (the ratio of shot noise power and current) unchanged, a tilt affects both g and F . Since F is a universal number in many other situations, this finding is remarkable. We apply our general considerations to specific lattice models of strained graphene and a pyrochlore Weyl semimetal.

An Interesting Case of Retropharyngeal Lymph Nodal Metastases in a Case of Iodine-Refractory Thyroid Cancer.

PubMed

Harisankar, Chidambaram Natrajan Balasubramanian; Vijayabhaskar, Ramakrishnan

2018-01-01

Metastases to cervical lymph node are fairly common in differentiated thyroid cancer. In iodine-refractory disease, the disease may persist in the thyroid bed, cervical lymph nodes, lungs, or the bones commonly. Retropharyngeal lymph nodal involvement in thyroid cancer is unusual and may even be the presenting complaint. We represent a case of iodine-refractory thyroid cancer with retropharyngeal lymph nodal involvement in addition to lung metastases.

EGF-CFC proteins are essential coreceptors for the TGF-β signals Vg1 and GDF1

PubMed Central

Cheng, Simon K.; Olale, Felix; Bennett, James T.; Brivanlou, Ali H.; Schier, Alexander F.

2003-01-01

The TGF-β signals Nodal, Activin, GDF1, and Vg1 have been implicated in mesoderm induction and left-right patterning. Nodal and Activin both activate Activin receptors, but only Nodal requires EGF-CFC coreceptors for signaling. We report that Vg1 and GDF1 signaling in zebrafish also depends on EGF-CFC proteins, but not on Nodal signals. Correspondingly, we find that in Xenopus Vg1 and GDF1 bind to and signal through Activin receptors only in the presence of EGF-CFC proteins. These results establish that multiple TGF-β signals converge on Activin receptor/EGF-CFC complexes and suggest a more widespread requirement for coreceptors in TGF-β signaling than anticipated previously. PMID:12514096

MAGNETIC END CLOSURES FOR PLASMA CONFINING AND HEATING DEVICES

DOEpatents

Post, R.F.

1963-08-20

More effective magnetic closure field regions for various open-ended containment magnetic fields used in fusion reactor devices are provided by several spaced, coaxially-aligned solenoids utilized to produce a series of nodal field regions of uniform or, preferably, of incrementally increasing intensity separated by lower intensity regions outwardly from the ends of said containment zone. Plasma sources may also be provided to inject plasma into said lower intensity areas to increase plasma density therein. Plasma may then be transported, by plasma diffusion mechanisms provided by the nodal fields, into the containment field. With correlated plasma densities and nodal field spacings approximating the mean free partl cle collision path length in the zones between the nodal fields, optimum closure effectiveness is obtained. (AEC)

Physiological Optics of the Eye of the Juvenile Lemon Shark (Negaprion brevirostris).

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-05-01

fUr Lher affects of ametropia ) is the distance between the second nodal point vI lhe -’otoreceptor layer. This dimension is known as the posterior...gauge on the negative effect of ametropia on visual acuity, t the size of these retinal blur circles can be calculated using the schematic eye, 96...the working distance between retinoscopist and subject eye. My retinoscopic measurements of the underwater ametropia in juvenile lemon sharks have been

Ultrasound-assisted extraction of hemicellulose and phenolic compounds from bamboo bast fiber powder

PubMed Central

Su, Jing; Vielnascher, Robert; Silva, Carla; Cavaco-Paulo, Artur; Guebitz, Georg M.

2018-01-01

Ultrasound-assisted extraction of hemicellulose and phenolic compounds from bamboo bast fibre powder was investigated. The effect of ultrasonic probe depth and power input parameters on the type and amount of products extracted was assessed. The results of input energy and radical formation correlated with the calculated values for the anti-nodal point (λ/4; 16.85 mm, maximum amplitude) of the ultrasonic wave in aqueous medium. Ultrasonic treatment at optimum probe depth of 15 mm improve 2.6-fold the extraction efficiencies of hemicellulose and phenolic lignin compounds from bamboo bast fibre powder. LC-Ms-Tof (liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-time of flight) analysis indicated that ultrasound led to the extraction of coniferyl alcohol, sinapyl alcohol, vanillic acid, cellobiose, in contrast to boiling water extraction only. At optimized conditions, ultrasound caused the formation of radicals confirmed by the presence of (+)-pinoresinol which resulted from the radical coupling of coniferyl alcohol. Ultrasounds revealed to be an efficient methodology for the extraction of hemicellulosic and phenolic compounds from woody bamboo without the addition of harmful solvents. PMID:29856764

The Maternal Maverick/GDF15-like TGF-β Ligand Panda Directs Dorsal-Ventral Axis Formation by Restricting Nodal Expression in the Sea Urchin Embryo.

PubMed

Haillot, Emmanuel; Molina, Maria Dolores; Lapraz, François; Lepage, Thierry

2015-01-01

Specification of the dorsal-ventral axis in the highly regulative sea urchin embryo critically relies on the zygotic expression of nodal, but whether maternal factors provide the initial spatial cue to orient this axis is not known. Although redox gradients have been proposed to entrain the dorsal-ventral axis by acting upstream of nodal, manipulating the activity of redox gradients only has modest consequences, suggesting that other factors are responsible for orienting nodal expression and defining the dorsal-ventral axis. Here we uncover the function of Panda, a maternally provided transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) ligand that requires the activin receptor-like kinases (Alk) Alk3/6 and Alk1/2 receptors to break the radial symmetry of the embryo and orient the dorsal-ventral axis by restricting nodal expression. We found that the double inhibition of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) type I receptors Alk3/6 and Alk1/2 causes a phenotype dramatically more severe than the BMP2/4 loss-of-function phenotype, leading to extreme ventralization of the embryo through massive ectopic expression of nodal, suggesting that an unidentified signal acting through BMP type I receptors cooperates with BMP2/4 to restrict nodal expression. We identified this ligand as the product of maternal Panda mRNA. Double inactivation of panda and bmp2/4 led to extreme ventralization, mimicking the phenotype caused by inactivation of the two BMP receptors. Inhibition of maternal panda mRNA translation disrupted the early spatial restriction of nodal, leading to persistent massive ectopic expression of nodal on the dorsal side despite the presence of Lefty. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that Panda is not a prototypical BMP ligand but a member of a subfamily of TGF-β distantly related to Inhibins, Lefty, and TGF-β that includes Maverick from Drosophila and GDF15 from vertebrates. Indeed, overexpression of Panda does not appear to directly or strongly activate phosphoSmad1/5/8 signaling, suggesting that although this TGF-β may require Alk1/2 and/or Alk3/6 to antagonize nodal expression, it may do so by sequestering a factor essential for Nodal signaling, by activating a non-Smad pathway downstream of the type I receptors, or by activating extremely low levels of pSmad1/5/8. We provide evidence that, although panda mRNA is broadly distributed in the early embryo, local expression of panda mRNA efficiently orients the dorsal-ventral axis and that Panda activity is required locally in the early embryo to specify this axis. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that maternal panda mRNA is both necessary and sufficient to orient the dorsal-ventral axis. These results therefore provide evidence that in the highly regulative sea urchin embryo, the activity of spatially restricted maternal factors regulates patterning along the dorsal-ventral axis.

The Maternal Maverick/GDF15-like TGF-β Ligand Panda Directs Dorsal-Ventral Axis Formation by Restricting Nodal Expression in the Sea Urchin Embryo

PubMed Central

Haillot, Emmanuel; Molina, Maria Dolores; Lapraz, François; Lepage, Thierry

2015-01-01

Specification of the dorsal-ventral axis in the highly regulative sea urchin embryo critically relies on the zygotic expression of nodal, but whether maternal factors provide the initial spatial cue to orient this axis is not known. Although redox gradients have been proposed to entrain the dorsal-ventral axis by acting upstream of nodal, manipulating the activity of redox gradients only has modest consequences, suggesting that other factors are responsible for orienting nodal expression and defining the dorsal-ventral axis. Here we uncover the function of Panda, a maternally provided transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) ligand that requires the activin receptor-like kinases (Alk) Alk3/6 and Alk1/2 receptors to break the radial symmetry of the embryo and orient the dorsal-ventral axis by restricting nodal expression. We found that the double inhibition of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) type I receptors Alk3/6 and Alk1/2 causes a phenotype dramatically more severe than the BMP2/4 loss-of-function phenotype, leading to extreme ventralization of the embryo through massive ectopic expression of nodal, suggesting that an unidentified signal acting through BMP type I receptors cooperates with BMP2/4 to restrict nodal expression. We identified this ligand as the product of maternal Panda mRNA. Double inactivation of panda and bmp2/4 led to extreme ventralization, mimicking the phenotype caused by inactivation of the two BMP receptors. Inhibition of maternal panda mRNA translation disrupted the early spatial restriction of nodal, leading to persistent massive ectopic expression of nodal on the dorsal side despite the presence of Lefty. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that Panda is not a prototypical BMP ligand but a member of a subfamily of TGF-β distantly related to Inhibins, Lefty, and TGF-β that includes Maverick from Drosophila and GDF15 from vertebrates. Indeed, overexpression of Panda does not appear to directly or strongly activate phosphoSmad1/5/8 signaling, suggesting that although this TGF-β may require Alk1/2 and/or Alk3/6 to antagonize nodal expression, it may do so by sequestering a factor essential for Nodal signaling, by activating a non-Smad pathway downstream of the type I receptors, or by activating extremely low levels of pSmad1/5/8. We provide evidence that, although panda mRNA is broadly distributed in the early embryo, local expression of panda mRNA efficiently orients the dorsal-ventral axis and that Panda activity is required locally in the early embryo to specify this axis. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that maternal panda mRNA is both necessary and sufficient to orient the dorsal-ventral axis. These results therefore provide evidence that in the highly regulative sea urchin embryo, the activity of spatially restricted maternal factors regulates patterning along the dorsal-ventral axis. PMID:26352141

[Hand osteoarthritis].

PubMed

Šenolt, Ladislav

Hand osteoarthritis (OA) is a common chronic disorder causing pain and limitation of mobility of affected joints. The prevalence of hand OA increases with age and more often affects females. Clinical signs obviously do not correlate with radiographic findings - symptomatic hand OA affects approximately 26 % of adult subjects, but radiographic changes can be found in up to two thirds of females and half of males older than 55 years.Disease course differ among individual patients. Hand OA is a heterogeneous disease. Nodal hand OA is the most common subtype affecting interphalangeal joints, thumb base OA affects first carpometacarpal joint. Erosive OA represents a specific subtype of hand OA, which is associated with joint inflammation, more pain, functional limitation and erosive findings on radiographs.Treatment of OA is limited. Analgesics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the only agents reducing symptoms. New insights into the pathogenesis of disease should contribute to the development of novel effective treatment of hand OA.

Robust doubly charged nodal lines and nodal surfaces in centrosymmetric systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bzdušek, Tomáš; Sigrist, Manfred

2017-10-01

Weyl points in three spatial dimensions are characterized by a Z -valued charge—the Chern number—which makes them stable against a wide range of perturbations. A set of Weyl points can mutually annihilate only if their net charge vanishes, a property we refer to as robustness. While nodal loops are usually not robust in this sense, it has recently been shown using homotopy arguments that in the centrosymmetric extension of the AI symmetry class they nevertheless develop a Z2 charge analogous to the Chern number. Nodal loops carrying a nontrivial value of this Z2 charge are robust, i.e., they can be gapped out only by a pairwise annihilation and not on their own. As this is an additional charge independent of the Berry π -phase flowing along the band degeneracy, such nodal loops are, in fact, doubly charged. In this manuscript, we generalize the homotopy discussion to the centrosymmetric extensions of all Atland-Zirnbauer classes. We develop a tailored mathematical framework dubbed the AZ +I classification and show that in three spatial dimensions such robust and multiply charged nodes appear in four of such centrosymmetric extensions, namely, AZ +I classes CI and AI lead to doubly charged nodal lines, while D and BDI support doubly charged nodal surfaces. We remark that no further crystalline symmetries apart from the spatial inversion are necessary for their stability. We provide a description of the corresponding topological charges, and develop simple tight-binding models of various semimetallic and superconducting phases that exhibit these nodes. We also indicate how the concept of robust and multiply charged nodes generalizes to other spatial dimensions.

A predictive index of axillary nodal involvement in operable breast cancer.

PubMed Central

De Laurentiis, M.; Gallo, C.; De Placido, S.; Perrone, F.; Pettinato, G.; Petrella, G.; Carlomagno, C.; Panico, L.; Delrio, P.; Bianco, A. R.

1996-01-01

We investigated the association between pathological characteristics of primary breast cancer and degree of axillary nodal involvement and obtained a predictive index of the latter from the former. In 2076 cases, 17 histological features, including primary tumour and local invasion variables, were recorded. The whole sample was randomly split in a training (75% of cases) and a test sample. Simple and multiple correspondence analysis were used to select the variables to enter in a multinomial logit model to build an index predictive of the degree of nodal involvement. The response variable was axillary nodal status coded in four classes (N0, N1-3, N4-9, N > or = 10). The predictive index was then evaluated by testing goodness-of-fit and classification accuracy. Covariates significantly associated with nodal status were tumour size (P < 0.0001), tumour type (P < 0.0001), type of border (P = 0.048), multicentricity (P = 0.003), invasion of lymphatic and blood vessels (P < 0.0001) and nipple invasion (P = 0.006). Goodness-of-fit was validated by high concordance between observed and expected number of cases in each decile of predicted probability in both training and test samples. Classification accuracy analysis showed that true node-positive cases were well recognised (84.5%), but there was no clear distinction among the classes of node-positive cases. However, 10 year survival analysis showed a superimposible prognostic behaviour between predicted and observed nodal classes. Moreover, misclassified node-negative patients (i.e. those who are predicted positive) showed an outcome closer to patients with 1-3 metastatic nodes than to node-negative ones. In conclusion, the index cannot completely substitute for axillary node information, but it is a predictor of prognosis as accurate as nodal involvement and identifies a subgroup of node-negative patients with unfavourable prognosis. PMID:8630286

Delineation of Supraclavicular Target Volumes in Breast Cancer Radiation Therapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brown, Lindsay C.; Diehn, Felix E.; Boughey, Judy C.

Purpose: To map the location of gross supraclavicular metastases in patients with breast cancer, in order to determine areas at highest risk of harboring subclinical disease. Methods and Materials: Patients with axial imaging of gross supraclavicular disease were identified from an institutional breast cancer registry. Locations of the metastatic lymph nodes were transferred onto representative axial computed tomography images of the supraclavicular region and compared with the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) breast cancer atlas for radiation therapy planning. Results: Sixty-two patients with 161 supraclavicular nodal metastases were eligible for study inclusion. At the time of diagnosis, 117 nodal metastasesmore » were present in 44 patients. Forty-four nodal metastases in 18 patients were detected at disease recurrence, 4 of whom had received prior radiation to the supraclavicular fossa. Of the 161 nodal metastases, 95 (59%) were within the RTOG consensus volume, 4 nodal metastases (2%) in 3 patients were marginally within the volume, and 62 nodal metastases (39%) in 30 patients were outside the volume. Supraclavicular disease outside the RTOG consensus volume was located in 3 regions: at the level of the cricoid and thyroid cartilage (superior to the RTOG volume), in the posterolateral supraclavicular fossa (posterolateral to the RTOG volume), and in the lateral low supraclavicular fossa (lateral to the RTOG volume). Only women with multiple supraclavicular metastases had nodal disease that extended superiorly to the level of the thyroid cartilage. Conclusions: For women with risk of harboring subclinical supraclavicular disease warranting the addition of supraclavicular radiation, coverage of the posterior triangle and the lateral low supraclavicular region should be considered. For women with known supraclavicular disease, extension of neck coverage superior to the cricoid cartilage may be warranted.« less

Developmental changes in electrophysiological characteristics of human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

PubMed

Ben-Ari, Meital; Naor, Shulamit; Zeevi-Levin, Naama; Schick, Revital; Ben Jehuda, Ronen; Reiter, Irina; Raveh, Amit; Grijnevitch, Inna; Barak, Omri; Rosen, Michael R; Weissman, Amir; Binah, Ofer

2016-12-01

Previous studies proposed that throughout differentiation of human induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs), only 3 types of action potentials (APs) exist: nodal-, atrial-, and ventricular-like. To investigate whether there are precisely 3 phenotypes or a continuum exists among them, we tested 2 hypotheses: (1) During culture development a cardiac precursor cell is present that-depending on age-can evolve into the 3 phenotypes. (2) The predominant pattern is early prevalence of a nodal phenotype, transient appearance of an atrial phenotype, evolution to a ventricular phenotype, and persistence of transitional phenotypes. To test these hypotheses, we (1) performed fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis of nodal, atrial, and ventricular markers; (2) recorded APs from 280 7- to 95-day-old iPSC-CMs; and (3) analyzed AP characteristics. The major findings were as follows: (1) fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis of 30- and 60-day-old cultures showed that an iPSC-CMs population shifts from the nodal to the atrial/ventricular phenotype while including significant transitional populations; (2) the AP population did not consist of 3 phenotypes; (3) culture aging was associated with a shift from nodal to ventricular dominance, with a transient (57-70 days) appearance of the atrial phenotype; and (4) beat rate variability was more prominent in nodal than in ventricular cardiomyocytes, while pacemaker current density increased in older cultures. From the onset of development in culture, the iPSC-CMs population includes nodal, atrial, and ventricular APs and a broad spectrum of transitional phenotypes. The most readily distinguishable phenotype is atrial, which appears only transiently yet dominates at 57-70 days of evolution. Copyright © 2016 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Atlas-Based Segmentation Improves Consistency and Decreases Time Required for Contouring Postoperative Endometrial Cancer Nodal Volumes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Young, Amy V.; Department of Radiation Oncology, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital, New York, NY; Wortham, Angela

2011-03-01

Purpose: Accurate target delineation of the nodal volumes is essential for three-dimensional conformal and intensity-modulated radiotherapy planning for endometrial cancer adjuvant therapy. We hypothesized that atlas-based segmentation ('autocontouring') would lead to time savings and more consistent contours among physicians. Methods and Materials: A reference anatomy atlas was constructed using the data from 15 postoperative endometrial cancer patients by contouring the pelvic nodal clinical target volume on the simulation computed tomography scan according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 0418 trial using commercially available software. On the simulation computed tomography scans from 10 additional endometrial cancer patients, the nodal clinical targetmore » volume autocontours were generated. Three radiation oncologists corrected the autocontours and delineated the manual nodal contours under timed conditions while unaware of the other contours. The time difference was determined, and the overlap of the contours was calculated using Dice's coefficient. Results: For all physicians, manual contouring of the pelvic nodal target volumes and editing the autocontours required a mean {+-} standard deviation of 32 {+-} 9 vs. 23 {+-} 7 minutes, respectively (p = .000001), a 26% time savings. For each physician, the time required to delineate the manual contours vs. correcting the autocontours was 30 {+-} 3 vs. 21 {+-} 5 min (p = .003), 39 {+-} 12 vs. 30 {+-} 5 min (p = .055), and 29 {+-} 5 vs. 20 {+-} 5 min (p = .0002). The mean overlap increased from manual contouring (0.77) to correcting the autocontours (0.79; p = .038). Conclusion: The results of our study have shown that autocontouring leads to increased consistency and time savings when contouring the nodal target volumes for adjuvant treatment of endometrial cancer, although the autocontours still required careful editing to ensure that the lymph nodes at risk of recurrence are properly included in the target volume.« less

Nodal network generator for CAVE3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palmieri, J. V.; Rathjen, K. A.

1982-01-01

A new extension of CAVE3 code was developed that automates the creation of a finite difference math model in digital form ready for input to the CAVE3 code. The new software, Nodal Network Generator, is broken into two segments. One segment generates the model geometry using a Tektronix Tablet Digitizer and the other generates the actual finite difference model and allows for graphic verification using Tektronix 4014 Graphic Scope. Use of the Nodal Network Generator is described.

Counting nodal domains on surfaces of revolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karageorge, Panos D.; Smilansky, Uzy

2008-05-01

We consider eigenfunctions of the Laplace-Beltrami operator on special surfaces of revolution. For this separable system, the nodal domains of the (real) eigenfunctions form a checkerboard pattern, and their number νn is proportional to the product of the angular and the 'surface' quantum numbers. Arranging the wavefunctions by increasing values of the Laplace-Beltrami spectrum, we obtain the nodal sequence, whose statistical properties we study. In particular, we investigate the distribution of the normalized counts \\frac{\

Tumor microvessel density–associated mast cells in canine nodal lymphoma

PubMed Central

Mann, Elizabeth; Whittington, Lisa

2014-01-01

Objective: Mast cells are associated in angiogenesis in various human and animal neoplasms. However, association of mast cells with tumor microvessel density in canine lymphoma was not previously documented. The objective of the study is to determine if mast cells are increased in canine nodal lymphomas and to evaluate their correlation with tumor microvessel density and grading of lymphomas. Methods: Nodal lymphomas from 33 dogs were studied and compared with nonneoplastic lymph nodes from 6 dogs as control. Mast cell count was made on Toluidine blue stained sections. Immunohistochemistry using antibody against Factor VIII was employed to visualize and determine microvessel density. Results: The mast cell count in lymphoma (2.95 ± 2.4) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that in the control (0.83 ± 0.3) and was positively correlated with tumor microvessel density (r = 0.44, p = 0.009). Significant difference was not observed in mast cell count and tumor microvessel density among different gradings of lymphomas. Conclusions: Mast cells are associated with tumor microvessel density in canine nodal lymphoma with no significant difference among gradings of lymphomas. Mast cells may play an important role in development of canine nodal lymphomas. Further detailed investigation on the role of mast cells as important part of tumor microenvironment in canine nodal lymphomas is recommended. PMID:26770752

Implications of inaccurate clinical nodal staging in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

PubMed

Swords, Douglas S; Firpo, Matthew A; Johnson, Kirsten M; Boucher, Kenneth M; Scaife, Courtney L; Mulvihill, Sean J

2017-07-01

Many patients with stage I-II pancreatic adenocarcinoma do not undergo resection. We hypothesized that (1) clinical staging underestimates nodal involvement, causing stage IIB to have a greater percent of resected patients and (2) this stage-shift causes discrepancies in observed survival. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) research database was used to evaluate cause-specific survival in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma from 2004-2012. Survival was compared using the log-rank test. Single-center data on 105 patients who underwent resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma without neoadjuvant treatment were used to compare clinical and pathologic nodal staging. In SEER data, medium-term survival in stage IIB was superior to IB and IIA, with median cause-specific survival of 14, 9, and 11 months, respectively (P < .001). Seventy-two percent of stage IIB patients underwent resection vs 28% in IB and 36% in IIA (P < .001). In our institutional data, 12.4% of patients had clinical evidence of nodal involvement vs 69.5% by pathologic staging (P < .001). Among clinical stage IA-IIA patients, 71.6% had nodal involvement by pathologic staging. Both SEER and institutional data support substantial underestimation of nodal involvement by clinical staging. This finding has implications in decisions regarding neoadjuvant therapy and analysis of outcomes in the absence of pathologic staging. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quality assessment of lymph node sampling in rhabdomyosarcoma: A surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) program study.

PubMed

Lobeck, Inna; Dupree, Phylicia; Karns, Rebekah; Rodeberg, David; von Allmen, Daniel; Dasgupta, Roshni

2017-04-01

Lymph node sampling is integral in the management of extremity and paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). The aim of this study was to determine overall surgical compliance with treatment protocols and impact of nodal sampling outcomes in these tumors. A query of the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results program (SEER) database was performed from 2003 to 2008 for patients <19years of age with RMS. Data obtained included demographics, five-year survival and rate of nodal sampling. Analysis was performed utilizing chi-squared, Kaplan-Meier and hazard ratio modeling. Of 537 patients with extremity RMS, nodal sampling was performed in 25.7% (n=138). This lack of nodal sampling had a negative outcome on survival (p=0.004). Sixty five patients with paratesticular RMS aged greater than 10 were identified and also displayed low rates of lymph node sampling (47.7%, n=31). For paratesticular patients, a similar increase in survival was seen in patients who underwent nodal evaluation (p=0.024). Lymph node sampling is the standard of care in RMS. However, surgical compliance with treatment protocols is poor. Nodal evaluation correlated significantly with overall survival. These findings suggest a need for improved education among surgeons and oncologists regarding the need lymph node assessment in pediatric oncology patients. Evidence rating/classification: Prognosis study, Level III. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Channel morphology and its impact on flood passage, the Tianjiazhen reach of the middle Yangtze River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Yafeng; Zhang, Qiang; Chen, Zhongyuan; Jiang, Tong; Wu, Jinglu

2007-03-01

The Tianjiazhen reach of the middle Yangtze is about 8 km long, and characterized by a narrow river width of 650 m and local water depth of > 90 m in deep inner troughs, of which about 60 m is below the mean sea level. The troughs in the channel of such a large river are associated with regional tectonics and local lithology. The channel configuration plays a critical role in modifying the height and duration of river floods and erosion of the riverbed. The formation of the troughs in the bed of the Yangtze is considered to be controlled by sets of NW-SE-oriented neotectonic fault zones, in which some segments consist of highly folded thick Triassic limestone crossed by the Yangtze River. Several limestone hills, currently located next to the river channel, serve as nodes that create large vortices in the river, thereby accelerating downcutting on the riverbed composed of limestone highly susceptible to physical corrosion and chemical dissolution. Hydrological records indicate that the nodal hills and channel configuration at Tianjiazhen do not impact on normal flow discharges but discharges > 50,000 m 3s - 1 are slowed down for 2-3 days. Catastrophic floods are held up for even longer periods. These inevitably result in elevated flood stages upstream of prolonged duration, affecting large cities such as Wuhan and a very large number of people.

Oligorecurrent prostate cancer limited to lymph nodes: getting our ducks in a row

PubMed

Fodor, Andrei; Lancia, Andrea; Ceci, Francesco; Picchio, Maria; Hoyer, Morten; Jereczek-Fossa, Barbara Alicja; Ost, Piet; Castellucci, Paolo; Incerti, Elena; Di Muzio, Nadia; Ingrosso, Gianluca

2018-05-11

Oligorecurrent prostate cancer with exclusive nodal involvement represents a common state of disease, amenable to local therapy. New radio-labeled tracers have enriched the possibility of cancer detection and treatment. In this review, we aim to illustrate the main nuclear medicine diagnostic options and the role of radiotherapy in this setting of patients. We performed a PubMed search referring to the PRISMA guidelines to analyze the performance of PSMA- and choline-PET in detecting oligorecurrence limited to lymph nodes, and to review the main studies supporting either ablative stereotactic body radiotherapy or regional lymph node irradiation in this clinical setting. PSMA-PET has shown higher efficacy in the diagnosis of nodal lesions if compared with choline-PET. More specifically, for PSA ≤ 2 ng/ml, the median detection rate of choline-PET ranges from 19.5 to 44.5%, whereas PSMA ranges from 51.5 to 74%. SBRT achieves high local control rates positively affecting progression-free survival (PFS), with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT)-free survival ranging from 25 to 44 months and with low toxicity rates (0-15%). Prophylactic nodal irradiation shows 3-year PFS rates ranging from 62 to 75%, but with a potential higher risk of toxicity. However, the chosen treatment option needs to be tailored on the single patient. Newer PET/CT radio-labeled tracers have increased disease detection in oligorecurrent prostate cancer patients. Growing evidence of their impact on metastasis-directed therapy encourages the use of the most advanced radiotherapy techniques in the clinical management of such patients.

Merkel Cell Carcinoma: A Population Analysis on Survival.

PubMed

Sridharan, Vishwajith; Muralidhar, Vinayak; Margalit, Danielle N; Tishler, Roy B; DeCaprio, James A; Thakuria, Manisha; Rabinowits, Guilherme; Schoenfeld, Jonathan D

2016-10-01

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive cutaneous malignancy. However, factors associated with disease presentation and outcomes remain uncertain, especially in light of recent changes in workup, such as sentinel lymph node biopsy. Therefore, this study used the SEER database to examine factors that could affect stage at presentation and treatment. We identified 4,543 patients and evaluated associations between sex, race, age, primary disease site, disease presentation, and treatment. We also used univariate and multivariate analyses to examine the effect of these factors on disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS). We specifically conducted subgroup analyses on a more modern cohort of patients with MCC treated between 2006 and 2012. Male sex, older age, larger tumor size, and primary tumors of the scalp, neck, or trunk were associated with a higher burden of nodal disease. Multivariate predictors of worse DSS/OS in both the recent and overall cohort included age older than 75 years, number of lymph nodes involved, tumors greater than 5 cm, metastatic disease, or lack of radiation therapy. The number of involved nodes was the best predictor of DSS/OS. Associations with radiation therapy were most pronounced in patients with nodal disease and those not undergoing surgery. Sex, age, tumor size, and primary site of disease correlated with burden of nodal disease in MCC. Associations between disease presentation and treatment strategies such as radiation and DSS and OS have remained relatively constant in the modern era from 2006 to 2012 compared with findings from prior studies. Copyright © 2016 by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

T-cell lymphomas in South america and europe.

PubMed

Bellei, Monica; Chiattone, Carlos Sergio; Luminari, Stefano; Pesce, Emanuela Anna; Cabrera, Maria Elena; de Souza, Carmino Antonio; Gabús, Raul; Zoppegno, Lucia; Zoppegno, Lucia; Milone, Jorge; Pavlovsky, Astrid; Connors, Joseph Michael; Foss, Francine Mary; Horwitz, Steven Michael; Liang, Raymond; Montoto, Silvia; Pileri, Stefano Aldo; Polliack, Aaron; Vose, Julie Marie; Zinzani, Pier Luigi; Zucca, Emanuele; Federico, Massimo

2012-01-01

Peripheral T-cell lymphomas are a group of rare neoplasms originating from clonal proliferation of mature post-thymic lymphocytes with different entities having specific biological characteristics and clinical features. As natural killer cells are closely related to T-cells, natural killer-cell lymphomas are also part of the group. The current World Health Organization classification recognizes four categories of T/natural killer-cell lymphomas with respect to their presentation: disseminated (leukemic), nodal, extranodal and cutaneous. Geographic variations in the distribution of these diseases are well documented: nodal subtypes are more frequent in Europe and North America, while extranodal forms, including natural killer-cell lymphomas, occur almost exclusively in Asia and South America. On the whole, T-cell lymphomas are more common in Asia than in western countries, usually affect adults, with a higher tendency in men, and, excluding a few subtypes, usually have an aggressive course and poor prognosis. Apart from anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma, that have a good outcome, other nodal and extranodal forms have a 5-year overall survival of about 30%. According to the principal prognostic indexes, the majority of patients are allocated to the unfavorable subset. In the past, the rarity of these diseases prevented progress in the understanding of their biology and improvements in the efficaciousness of therapy. Recently, international projects devoted to these diseases created networks promoting investigations on T-cell lymphomas. These projects are the basis of forthcoming cooperative, large scale trials to detail biologic characteristics of each sub-entity and to possibly individuate targets for new therapies.

T-Cell Lymphomas in South America and Europe

PubMed Central

Bellei, Monica; Chiattone, Carlos Sergio; Luminari, Stefano; Pesce, Emanuela Anna; Cabrera, Maria Elena; de Souza, Carmino Antonio; Gabús, Raul; Zoppegno, Lucia; Zoppegno, Lucia; Milone, Jorge; Pavlovsky, Astrid; Connors, Joseph Michael; Foss, Francine Mary; Horwitz, Steven Michael; Liang, Raymond; Montoto, Silvia; Pileri, Stefano Aldo; Polliack, Aaron; Vose, Julie Marie; Zinzani, Pier Luigi; Zucca, Emanuele; Federico, Massimo

2012-01-01

Peripheral T-cell lymphomas are a group of rare neoplasms originating from clonal proliferation of mature post-thymic lymphocytes with different entities having specific biological characteristics and clinical features. As natural killer cells are closely related to T-cells, natural killer-cell lymphomas are also part of the group. The current World Health Organization classification recognizes four categories of T/natural killer-cell lymphomas with respect to their presentation: disseminated (leukemic), nodal, extranodal and cutaneous. Geographic variations in the distribution of these diseases are well documented: nodal subtypes are more frequent in Europe and North America, while extranodal forms, including natural killer-cell lymphomas, occur almost exclusively in Asia and South America. On the whole, T-cell lymphomas are more common in Asia than in western countries, usually affect adults, with a higher tendency in men, and, excluding a few subtypes, usually have an aggressive course and poor prognosis. Apart from anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma, that have a good outcome, other nodal and extranodal forms have a 5-year overall survival of about 30%. According to the principal prognostic indexes, the majority of patients are allocated to the unfavorable subset. In the past, the rarity of these diseases prevented progress in the understanding of their biology and improvements in the efficaciousness of therapy. Recently, international projects devoted to these diseases created networks promoting investigations on T-cell lymphomas. These projects are the basis of forthcoming cooperative, large scale trials to detail biologic characteristics of each sub-entity and to possibly individuate targets for new therapies. PMID:23049383

Merkel Cell Carcinoma of Unknown Primary Origin

PubMed Central

Deneve, Jeremiah L.; Messina, Jane L.; Marzban, Suroosh S.; Gonzalez, Ricardo J.; Walls, Brooke M.; Fisher, Kate J.; Ann Chen, Y.; Wayne Cruse, C.; Sondak, Vernon K.; Zager, Jonathan S.

2015-01-01

Background Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare neuroendocrine tumor of the skin. MCC from an unknown primary origin (MCCUP) can present a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. We describe our single-institution experience with the diagnosis and management of MCCUP presenting as metastases to lymph nodes. Methods After institutional review board approval, our institutional database spanning the years 1998–2010 was queried for patients with MCCUP. Clinicopathologic variables and outcomes were assessed. Results From a database of 321 patients with MCC, 38 (12%) were identified as having nodal MCCUP. Median age was 67 years, and 79% were men. Nodal basins involved at presentation were cervical (58%), axillary/epitrochlear (21%), or inguinal/iliac (21%). CK20 staining was positive in 93% of tumors tested, and all were negative for thyroid transcription factor-1. Twenty-nine patients (76%) underwent complete regional lymph node dissection (LND): 3 had LND alone, ten had LND and adjuvant radiotherapy, and 16 underwent LND followed by chemoradiotherapy. Definitive chemoradiotherapy without surgery was provided to six patients (16%), while radiotherapy alone was provided to three (8%). Recurrence was observed in 34% of patients. Median recurrence-free survival was 35 months. Ten patients (26%) died, five of disease and five of other causes. The median overall survival was 104 months. Conclusions Nodal MCCUP is a rare disease affecting primarily elderly white men. Recurrence is observed in approximately one-third of patients, with a 104 month median overall survival after a multimodal treatment approach consisting of surgery along with adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy in the majority of patients. PMID:22271206

Imaging the 2017 MW 8.2 Tehuantepec intermediate-depth earthquake using Teleseismic P Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brudzinski, M.; Zhang, H.; Koper, K. D.; Pankow, K. L.

2017-12-01

The September 8, 2017 MW 8.1 Tehuantepec, Mexico earthquakes in the middle American subduction zone is one of the largest intermediate-depth earthquake ever recorded and could provide an unprecedented opportunity for understanding the mechanism of intermediate-depth earthquakes. While the hypocenter and centroid depths for this earthquake are shallower than typically considered for intermediate depth earthquakes, the normal faulting mechanism consistent with down-dip extension and location within the subducting plate align with properties of intermediate depth earthquakes. Back-projection of high-frequency teleseismic P-waves from two regional arrays for this earthquake shows unilateral rupture on a southeast-northwest striking fault that extends north of the Tehuantepec fracture zone (TFZ), with an average horizontal rupture speed of 3.0 km/s and total duration of 60 s. Guided by these back-projection results, 47 globally distributed low-frequency P-waves were inverted for a finite-fault model (FFM) of slip for both nodal planes. The FFM shows a slip deficit in proximity to the extension of the TFZ, as well as the minor rupture beyond the TFZ (confirmed by the synthetic tests), which indicates that the TFZ acted as a barrier for this earthquake. Analysis of waveform misfit leads to the preference of a subvertical plane as the causative fault. The FFM shows that the majority of the rupture is above the focal depth and consists of two large slip patches: the first one is near the hypocenter ( 55 km depth) and the second larger one near 30 km depth. The distribution of the two patches spatially agrees with seismicity that defines the upper and lower zones of a double Benioff zone (DBZ). It appears there was single fault rupture across the two depth zones of the DBZ. This is uncommon because a stark aseismic zone is typically observed between the upper and lower zones of the DBZ. This finding indicates that the mechanism for intraslab earthquakes must allow for rupture to propagate from one of the DBZ to the other despite seismic quiescence in between, suggesting the aseismic zone is conditionally stable: unable to nucleate earthquakes but able to host a large rupture going across.

RW Per - Nodal motion changes its amplitude by 1.4 mag

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schaefer, Bradley E.; Fried, Robert E.

1991-01-01

RW Per was found to have large secular changes in its eclipse amplitude. In blue light, for example, the amplitude was 3.2 mag in the early 1900s, 2.2 mag in the late 1960s, and 1.75 mag in 1990. Throughout this time, the brightness at maximum was constant in all colors. It is shown that the only possible explanation is nodal motion, where the inclination varies with a period of roughly 100,000 yr. The nodal motion is caused by a third star, for which the light curve, the colors, and the O - C curve already provide evidence. Thus, RW Per is only the fourth known star with large changes of eclipse amplitude and is only the second example of nodal motion.

The Importance of Electron Correlation on Stacking Interaction of Adenine-Thymine Base-Pair Step in B-DNA: A Quantum Monte Carlo Study.

PubMed

Hongo, Kenta; Cuong, Nguyen Thanh; Maezono, Ryo

2013-02-12

We report fixed-node diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) calculations of stacking interaction energy between two adenine(A)-thymine(T) base pairs in B-DNA (AA:TT), for which reference data are available, obtained from a complete basis set estimate of CCSD(T) (coupled-cluster with singles, doubles, and perturbative triples). We consider four sets of nodal surfaces obtained from self-consistent field calculations and examine how the different nodal surfaces affect the DMC potential energy curves of the AA:TT molecule and the resulting stacking energies. We find that the DMC potential energy curves using the different nodes look similar to each other as a whole. We also benchmark the performance of various quantum chemistry methods, including Hartree-Fock (HF) theory, second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2), and density functional theory (DFT). The DMC and recently developed DFT results of the stacking energy reasonably agree with the reference, while the HF, MP2, and conventional DFT methods give unsatisfactory results.

miR-373 is regulated by TGFβ signaling and promotes mesendoderm differentiation in human Embryonic Stem Cells

PubMed Central

Rosa, Alessandro; Papaioannou, Marilena D.; Krzyspiak, Joanna E.; Brivanlou, Ali H.

2014-01-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) belonging to the evolutionary conserved miR-302 family play important functions in Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs). The expression of some members, such as the human miR-302 and mouse miR-290 clusters, is regulated by ESC core transcription factors. However, whether miRNAs act downstream of signaling pathways involved in human ESC pluripotency remains unknown. The maintenance of pluripotency in hESCs is under the control of the TGFβ pathway. Here, we show that inhibition of the Activin/Nodal branch of this pathway affects the expression of a subset of miRNAs in hESCs. Among them, we found miR-373, a member of the miR-302 family. Proper levels of miR-373 are crucial for the maintenance of hESC pluripotency, since its overexpression leads to differentiation towards the mesendodermal lineage. Among miR-373 predicted targets, involved in TGFβ signaling, we validated the Nodal inhibitor Lefty. Our work suggests a crucial role for the interplay between miRNAs and signaling pathways in ESCs. PMID:24709321

Tuberculous Lymphadenitis Mimicking Nodal Metastasis in Follicular Variant Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.

PubMed

Yu, Marc Gregory; Atun, Jenny Maureen

2016-01-01

Tuberculous (TB) lymphadenitis can mimic cervical node metastasis from papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) since the distribution and appearance of affected lymph nodes are similar. We present the case of an asymptomatic 50-year-old Filipino who sought consult for a gradually enlarging anterior neck mass and a single palpable cervical lymph node. Preoperative workup suggested a thyroid malignancy with nodal metastasis. He underwent total thyroidectomy with node dissection where histopathology confirmed follicular variant- (FV-) PTC. Lymph node examination, however, revealed TB lymphadenitis, and the patient was given standard antimycobacterial therapy. This is the first documented case in Southeast Asia, a high TB burden region. This is also the first report involving FV-PTC, which has features between those of conventional PTC and follicular thyroid carcinoma. The case suggests that, in endemic areas, TB should be a differential in the etiology of cervical lymphadenopathy in PTC patients. In developed countries, this differential diagnosis is also valuable because of the increasing incidence of HIV and TB coinfection. Proper preoperative evaluation is important and needs to be highlighted in the formulation of local guidelines.

Tuberculous Lymphadenitis Mimicking Nodal Metastasis in Follicular Variant Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

PubMed Central

Atun, Jenny Maureen

2016-01-01

Tuberculous (TB) lymphadenitis can mimic cervical node metastasis from papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) since the distribution and appearance of affected lymph nodes are similar. We present the case of an asymptomatic 50-year-old Filipino who sought consult for a gradually enlarging anterior neck mass and a single palpable cervical lymph node. Preoperative workup suggested a thyroid malignancy with nodal metastasis. He underwent total thyroidectomy with node dissection where histopathology confirmed follicular variant- (FV-) PTC. Lymph node examination, however, revealed TB lymphadenitis, and the patient was given standard antimycobacterial therapy. This is the first documented case in Southeast Asia, a high TB burden region. This is also the first report involving FV-PTC, which has features between those of conventional PTC and follicular thyroid carcinoma. The case suggests that, in endemic areas, TB should be a differential in the etiology of cervical lymphadenopathy in PTC patients. In developed countries, this differential diagnosis is also valuable because of the increasing incidence of HIV and TB coinfection. Proper preoperative evaluation is important and needs to be highlighted in the formulation of local guidelines. PMID:27746818

Universal statistics of vortex tangles in three-dimensional random waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Alexander J.

2018-02-01

The tangled nodal lines (wave vortices) in random, three-dimensional wavefields are studied as an exemplar of a fractal loop soup. Their statistics are a three-dimensional counterpart to the characteristic random behaviour of nodal domains in quantum chaos, but in three dimensions the filaments can wind around one another to give distinctly different large scale behaviours. By tracing numerically the structure of the vortices, their conformations are shown to follow recent analytical predictions for random vortex tangles with periodic boundaries, where the local disorder of the model ‘averages out’ to produce large scale power law scaling relations whose universality classes do not depend on the local physics. These results explain previous numerical measurements in terms of an explicit effect of the periodic boundaries, where the statistics of the vortices are strongly affected by the large scale connectedness of the system even at arbitrarily high energies. The statistics are investigated primarily for static (monochromatic) wavefields, but the analytical results are further shown to directly describe the reconnection statistics of vortices evolving in certain dynamic systems, or occurring during random perturbations of the static configuration.

Optimized planning methodologies of ASON implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Michael M.; Tamil, Lakshman S.

2005-02-01

Advanced network planning concerns effective network-resource allocation for dynamic and open business environment. Planning methodologies of ASON implementation based on qualitative analysis and mathematical modeling are presented in this paper. The methodology includes method of rationalizing technology and architecture, building network and nodal models, and developing dynamic programming for multi-period deployment. The multi-layered nodal architecture proposed here can accommodate various nodal configurations for a multi-plane optical network and the network modeling presented here computes the required network elements for optimizing resource allocation.

The Impact of the Size of Nodal Metastases on Recurrence Risk in Breast Cancer Patients With 1-3 Positive Axillary Nodes After Mastectomy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harris, Eleanor E.R., E-mail: Eleanor.harris@moffitt.org; Freilich, Jessica; Lin, Hui-Yi

Purpose: Use of postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) in breast cancer patients with 1-3 positive nodes is controversial. The objective of this study was to determine whether the size of nodal metastases in this subset could predict who would benefit from PMRT. Methods and Materials: We analyzed 250 breast cancer patients with 1-3 positive nodes after mastectomy treated with contemporary surgery and systemic therapy at our institution. Of these patients, 204 did not receive PMRT and 46 did receive PMRT. Local and regional recurrence risks were stratified by the size of the largest nodal metastasis measured as less than or equalmore » to 5 mm or greater than 5 mm. Results: The median follow-up was 65.6 months. In the whole group, regional recurrences occurred in 2% of patients in whom the largest nodal metastasis measured 5 mm or less vs 6% for those with metastases measuring greater than 5 mm. For non-irradiated patients only, regional recurrence rates were 2% and 9%, respectively. Those with a maximal nodal size greater than 5 mm had a significantly higher cumulative incidence of regional recurrence (P=.013). The 5-year cumulative incidence of a regional recurrence in the non-irradiated group was 2.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.7%-7.2%) for maximal metastasis size of 5 mm or less, 6.9% (95% CI, 1.7%-17.3%) for metastasis size greater than 5 mm, and 16% (95% CI, 3.4%-36.8%) for metastasis size greater than 10 mm. The impact of the maximal nodal size on regional recurrences became insignificant in the multivariable model. Conclusions: In patients with 1-3 positive lymph nodes undergoing mastectomy without radiation, nodal metastasis greater than 5 mm was associated with regional recurrence after mastectomy, but its effect was modified by other factors (such as tumor stage). The size of the largest nodal metastasis may be useful to identify high-risk patients who may benefit from radiation therapy after mastectomy.« less

Association of Nodal Metastasis and Mortality With Vermilion vs Cutaneous Lip Location in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lip.

PubMed

Wang, David M; Kraft, Stefan; Rohani, Pooyan; Murphy, George F; Besaw, Robert J; Karia, Pritesh S; Morgan, Frederick C; Schmults, Chrysalyne D

2018-06-01

Although the lip is considered a high-risk location in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), it has not been established whether this risk stems from vermilion or cutaneous locations or both. To compare differences in risks of recurrence, metastasis, and death from cSCCs on the vermilion vs cutaneous lip. Retrospective cohort study of 303 patients with 310 primary cSCCs of the lip (138 cutaneous, 172 vermilion) diagnosed between 2000 and 2015 at 2 academic tertiary care centers in Boston, Massachusetts. Development of local recurrence, nodal metastasis, distant metastasis, disease-specific death, and all-cause death. Of the 303 study participants with 310 SCCs of the lip, 153 (50.5%) were men, and 150 (49.5%) were women; median age at diagnosis, 68 years (range, 27-93 years). Outcomes were as follows for vermilion vs cutaneous locations: local recurrence, 6.4% (11 of 172) vs 2.9% (4 of 138); nodal metastasis, 7.6% (13 of 172) vs 1.5% (2 of 138); distant metastasis, 0.6% (1 of 172) vs 0.7% (1 of 138); disease-specific death, 3.5% (6 of 172) vs 2.9% (4 of 138); and all-cause death, 26.7% (46 of 172) vs 29.0% (40 of 138). The difference was statistically significant for nodal metastasis (P = .01). In multivariable analysis, nodal metastasis was associated with vermilion lip location (subhazard ratio, 5.0; 95% CI, 1.1-23.8) and invasion beyond fat (fascia or beyond for vermilion lip) (subhazard ratio, 4.4; 95% CI, 1.3-14.9). The risk of nodal metastasis is 5-fold greater for cSCCs on the vermilion lip compared with those on the cutaneous lip. Squamous cell carcinomas of the cutaneous lip have a nodal metastasis risk similar to cSCCs in general (1.5%). Thus, vermilion involvement appears responsible for the increased risk associated with cSCC of lip. Vermilion involvement may merit radiologic nodal staging and inclusion in future tumor staging, since it was independently associated with higher-risk cSCC of the lip region.

A temperature-sensitive mutation in the nodal-related gene cyclops reveals that the floor plate is induced during gastrulation in zebrafish.

PubMed

Tian, Jing; Yam, Caleb; Balasundaram, Gayathri; Wang, Hui; Gore, Aniket; Sampath, Karuna

2003-07-01

The floor plate, a specialized group of cells in the ventral midline of the neural tube of vertebrates, plays crucial roles in patterning the central nervous system. Recent work from zebrafish, chick, chick-quail chimeras and mice to investigate the development of the floor plate have led to several models of floor-plate induction. One model suggests that the floor plate is formed by inductive signalling from the notochord to the overlying neural tube. The induction is thought to be mediated by notochord-derived Sonic hedgehog (Shh), a secreted protein, and requires direct cellular contact between the notochord and the neural tube. Another model proposes a role for the organizer in generating midline precursor cells that produce floor plate cells independent of notochord specification, and proposes that floor plate specification occurs early, during gastrulation. We describe a temperature-sensitive mutation that affects the zebrafish Nodal-related secreted signalling factor, Cyclops, and use it to address the issue of when the floor plate is induced in zebrafish. Zebrafish cyclops regulates the expression of shh in the ventral neural tube. Although null mutations in cyclops result in the lack of the medial floor plate, embryos homozygous for the temperature-sensitive mutation have floor plate cells at the permissive temperature and lack floor plate cells at the restrictive temperature. We use this mutant allele in temperature shift-up and shift-down experiments to answer a central question pertaining to the timing of vertebrate floor plate induction. Abrogation of Cyc/Nodal signalling in the temperature-sensitive mutant embryos at various stages indicates that the floor plate in zebrafish is induced early in development, during gastrulation. In addition, continuous Cyclops signalling is required through gastrulation for a complete ventral neural tube throughout the length of the neuraxis. Finally, by modulation of Nodal signalling levels in mutants and in ectopic overexpression experiments, we show that, similar to the requirements for prechordal plate mesendoderm fates, uninterrupted and high levels of Cyclops signalling are required for induction and specification of a complete ventral neural tube.

Lefty Blocks a Subset of TGFβ Signals by Antagonizing EGF-CFC Coreceptors

PubMed Central

Cheng, Simon K; Olale, Felix; Brivanlou, Ali H

2004-01-01

Members of the EGF-CFC family play essential roles in embryonic development and have been implicated in tumorigenesis. The TGFβ signals Nodal and Vg1/GDF1, but not Activin, require EGF-CFC coreceptors to activate Activin receptors. We report that the TGFβ signaling antagonist Lefty also acts through an EGF-CFC-dependent mechanism. Lefty inhibits Nodal and Vg1 signaling, but not Activin signaling. Lefty genetically interacts with EGF-CFC proteins and competes with Nodal for binding to these coreceptors. Chimeras between Activin and Nodal or Vg1 identify a 14 amino acid region that confers independence from EGF-CFC coreceptors and resistance to Lefty. These results indicate that coreceptors are targets for both TGFβ agonists and antagonists and suggest that subtle sequence variations in TGFβ signals result in greater ligand diversity. PMID:14966532

Neurula rotation determines left-right asymmetry in ascidian tadpole larvae.

PubMed

Nishide, Kazuhiko; Mugitani, Michio; Kumano, Gaku; Nishida, Hiroki

2012-04-01

Tadpole larvae of the ascidian Halocynthia roretzi show morphological left-right asymmetry. The tail invariably bends towards the left side within the vitelline membrane. The structure of the larval brain is remarkably asymmetric. nodal, a conserved gene that shows left-sided expression, is also expressed on the left side in H. roretzi but in the epidermis unlike in vertebrates. We show that nodal signaling at the late neurula stage is required for stereotypic morphological left-right asymmetry at later stages. We uncover a novel mechanism to break embryonic symmetry, in which rotation of whole embryos provides the initial cue for left-sided expression of nodal. Two hours prior to the onset of nodal expression, the neurula embryo rotates along the anterior-posterior axis in a counterclockwise direction when seen in posterior view, and then this rotation stops when the left side of the embryo is oriented downwards. It is likely that epidermis monocilia, which appear at the neurula rotation stage, generate the driving force for the rotation. When the embryo lies on the left side, protrusion of the neural fold physically prevents it from rotating further. Experiments in which neurula rotation is perturbed by various means, including centrifugation and sandwiching between glass, indicate that contact of the left epidermis with the vitelline membrane as a consequence of neurula rotation promotes nodal expression in the left epidermis. We suggest that chemical, and not mechanical, signals from the vitelline membrane promote nodal expression. Neurula rotation is also conserved in other ascidian species.

[Clinical application of positron-emission tomography for the identification of cervical nodal metastases of head and neck cancer compared with CT or MRI and clinical palpation].

PubMed

Chen, Zhong-Wei; Zhu, Li-Jun; Hou, Qing-Yi; Wang, Qi-Peng; Jiang, Sui; Feng, Hang

2008-12-01

To evaluate the value of positron-emission tomography (PET) for the identification of cervical nodal metastases of head and neck cancer compared with CT/MRI and clinical palpation. Forty patients of head and neck cancer underwent PET and CT/MRI examination 2 weeks before surgery. PET, CT/MRI and clinical palpation were interpreted separately to assess regional lymph node status. Histopathologic analysis was used as the gold standard for assessment of the lymph node involvement. Differences in sensitivity, specificity and accuracy among the imaging modalities and clinical palpation were analyzed. The sensitivity of PET for the identification of nodal metastases was 14.3% higher than that of CT/MRI (P = 0.648) and 14.3% higher than that of clinical palpation (P = 0.648), whereas the specificity of PET was 15.4% higher than that of CT/MRI (P = 0.188) and 7.7% higher than that of clinical palpation (P = 0.482). The accuracy of 18F-FDG PET, CT/MRI, and clinical palpation for the identification of cervical nodal metastases was 85.0%, 70.0% and 75.0% respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of PET for the detection of cervical nodal metastases was higher than that of CT/MRI and clinical palpation. Although the results did not show a statistically significant difference, PET can still serve as a supplementary method for the identification of nodal metastases of head and neck cancer.

Interplay between short-range correlated disorder and Coulomb interaction in nodal-line semimetals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yuxuan; Nandkishore, Rahul M.

2017-09-01

In nodal-line semimetals, Coulomb interactions and short-range correlated disorder are both marginal perturbations to the clean noninteracting Hamiltonian. We analyze their interplay using a weak-coupling renormalization group approach. In the clean case, the Coulomb interaction has been found to be marginally irrelevant, leading to Fermi liquid behavior. We extend the analysis to incorporate the effects of disorder. The nodal line structure gives rise to kinematical constraints similar to that for a two-dimensional Fermi surface, which plays a crucial role in the one-loop renormalization of the disorder couplings. For a twofold degenerate nodal loop (Weyl loop), we show that disorder flows to strong coupling along a unique fixed trajectory in the space of symmetry inequivalent disorder couplings. Along this fixed trajectory, all symmetry inequivalent disorder strengths become equal. For a fourfold degenerate nodal loop (Dirac loop), disorder also flows to strong coupling, however, the strengths of symmetry inequivalent disorder couplings remain different. We show that feedback from disorder reverses the sign of the beta function for the Coulomb interaction, causing the Coulomb interaction to flow to strong coupling as well. However, the Coulomb interaction flows to strong coupling asymptotically more slowly than disorder. Extrapolating our results to strong coupling, we conjecture that at low energies nodal line semimetals should be described by a noninteracting nonlinear sigma model. We discuss the relation of our results with possible many-body localization at zero temperatures in such materials.

Layer-oriented total pelvic exenteration for locally advanced primary colorectal cancer.

PubMed

Koda, Keiji; Shuto, Kiyohiko; Matsuo, Kenichi; Kosugi, Chihiro; Mori, Mikito; Hirano, Atsushi; Hiroshima, Yukihiko; Tanaka, Kuniya

2016-01-01

The clinical outcomes of patients who have undergone total pelvic exenteration (TPE) for locally advanced primary colorectal cancer have not been satisfactory. For the last 13 years, we have performed layer-oriented, en bloc resection of tumor for which TPE is indicated, in the hope of improving postoperative outcomes. The clinical outcomes of these cases were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 54 patients who underwent TPE from 1986 to 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Since 2002, a layer-oriented removal for clinical T4 colorectal cancer, as in T3 or less invasive tumors removed by total mesorectal excision, was applied to 23 cases for which TPE was indicated. Postoperative mortality, morbidity, overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS) were evaluated. On univariate analysis, good postoperative OS and DFS were associated with the layer-oriented operative maneuver, blood loss less than 2000 mL, negative nodal metastasis, and no preoperative radiation therapy. Male sex was the marginal determinant correlated with good OS and DFS. Depth of invasion to T3 was the marginal determinant correlated with good DFS. On multivariate analysis using the 4 factors identified on univariate analyses, the layer-oriented operative procedure was a significant determinant for both good OS and DFS, together with negative nodal metastases. Postoperative mortality and morbidity in the layer-oriented excision were acceptable. For primary colorectal cancers for which TPE is indicated, layer-oriented excision was a safe and effective procedure, and it may be recommended as one of the standard surgical approaches in TPE.

Detection value of free cancer cells in peritoneal washing in gastric cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Tustumi, Francisco; Bernardo, Wanderley Marques; Roncon Dias, Andre; Kodama Pertille Ramos, Marcus Fernando; Cecconello, Ivan; Zilberstein, Bruno; Ribeiro-Júnior, Ulysses

2016-01-01

Intraperitoneal free cancer cells in gastric adenocarcinoma are associated with a poor outcome. However, the true prognostic value of intraperitoneal free cancer cells is still unclear, leading to a lack of consensus in the management of gastric cancer. The aim of the present study is to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to analyze intraperitoneal free cancer cells-positive patients with regard to tumor oncologic stage, recurrence, grade of cellular differentiation, and survival rates and to analyze the clinical significance of intraperitoneal free cancer cells with regard to prognosis. Databases were searched up to January 2016 for prognostic factors associated with intraperitoneal free cancer cells, including oncologic stage, depth of neoplasm invasion, lymph nodal spread, differentiation grade of the tumor, and recurrence and survival rates. A total of 100 studies were identified. Meta-analysis revealed a clear association between intraperitoneal free cancer cells and a poor prognosis. intraperitoneal free cancer cells -positive patients had higher rates of nodal spread (risk difference: 0.29; p<0.01), serosal invasion (risk difference: 0.43; p<0.01), recurrence (after 60 months of follow-up, risk difference: 0.44; p<0.01), and mortality (after 60 months of follow-up, risk difference: 0.34; p<0.01). Intraperitoneal free cancer cells are associated with a poor outcome in gastric cancer. This surrogate biomarker should be used to guide therapy both prior to and after surgery. PMID:28076519

Immune response in melanoma: an in-depth analysis of the primary tumor and corresponding sentinel lymph node

PubMed Central

Ma, Michelle W.; Medicherla, Ratna C.; Qian, Meng; de Miera, Eleazar Vega-Saenz; Friedman, Erica B.; Berman, Russell S.; Shapiro, Richard L.; Pavlick, Anna C.; Ott, Patrick A.; Bhardwaj, Nina; Shao, Yongzhao; Osman, Iman; Darvishian, Farbod

2013-01-01

The sentinel lymph node is the initial site of metastasis. Down-regulation of anti-tumor immunity plays a role in nodal progression. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between immune modulation and sentinel lymph node positivity, correlating it with outcome in melanoma patients. Lymph node/primary tissues from melanoma patients prospectively accrued and followed at New York University Medical Center were evaluated for the presence of regulatory T-cells (Foxp3+) and dendritic cells (conventional: CD11c+, mature: CD86+) using immunohistochemistry. Primary melanoma immune cell profiles from sentinel lymph node-positive/-negative patients were compared. Logistic regression models inclusive of standard-of-care/immunologic primary tumor characteristics were constructed to predict the risk of sentinel lymph node positivity. Immunological responses in the positive sentinel lymph node were also compared to those in the negative non-sentinel node from the same nodal basin and matched negative sentinel lymph node. Decreased immune response was defined as increased regulatory T-cells or decreased dendritic cells. Associations between the expression of these immune modulators, clinicopathologic variables, and clinical outcome were evaluated using univariate/multivariate analyses. Primary tumor conventional dendritic cells and regression were protective against sentinel lymph node metastasis (odds ratio=0.714, 0.067; P=0.0099, 0.0816, respectively). Anti-tumor immunity was down-regulated in the positive sentinel lymph node with an increase in regulatory T-cells compared to the negative non-sentinel node from the same nodal basin (P=0.0005) and matched negative sentinel lymph node (P=0.0002). The positive sentinel lymph node also had decreased numbers of conventional dendritic cells compared to the negative sentinel lymph node (P<0.0001). Adding sentinel lymph node regulatory T-cell expression improved the discriminative power of a recurrence risk assessment model using clinical stage. Primary tumor regression was associated with prolonged disease-free (P=0.025) and melanoma-specific (P=0.014) survival. Our results support an assessment of local immune profiles in both the primary tumor and sentinel lymph node to help guide therapeutic decisions. PMID:22425909

Cervical nodal metastases in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: what to expect.

PubMed

Mukherji, S K; Armao, D; Joshi, V M

2001-11-01

The treatment and management of malignancies of the head and neck is directly altered by the presence of metastatic cervical adenopathy. The treatment of nodal metastases in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCCA) is determined by the lymphatic drainage of the upper aerodigestive tract. The lymphatic drainage is site-specific and occurs in a predictable manner. The purpose of this text is to provide an overview of the normal routes of lymphatic drainage in the head and neck and correlate this with the current nodal classification system. The specific aims of this manuscript are to 1) illustrate the expected lymphatic drainage patterns of HNSCCA arising in the different subsites (nasopharynx, oropharynx, oral cavity, larynx, and hypopharynx) and 2) review the expected frequency of metastases within nodal groups for HNSCCA that arise in these locations. An understanding of the topographical distribution and incidence of cervical lymph node metastases plays an integral role in the physical examination and radiological evaluation of patients with HNSCCA. For the neuroradiologist, this information may increases the ability to identify those nodal groups at risk for metastatic involvement. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck 23: 995-1005, 2001.

Nodal Green’s Function Method Singular Source Term and Burnable Poison Treatment in Hexagonal Geometry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

A.A. Bingham; R.M. Ferrer; A.M. ougouag

2009-09-01

An accurate and computationally efficient two or three-dimensional neutron diffusion model will be necessary for the development, safety parameters computation, and fuel cycle analysis of a prismatic Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) design under Next Generation Nuclear Plant Project (NGNP). For this purpose, an analytical nodal Green’s function solution for the transverse integrated neutron diffusion equation is developed in two and three-dimensional hexagonal geometry. This scheme is incorporated into HEXPEDITE, a code first developed by Fitzpatrick and Ougouag. HEXPEDITE neglects non-physical discontinuity terms that arise in the transverse leakage due to the transverse integration procedure application to hexagonal geometry andmore » cannot account for the effects of burnable poisons across nodal boundaries. The test code being developed for this document accounts for these terms by maintaining an inventory of neutrons by using the nodal balance equation as a constraint of the neutron flux equation. The method developed in this report is intended to restore neutron conservation and increase the accuracy of the code by adding these terms to the transverse integrated flux solution and applying the nodal Green’s function solution to the resulting equation to derive a semi-analytical solution.« less

Tumor Volume Is a Prognostic Factor in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Chemoradiotherapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alexander, Brian M.; Othus, Megan; Caglar, Hale B.

2011-04-01

Purpose: To investigate whether primary tumor and nodal volumes defined on radiotherapy planning scans are correlated with outcome (survival and recurrence) after combined-modality treatment. Methods and Materials: A retrospective review of patients with Stage III non-small-cell lung cancer treated with chemoradiation at Brigham and Women's Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute from 2000 to 2006 was performed. Tumor and nodal volume measurements, as computed by Eclipse (Varian, Palo Alto, CA), were used as independent variables, along with existing clinical factors, in univariate and multivariate analyses for association with outcomes. Results: For patients treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy, both nodal volume (hazard ratio [HR], 1.09;more » p < 0.01) and tumor volume (HR, 1.03; p < 0.01) were associated with overall survival on multivariate analysis. Both nodal volume (HR, 1.10; p < 0.01) and tumor volume (HR, 1.04; p < 0.01) were also associated with local control but not distant metastases. Conclusions: In addition to traditional surgical staging variables, disease burden, measured by primary tumor and nodal metastases volume, provides information that may be helpful in determining prognosis and identifying groups of patients for which more aggressive local therapy is warranted.« less

Theory of nodal s ±-wave pairing symmetry in the Pu-based 115 superconductor family

DOE PAGES

Das, Tanmoy; Zhu, Jian -Xin; Graf, Matthias J.

2015-02-27

The spin-fluctuation mechanism of superconductivity usually results in the presence of gapless or nodal quasiparticle states in the excitation spectrum. Nodal quasiparticle states are well established in copper-oxide, and heavy-fermion superconductors, but not in iron-based superconductors. Here, we study the pairing symmetry and mechanism of a new class of plutonium-based high-T c superconductors and predict the presence of a nodal s⁺⁻ wave pairing symmetry in this family. Starting from a density-functional theory (DFT) based electronic structure calculation we predict several three-dimensional (3D) Fermi surfaces in this 115 superconductor family. We identify the dominant Fermi surface “hot-spots” in the inter-band scatteringmore » channel, which are aligned along the wavevector Q = (π, π, π), where degeneracy could induce sign-reversal of the pairing symmetry. Our calculation demonstrates that the s⁺⁻ wave pairing strength is stronger than the previously thought d-wave pairing; and more importantly, this pairing state allows for the existence of nodal quasiparticles. Finally, we predict the shape of the momentum- and energy-dependent magnetic resonance spectrum for the identification of this pairing symmetry.« less

Saddle-like topological surface states on the T T'X family of compounds (T , T' = Transition metal, X =Si , Ge)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Bahadur; Zhou, Xiaoting; Lin, Hsin; Bansil, Arun

2018-02-01

Topological nodal-line semimetals are exotic conductors that host symmetry-protected conducting nodal lines in their bulk electronic spectrum and nontrivial drumhead states on the surface. Based on first-principles calculations and an effective model analysis, we identify the presence of topological nodal-line semimetal states in the low crystalline symmetric T T'X family of compounds (T ,T' = transition metal, X = Si or Ge) in the absence of spin-orbit coupling (SOC). Taking ZrPtGe as an exemplar system, we show that owing to small lattice symmetry this material harbors a single nodal line on the ky=0 plane with large energy dispersion and unique drumhead surface state with a saddlelike energy dispersion. When the SOC is included, the nodal line gaps out and the system transitions to a strong topological insulator state with Z2=(1 ;000 ) . The topological surface state evolves from the drumhead surface state via the sharing of its saddlelike energy dispersion within the bulk energy gap. These features differ remarkably from those of the currently known topological surface states in topological insulators such as Bi2Se3 with Dirac-cone-like energy dispersions.

F18 FDG positron emission tomography revelation of primary testicular lymphoma with concurrent multiple extra nodal involvement

PubMed Central

Vamsy, Mohana; Dattatreya, PS; Parakh, Megha; Dayal, Monal; Rao, VVS Prabhakar

2013-01-01

Primary testicular lymphoma (PTL) a relatively rare disease of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas occurring with a lesser incidence of 1-2% has a propensity to occur at later ages above 50 years. PTL spreads to extra nodal sites due to deficiency of extra cellular adhesion molecules. We present detection of multiple sites of extra nodal involvement of PTL by F-18 positron emission tomography/computed tomography study aiding early detection of the dissemination thus aiding in staging and management. PMID:24019676

Doping-dependent anisotropic superconducting gap in Na1-δ(Fe1-xCox)As from London penetration depth

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cho, Kyuil; Tanatar, Makariy A.; Spyrison, Nicholas

2012-07-30

The London penetration depth was measured in single crystals of self-doped Na1-δFeAs (from under doping to optimal doping, Tc from 14 to 27 K) and electron-doped Na(Fe1-xCox)As with x ranging from undoped, x=0, to overdoped, x=0.1. In all samples, the low-temperature variation of the penetration depth exhibits a power-law dependence, Δλ(T)=ATn, with the exponent that varies in a domelike fashion from n˜1.1 in the underdoped, reaching a maximum of n˜1.9 in the optimally doped, and decreasing again to n˜1.3 on the overdoped side. While the anisotropy of the gap structure follows a universal domelike evolution, the exponent at optimal doping,more » n˜1.9, is lower than in other charge-doped Fe-based superconductors (FeSCs). The full-temperature range superfluid density, ρs(T)=λ(0)/λ(T)2, at optimal doping is also distinctly different from other charge-doped FeSCs but is similar to isovalently substituted BaFe2(As1-xPx)2, believed to be a nodal pnictide at optimal doping. These results suggest that the superconducting gap in Na(Fe1-xCox)As is highly anisotropic even at optimal doping.« less

Nodal Clearance Rate and Long-Term Efficacy of Individualized Sentinel Node–Based Pelvic Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy for High-Risk Prostate Cancer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Müller, Arndt-Christian, E-mail: arndt-christian.mueller@med.uni-tuebingen.de; Eckert, Franziska; Paulsen, Frank

2016-02-01

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of individual sentinel node (SN)-guided pelvic intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) by determining nodal clearance rate [(n expected nodal involvement − n observed regional recurrences)/n expected nodal involvement] in comparison with surgically staged patients. Methods and Materials: Data on 475 high-risk prostate cancer patients were examined. Sixty-one consecutive patients received pelvic SN-based IMRT (5 × 1.8 Gy/wk to 50.4 Gy [pelvic nodes + individual SN] and an integrated boost with 5 × 2.0 Gy/wk to 70.0 Gy to prostate + [base of] seminal vesicles) and neo-/adjuvant long-term androgen deprivation therapy; 414 patients after SN–pelvic lymph node dissection were used to calculate the expected nodal involvement rate for the radiation therapymore » sample. Biochemical control and overall survival were estimated for the SN-IMRT patients using the Kaplan-Meier method. The expected frequency of nodal involvement in the radiation therapy group was estimated by imputing frequencies of node-positive patients in the surgical sample to the pattern of Gleason, prostate-specific antigen, and T category in the radiation therapy sample. Results: After a median follow-up of 61 months, 5-year OS after SN-guided IMRT reached 84.4%. Biochemical control according to the Phoenix definition was 73.8%. The nodal clearance rate of SN-IMRT reached 94%. Retrospective follow-up evaluation is the main limitation. Conclusions: Radiation treatment of pelvic nodes individualized by inclusion of SNs is an effective regional treatment modality in high-risk prostate cancer patients. The pattern of relapse indicates that the SN-based target volume concept correctly covers individual pelvic nodes. Thus, this SN-based approach justifies further evaluation, including current dose-escalation strategies to the prostate in a larger prospective series.« less

Super-nodal methods for space-time kinetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mertyurek, Ugur

The purpose of this research has been to develop an advanced Super-Nodal method to reduce the run time of 3-D core neutronics models, such as in the NESTLE reactor core simulator and FORMOSA nuclear fuel management optimization codes. Computational performance of the neutronics model is increased by reducing the number of spatial nodes used in the core modeling. However, as the number of spatial nodes decreases, the error in the solution increases. The Super-Nodal method reduces the error associated with the use of coarse nodes in the analyses by providing a new set of cross sections and ADFs (Assembly Discontinuity Factors) for the new nodalization. These so called homogenization parameters are obtained by employing consistent collapsing technique. During this research a new type of singularity, namely "fundamental mode singularity", is addressed in the ANM (Analytical Nodal Method) solution. The "Coordinate Shifting" approach is developed as a method to address this singularity. Also, the "Buckling Shifting" approach is developed as an alternative and more accurate method to address the zero buckling singularity, which is a more common and well known singularity problem in the ANM solution. In the course of addressing the treatment of these singularities, an effort was made to provide better and more robust results from the Super-Nodal method by developing several new methods for determining the transverse leakage and collapsed diffusion coefficient, which generally are the two main approximations in the ANM methodology. Unfortunately, the proposed new transverse leakage and diffusion coefficient approximations failed to provide a consistent improvement to the current methodology. However, improvement in the Super-Nodal solution is achieved by updating the homogenization parameters at several time points during a transient. The update is achieved by employing a refinement technique similar to pin-power reconstruction. A simple error analysis based on the relative residual in the 3-D few group diffusion equation at the fine mesh level is also introduced in this work.

Target volume delineation for radical radiotherapy of early oesophageal carcinoma in elderly patients.

PubMed

Su, J; Zhu, S; Liu, Z; Zhao, Y; Song, C

2017-02-01

To compare the prognosis of elderly patients with early oesophageal carcinoma between radical elective nodal prophylactic irradiation and involved-field irradiation and to estimate the failure modes and adverse effects, then to provide the patients the safe and individual therapeutic regimens. The charts of 96 patients aged 65 and over with early stage oesophageal carcinoma receiving radical radiotherapy in our department were retrospectively analysed. Of all the patients, 49 received elective nodal prophylactic irradiation and the other 47 received involved-field irradiation. After completion of the whole treatment, we analysed short-term effects, tumour local control, overall survival of the patients, failure modes and adverse effects. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year local control rate in elective nodal irradiation and involved-field irradiation groups were 80.6%, 57.4%, 54.0% and 65.4%, 46.5%, 30.5% respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (χ 2 =4.478, P=0.03). The differences of overall survival and progression-free survival were not significant (P>0.05). The difference of 1-, 3-, and 5-years local regional failure rate was statistically significant between elective nodal prophylactic irradiation and involved-field irradiation groups, except for the overall failure and distant metastasis rates. The overall incidence of radiation-induced oesophagitis after elective nodal irradiation or involved-field irradiation was 79.6% and 59.6%, and the difference was statistically significant (χ 2 =4.559, P=0.03). The difference of radiation pneumonitis between elective nodal prophylactic irradiation and involved-field irradiation was not significant (12.2% vs 14.9%; χ 2 =0.144, P=0.7). For elderly patients with early stage oesophageal carcinoma receiving radical radiotherapy, although elective nodal prophylactic irradiation could increase the incidence of radiation-induced oesophagitis, patients could tolerate the treatment and benefit from local control. Copyright © 2016 Société française de radiothérapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Review analysis of medullary carcinoma of the thyroid: a 15-year Indian experience.

PubMed

Dorairajan, N; Siddharth, D; Kanna, Srinivasulu

2006-01-01

The aim of this study was to emphasize the importance of adequate primary surgery in cases of medullary carcinoma of the thyroid. We retrospectively reviewed 44 cases of medullary carcinoma of the thyroid treated in Government General Hospital, Chennai between 1987 and 2002. Patients who underwent total thyroidectomy with only central compartment dissection were compared with those who had undergone total thyroidectomy with meticulous triple compartment (bilateral lateral and central groups) nodal dissection. The group of total thyroidectomy with only central compartment dissection had a high rate of lymph nodal recurrence and persistent hypercalcitoninemia compared with the group with total thyroidectomy with meticulous triple compartment nodal dissection. (chi square, 4.503; P > 0.05). Primary surgery with total thyroidectomy with meticulous triple compartment dissection is superior to total thyroidectomy with central compartment dissection alone in terms of preventing nodal and local recurrences and achieving normal (basal and stimulated) serum calcitonin levels postoperatively.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deka, Deepjyoti; Backhaus, Scott N.; Chertkov, Michael

Limited placement of real-time monitoring devices in the distribution grid, recent trends notwithstanding, has prevented the easy implementation of demand-response and other smart grid applications. Part I of this paper discusses the problem of learning the operational structure of the grid from nodal voltage measurements. In this work (Part II), the learning of the operational radial structure is coupled with the problem of estimating nodal consumption statistics and inferring the line parameters in the grid. Based on a Linear-Coupled(LC) approximation of AC power flows equations, polynomial time algorithms are designed to identify the structure and estimate nodal load characteristics and/ormore » line parameters in the grid using the available nodal voltage measurements. Then the structure learning algorithm is extended to cases with missing data, where available observations are limited to a fraction of the grid nodes. The efficacy of the presented algorithms are demonstrated through simulations on several distribution test cases.« less

Cryopreservation of in vitro grown nodal segments of Rauvolfia serpentina by PVS2 vitrification.

PubMed

Ray, Avik; Bhattacharya, Sabita

2008-01-01

This paper describes the cryopreservation by PVS2 vitrification of Rauvolfia serpentina (L.) Benth ex kurz, an important tropical medicinal plant. The effects of type and size of explants, sucrose preculture (duration and concentration) and vitrification treatment were tested. Preliminary experiments with PVS1, 2 and 3 produced shoot growth only for PVS2. When optimizing the PVS2 vitrification of nodal segments, those of 0.31 - 0.39 cm in size were better than other nodal sizes and or apices. Sucrose preculture had a positive role in survival and subsequent regrowth of the cryopreserved explants. Seven days on 0.5 M sucrose solution significantly improved the viability of nodal segments. PVS2 incubation for 45 minutes combined with a 7-day preculture gave the optimum result of 66 percent. Plantlets derived after cryopreservation resumed growth and regenerated normally.

Constructing a polynomial whose nodal set is the three-twist knot 52

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dennis, Mark R.; Bode, Benjamin

2017-06-01

We describe a procedure that creates an explicit complex-valued polynomial function of three-dimensional space, whose nodal lines are the three-twist knot 52. The construction generalizes a similar approach for lemniscate knots: a braid representation is engineered from finite Fourier series and then considered as the nodal set of a certain complex polynomial which depends on an additional parameter. For sufficiently small values of this parameter, the nodal lines form the three-twist knot. Further mathematical properties of this map are explored, including the relationship of the phase critical points with the Morse-Novikov number, which is nonzero as this knot is not fibred. We also find analogous functions for other simple knots and links. The particular function we find, and the general procedure, should be useful for designing knotted fields of particular knot types in various physical systems.

Isospectral discrete and quantum graphs with the same flip counts and nodal counts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juul, Jonas S.; Joyner, Christopher H.

2018-06-01

The existence of non-isomorphic graphs which share the same Laplace spectrum (to be referred to as isospectral graphs) leads naturally to the following question: what additional information is required in order to resolve isospectral graphs? It was suggested by Band, Shapira and Smilansky that this might be achieved by either counting the number of nodal domains or the number of times the eigenfunctions change sign (the so-called flip count) (Band et al 2006 J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 39 13999–4014 Band and Smilansky 2007 Eur. Phys. J. Spec. Top. 145 171–9). Recent examples of (discrete) isospectral graphs with the same flip count and nodal count have been constructed by Ammann by utilising Godsil–McKay switching (Ammann private communication). Here, we provide a simple alternative mechanism that produces systematic examples of both discrete and quantum isospectral graphs with the same flip and nodal counts.

Three-dimensional graphdiyne as a topological nodal-line semimetal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nomura, Takafumi; Habe, Tetsuro; Sakamoto, Ryota; Koshino, Mikito

2018-05-01

We study the electronic band structure of three-dimensional ABC-stacked (rhombohedral) graphdiyne, which is a new planar carbon allotrope recently fabricated. Using first-principles calculation, we show that the system is a nodal-line semimetal, in which the conduction band and valence band cross at a closed ring in the momentum space. We derive the minimum tight-binding model and the low-energy effective Hamiltonian in a 4 ×4 matrix form. The nodal line is protected by a nontrivial winding number, and it ensures the existence of the topological surface state in a finite-thickness slab. The Fermi surface of the doped system exhibits a peculiar, self-intersecting hourglass structure, which is quite different from the torus or pipe shape in the previously proposed nodal semimetals. Despite its simple configuration, three-dimensional graphdiyne offers unique electronic properties distinct from any other carbon allotropes.

Coexistence of tunable Weyl points and topological nodal lines in ternary transition-metal telluride TaIrT e4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Xiaoqing; Liu, Qihang; Wu, QuanSheng; Nummy, Tom; Li, Haoxiang; Griffith, Justin; Parham, Stephen; Waugh, Justin; Emmanouilidou, Eve; Shen, Bing; Yazyev, Oleg V.; Ni, Ni; Dessau, Daniel

2018-06-01

We report a combined theoretical and experimental study on TaIrT e4 , a potential candidate for a minimal model of type-II Weyl semimetals. Unexpectedly, an intriguing node structure with 12 Weyl points and a pair of nodal lines protected by mirror symmetry was found by first-principles calculations. Some signatures of the complex electronic structure, such as topologically nontrivial band crossings and topologically trivial Fermi arcs, are cross-validated by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Through external strain, the number of Weyl points can be reduced to a theoretical minimum of four, and the appearance of the nodal lines can be switched between different mirror planes in momentum space. The coexistence of switchable Weyl points and nodal lines establishes transition-metal chalcogenides as a unique test ground for topological state characterization and engineering.

Trends and interannual variability of mass and steric sea level in the Tropical Asian Seas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kleinherenbrink, Marcel; Riva, Riccardo; Frederikse, Thomas; Merrifield, Mark; Wada, Yoshihide

2017-08-01

The mass and steric components of sea level changes have been separated in the Tropical Asian Seas (TAS) using a statistically optimal combination of Jason satellite altimetry, GRACE satellite gravimetry, and ocean reanalyses. Using observational uncertainties, statistically optimally weighted time series for both components have been obtained in four regions within the TAS over the period January 2005 to December 2012. The mass and steric sea level variability is regressed with the first two principal components (PC1&2) of Pacific equatorial wind stress and the Dipole Mode Index (DMI). Sea level in the South China Sea is not affected by any of the indices. Steric variability in the TAS is largest in the deep Banda and Celebes seas and is affected by both PCs and the DMI. Mass variability is largest on the continental shelves, which is primarily controlled by PC1. We argue that a water flux from the Western Tropical Pacific Ocean is the cause for mass variability in the TAS. The steric trends are about 2 mm yr-1 larger than the mass trends in the TAS. A significant part of the mass trend can be explained by the aforementioned indices and the nodal cycle. Trends obtained from fingerprints of mass redistribution are statistically equal to mass trends after subtracting the nodal cycle and the indices. Ultimately, the effect of omitting the TAS in global sea level budgets is estimated to be 0.3 mm yr-1.

Analysis of nodal coverage utilizing image guided radiation therapy for primary gynecologic tumor volumes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ahmed, Faisal; Loma Linda University Medical Center, Department of Radiation Oncology, Loma Linda, CA; Sarkar, Vikren

Purpose: To evaluate radiation dose delivered to pelvic lymph nodes, if daily Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) was implemented with treatment shifts based on the primary site (primary clinical target volume [CTV]). Our secondary goal was to compare dosimetric coverage with patient outcomes. Materials and methods: A total of 10 female patients with gynecologic malignancies were evaluated retrospectively after completion of definitive intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to their pelvic lymph nodes and primary tumor site. IGRT consisted of daily kilovoltage computed tomography (CT)-on-rails imaging fused with initial planning scans for position verification. The initial plan was created using Varian's Eclipsemore » treatment planning software. Patients were treated with a median radiation dose of 45 Gy (range: 37.5 to 50 Gy) to the primary volume and 45 Gy (range: 45 to 64.8 Gy) to nodal structures. One IGRT scan per week was randomly selected from each patient's treatment course and re-planned on the Eclipse treatment planning station. CTVs were recreated by fusion on the IGRT image series, and the patient's treatment plan was applied to the new image set to calculate delivered dose. We evaluated the minimum, maximum, and 95% dose coverage for primary and nodal structures. Reconstructed primary tumor volumes were recreated within 4.7% of initial planning volume (0.9% to 8.6%), and reconstructed nodal volumes were recreated to within 2.9% of initial planning volume (0.01% to 5.5%). Results: Dosimetric parameters averaged less than 10% (range: 1% to 9%) of the original planned dose (45 Gy) for primary and nodal volumes on all patients (n = 10). For all patients, ≥99.3% of the primary tumor volume received ≥ 95% the prescribed dose (V95%) and the average minimum dose was 96.1% of the prescribed dose. In evaluating nodal CTV coverage, ≥ 99.8% of the volume received ≥ 95% the prescribed dose and the average minimum dose was 93%. In evaluating individual IGRT sessions, we found that 6 patients had an estimated minimal nodal CTV dose less than 90% (range: 78 to 99%) of that planned. With a median follow-up of 42.5 months, 2 patients experienced systemic disease progression at an average of 19.6 months. One patient was found to have a local or regional failure with an average follow-up of 42 months. Conclusion: Using only 3 dimensional IGRT corrections in gynecological radiation allows excellent coverage of the primary target volume and good average nodal CTV coverage. If IGRT corrections are based on alignment to the primary tumor volume, and is only able to be corrected in 3 degrees, this can create situations in which nodal volumes may be under dosed. Utilizing multiple IGRT sessions appears to average out dose discrepancies over the course of treatment. The implication of underdosing in a single IGRT session needs further evaluation in future studies. Based on the concern of minimum dose to a nodal target volume, these findings may signal caution when using IGRT and IMRT in gynecological radiation patients. Possible techniques to overcome this situation may include averaging shifts between tumor and nodal volume, use of a treatment couch with 6° of freedom, deformable registration, or adaptive planning.« less

Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography–computed tomography in evaluation of pelvic and para-aortic nodal involvement in early stage and operable cervical cancer: Comparison with surgicopathological findings

PubMed Central

Bansal, Vandana; Damania, Kaizad; Sharma, Anshu Rajnish

2011-01-01

Introduction: Nodal metastases in cervical cancer have prognostic implications. Imaging is used as an adjunct to clinical staging for evaluation of nodal metastases. Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has an advantage of superior resolution of its CT component and detecting nodal disease based on increased glycolytic activity rather than node size. But there are limited studies describing its limitations in early stage cervical cancers. Objective: We have done meta-analysis with an objective to evaluate the efficacy of FDG PET/CT and its current clinical role in early stage and operable cervical cancer. Materials and Methods: Studies in which FDG PET/CT was performed before surgery in patients with early stage cervical cancers were included for analysis. PET findings were confirmed with histopathological diagnosis rather than clinical follow-up. FDG PET/CT showed lower sensitivity and clinically unacceptable negative predictive value in detecting nodal metastases in early stage cervical cancer and therefore, can not replace surgicopathological staging. False negative results in presence of microscopic disease and sub-centimeter diseased nodes are still the area of concern for metabolic imaging. However, these studies are single institutional and performed in a small group of patients. There is enough available evidence of clinical utility of FDG PET/CT in locally advanced cervical cancer. But these results can not be extrapolated for early stage disease. Conclusion: The current data suggest that FDG PET/CT is suboptimal in nodal staging in early stage cervical cancer. PMID:23559711

Intensity-Modulated Proton Therapy for Elective Nodal Irradiation and Involved-Field Radiation in the Definitive Treatment of Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Dosimetric Study

PubMed Central

Kesarwala, Aparna H.; Ko, Christine J.; Ning, Holly; Xanthopoulos, Eric; Haglund, Karl E.; O’Meara, William P.; Simone, Charles B.; Rengan, Ramesh

2015-01-01

Background Photon involved-field radiation therapy (IFRT), the standard for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC), results in favorable outcomes without increased isolated nodal failures, perhaps from scattered dose to elective nodal stations. Given the high conformality of intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT), proton IFRT could increase nodal failures. We investigated the feasibility of IMPT for elective nodal irradiation (ENI) in LA-NSCLC. Materials and Methods IMPT IFRT plans were generated to the same total dose of 66.6–72 Gy received by 20 LA-NSCLC patients treated with photon IFRT. IMPT ENI plans were generated to 46 CGE to elective nodal (EN) planning treatment volumes (PTV) plus 24 CGE to involved field (IF)-PTVs. Results Proton IFRT and ENI both improved D95 involved field (IF)-PTV coverage by 4% (p<0.01) compared to photon IFRT. All evaluated dosimetric parameters improved significantly with both proton plans. Lung V20 and mean lung dose decreased 18% (p<0.01) and 36% (p<0.01), respectively, with proton IFRT and 11% (p=0.03) and 26% (p<0.01) with ENI. Mean esophagus dose decreased 16% with IFRT and 12% with ENI; heart V25 decreased 63% with both (all p<0.01). Conclusions This study demonstrates the feasibility of IMPT for LA-NSCLC ENI. Potential decreased toxicity indicates IMPT could allow ENI while maintaining a favorable therapeutic ratio compared to photon IFRT. PMID:25604729

Intensity-modulated proton therapy for elective nodal irradiation and involved-field radiation in the definitive treatment of locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: a dosimetric study.

PubMed

Kesarwala, Aparna H; Ko, Christine J; Ning, Holly; Xanthopoulos, Eric; Haglund, Karl E; O'Meara, William P; Simone, Charles B; Rengan, Ramesh

2015-05-01

Photon involved-field (IF) radiation therapy (IFRT), the standard for locally advanced (LA) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), results in favorable outcomes without increased isolated nodal failures, perhaps from scattered dose to elective nodal stations. Because of the high conformality of intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT), proton IFRT could increase nodal failures. We investigated the feasibility of IMPT for elective nodal irradiation (ENI) in LA-NSCLC. IMPT IFRT plans were generated to the same total dose of 66.6-72 Gy received by 20 LA-NSCLC patients treated with photon IFRT. IMPT ENI plans were generated to 46 cobalt Gray equivalent (CGE) to elective nodal planning treatment volumes (PTV) plus 24 CGE to IF-PTVs. Proton IFRT and ENI improved the IF-PTV percentage of volume receiving 95% of the prescribed dose (D95) by 4% (P < .01) compared with photon IFRT. All evaluated dosimetric parameters improved significantly with both proton plans. The lung percentage of volume receiving 20 Gy/CGE (V20) and mean lung dose decreased 18% (P < .01) and 36% (P < .01), respectively, with proton IFRT, and 11% (P = .03) and 26% (P < .01) with ENI. The mean esophagus dose decreased 16% with IFRT and 12% with ENI; heart V25 decreased 63% with both (all P < .01). This study demonstrates the feasibility of IMPT for LA-NSCLC ENI. Potential decreased toxicity indicates that IMPT could allow ENI while maintaining a favorable therapeutic ratio compared with photon IFRT. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Radiotherapy for esthesioneuroblastoma: is elective nodal irradiation warranted in the multimodality treatment approach?

PubMed

Noh, O Kyu; Lee, Sang-wook; Yoon, Sang Min; Kim, Sung Bae; Kim, Sang Yoon; Kim, Chang Jin; Jo, Kyung Ja; Choi, Eun Kyung; Song, Si Yeol; Kim, Jong Hoon; Ahn, Seung Do

2011-02-01

The role of elective nodal irradiation (ENI) in radiotherapy for esthesioneuroblastoma (ENB) has not been clearly defined. We analyzed treatment outcomes of patients with ENB and the frequency of cervical nodal failure in the absence of ENI. Between August 1996 and December 2007, we consulted with 19 patients with ENB regarding radiotherapy. Initial treatment consisted of surgery alone in 2 patients; surgery and postoperative radiotherapy in 4; surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy in 1; surgery, postoperative radiotherapy, and chemotherapy in 3; and chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy in 5. Five patients did not receive planned radiotherapy because of disease progression. Including 2 patients who received salvage radiotherapy, 14 patients were treated with radiotherapy. Elective nodal irradiation was performed in 4 patients with high-risk factors, including 3 with cervical lymph node metastasis at presentation. Fourteen patients were analyzable, with a median follow-up of 27 months (range, 7-64 months). The overall 3-year survival rate was 73.4%. Local failure occurred in 3 patients (21.4%), regional cervical failure in 3 (21.4%), and distant failure in 2 (14.3%). No cervical nodal failure occurred in patients treated with combined systemic chemotherapy regardless of ENI. Three cervical failures occurred in the 4 patients treated with ENI or neck dissection (75%), none of whom received systemic chemotherapy. ENI during radiotherapy for ENB seems to play a limited role in preventing cervical nodal failure. Omitting ENI may be an option if patients are treated with a combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adaptive Nodal Transport Methods for Reactor Transient Analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thomas Downar; E. Lewis

2005-08-31

Develop methods for adaptively treating the angular, spatial, and time dependence of the neutron flux in reactor transient analysis. These methods were demonstrated in the DOE transport nodal code VARIANT and the US NRC spatial kinetics code, PARCS.

Nexus networks in carbon honeycombs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yuanping; Xie, Yuee; Gao, Yan; Chang, Po-Yao; Zhang, Shengbai; Vanderbilt, David

2018-04-01

Nexus metals represent a new type of topological material in which nodal lines merge at nexus points. Here we propose novel networks in nexus systems through intertwining between nexus fermions and additional nodal lines. These nexus networks can be realized in recently synthesized carbon honeycomb materials. In these carbon honeycombs, we demonstrate a phase transition between a nexus network and a system with triply degenerate points and additional nodal lines. The Landau level spectra show unusual magnetic transport properties in the nexus networks. Our results pave the way toward realizations of new topological materials with novel transport properties beyond standard Weyl/Dirac semimetals.

Oestrogen receptors, nodes and stage as predictors of post-recurrence survival in 457 breast cancer patients.

PubMed

Shek, L L; Godolphin, W; Spinelli, J J

1987-12-01

The relationship to survival after first recurrence of oestrogen receptor (ER), nodal status and TNM stage at diagnosis, and treatment for advanced disease was studied in 457 females whose primary breast cancer was diagnosed in 1975 to 1981. Receptor concentration was the most important predictor of post-recurrence survival, with some additional information conveyed by nodal status. ER predicted survival after recurrence independently of nodal status, clinical stage or mode of therapy. Response to endocrine therapy is only a facet of the generally favourable prognosis of ER positive patients, rather than the sole explanation.

Segregated nodal domains of two-dimensional multispecies Bose-Einstein condensates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Shu-Ming; Lin, Chang-Shou; Lin, Tai-Chia; Lin, Wen-Wei

2004-09-01

In this paper, we study the distribution of m segregated nodal domains of the m-mixture of Bose-Einstein condensates under positive and large repulsive scattering lengths. It is shown that components of positive bound states may repel each other and form segregated nodal domains as the repulsive scattering lengths go to infinity. Efficient numerical schemes are created to confirm our theoretical results and discover a new phenomenon called verticillate multiplying, i.e., the generation of multiple verticillate structures. In addition, our proposed Gauss-Seidel-type iteration method is very effective in that it converges linearly in 10-20 steps.

[Does nodal irradiation (clavicular and internal mammary chains) increase the toxicity of adjuvant breast radiotherapy?].

PubMed

Riou, O; Bourgier, C; Fenoglietto, P; Azria, D

2015-06-01

Treatment volume is a major risk factor of radiation-induced toxicity. As nodal irradiation increases treatment volume, radiation toxicity should be greater. Nevertheless, scientific randomised data do not support this fact. However, a radiation-induced toxicity is possible outside tangential fields in the nodal volumes not related to breast-only treatment. Treatment should not be adapted only to the disease but personalized to the individual risk of toxicity for each patient. Copyright © 2015 Société française de radiothérapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Nodal signalling in Xenopus: the role of Xnr5 in left/right asymmetry and heart development.

PubMed

Tadjuidje, Emmanuel; Kofron, Matthew; Mir, Adnan; Wylie, Christopher; Heasman, Janet; Cha, Sang-Wook

2016-08-01

Nodal class TGF-β signalling molecules play essential roles in establishing the vertebrate body plan. In all vertebrates, nodal family members have specific waves of expression required for tissue specification and axis formation. In Xenopus laevis, six nodal genes are expressed before gastrulation, raising the question of whether they have specific roles or act redundantly with each other. Here, we examine the role of Xnr5. We find it acts at the late blastula stage as a mesoderm inducer and repressor of ectodermal gene expression, a role it shares with Vg1. However, unlike Vg1, Xnr5 depletion reduces the expression of the nodal family member xnr1 at the gastrula stage. It is also required for left/right laterality by controlling the expression of the laterality genes xnr1, antivin (lefty) and pitx2 at the tailbud stage. In Xnr5-depleted embryos, the heart field is established normally, but symmetrical reduction in Xnr5 levels causes a severely stunted midline heart, first evidenced by a reduction in cardiac troponin mRNA levels, while left-sided reduction leads to randomization of the left/right axis. This work identifies Xnr5 as the earliest step in the signalling pathway establishing normal heart laterality in Xenopus. © 2016 The Authors.

GDF3 is a BMP inhibitor that can activate Nodal signaling only at very high doses

PubMed Central

Levine, Ariel J.; Levine, Zachary J.; Brivanlou, Ali H.

2013-01-01

Within the TGF-β superfamily, there are approximately forty ligands divided into two major branches: the TGF-β/Activin/Nodal ligands and the BMP/GDF ligands. We studied the ligand GDF3 and found that it inhibits signaling by its co-family members, the BMPs; however, GDF3 has been described by others to have Nodal-like activity. Here, we show that GDF3 can activate Nodal signaling, but only at very high doses and only upon mRNA over-expression. In contrast, GDF3 inhibits BMP signaling upon over-expression of GDF3 mRNA, as recombinant protein, and regardless of its dose. We therefore further characterized the mechanism through which GDF3 protein acts as a specific BMP inhibitor and found that the BMP inhibitory activity of GDF3 resides redundantly in the unprocessed, predominant form and in the mature form of the protein. These results confirm and extend the activity that we described for GDF3 and illuminate the experimental basis for the different observations of others. We suggest that GDF3 is either a bi-functional TGF-β ligand, or, more likely, that it is a BMP inhibitor that can artificially activate Nodal signaling under non-physiological conditions. PMID:18823971

Fatty Acid Profile, Phenolics and Flavonoids Contents in Olea europaea L. Callus Culture cv. cornicabra.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Hernandez, Ludwi; Nájera-Gomez, Humberto; Luján-Hidalgo, Maria Celína; Ruiz-Lau, Nancy; Lecona-Guzmán, Carlos Alberto; Abud-Archila, Miguel; Ruíz-Valdiviezo, Víctor Manuel; Gutiérrez-Miceli, Federico Antonio

2018-05-01

Olive trees are one of the most important oil crops in the world due to the sensorial and nutritional characteristics of olive oil, such as lipid composition and antioxidant content, and the medicinal properties of its leaves. In this paper, callus formation was induced using nodal segments of olive tree (Olea europaea cv. cornicabra) as explants. Fatty acid profile, total phenolic compounds and total flavonoid compounds were determined in callus culture after 15 weeks and compared with leaf and nodal segments tissues. There was no statistical difference in phenolic compounds among leaf, nodal segments and callus culture, whereas flavonoid compounds were higher in leaf. Fatty acid profile was similar in leaf, nodal segments and callus culture and was constituted by hexadecanoic acid, octadecanoic acid, cis-9-octadecenoic acid, cis-9,12-octadecadienoic acid, cis-9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid. Hexadecanoic acid was the main fatty acid in callus, leaf and nodal segments with 35.0, 39.0 and 40.0% (w/w), of the lipid composition, respectively. With this paper, it is being reported for the first time the capacity of callus culture to accumulate fatty acids. Our results could serve to continue studying the production of fatty acids in callus cultivation as a biotechnological tool to improve different olive cultivars.

Nodal-chain metals.

PubMed

Bzdušek, Tomáš; Wu, QuanSheng; Rüegg, Andreas; Sigrist, Manfred; Soluyanov, Alexey A

2016-10-06

The band theory of solids is arguably the most successful theory of condensed-matter physics, providing a description of the electronic energy levels in various materials. Electronic wavefunctions obtained from the band theory enable a topological characterization of metals for which the electronic spectrum may host robust, topologically protected, fermionic quasiparticles. Many of these quasiparticles are analogues of the elementary particles of the Standard Model, but others do not have a counterpart in relativistic high-energy theories. A complete list of possible quasiparticles in solids is lacking, even in the non-interacting case. Here we describe the possible existence of a hitherto unrecognized type of fermionic excitation in metals. This excitation forms a nodal chain-a chain of connected loops in momentum space-along which conduction and valence bands touch. We prove that the nodal chain is topologically distinct from previously reported excitations. We discuss the symmetry requirements for the appearance of this excitation and predict that it is realized in an existing material, iridium tetrafluoride (IrF 4 ), as well as in other compounds of this class of materials. Using IrF 4 as an example, we provide a discussion of the topological surface states associated with the nodal chain. We argue that the presence of the nodal-chain fermions will result in anomalous magnetotransport properties, distinct from those of materials exhibiting previously known excitations.

The prognostic value of node status in different breast cancer subtypes

PubMed Central

Hou, Xin-Wei; Chi, Jiang-Rui; Ge, Jie; Wang, Xin; Cao, Xu-Chen

2017-01-01

Nodal metastases and breast cancer subtypes (BCS) are both well-recognized prognostic indicators. However, the association between nodal metastases and BCS, and the prognostic value of nodal metastases in different BCS are still remains unclear. Our aim was to investigate the association between nodal metastases and BCS, and the prognostic value of nodal metastases in the different BCS. We found that the breast cancer subtype was closely associated with the pN stage. pN stage and breast cancer subtype were significantly associated with disease-free survival. The subgroup analysis showed that the patients in higher pN stage had a poor outcome than patients in lower pN stage in each breast cancer subtype. Furthermore, when the analysis was stratified by breast cancer subtype, we found that even in the same pN stage (pN0-pN2), there was significant survival difference among patients in different BCS, and Luminal A breast cancer patients had the best survival outcome. However, there were no significant survival difference between Luminal A patients and other breast cancer subtype when patients in pN3 stage. Thus, our study suggested that both lymph node status and molecular subtype played important roles in the outcome of breast cancer patients and they cannot replace each other. PMID:27999188

Bcl-2 and BLIMP-1 expression predict worse prognosis in gastric diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLCBL) while other markers for nodal DLBCL are not useful.

PubMed

Martin-Arruti, Maialen; Vaquero, Manuel; Díaz de Otazu, Ramón; Zabalza, Iñaki; Ballesteros, Javier; Roncador, Giovanna; García-Orad, Africa

2012-04-01

Previous studies have identified clinicopathological and immunohistochemical differences among diffuse large B cell lymphomas (DLBCL) as a function of disease location. Nevertheless, there is a continuing tendency to generalize the prognostic value of various identified markers without taking into account tumour site. Accordingly, we analysed the prognostic value of several of the immunohistochemical markers that have been proposed for nodal DLBCL in a group of patients with gastric DLBCL. Using histochemical methods, CD10, Bcl-6, Gcet1, MUM-1, Bcl-2 and BLIMP-1 expression was investigated in 43 cases of gastric DBLCL. As in nodal DLBCLs, expression of BLIMP-1, and of Bcl-2 in non-germinal centre B cell-like (non-GCB) patients, was associated with a worse prognosis. However, unlike nodal DBLCL, there was no significant association of prognosis with expression of CD10, Bcl-6, Gcet1 or MUM-1, or with categorization according to Hans or Muris algorithms. Although most markers of prognosis in nodal DLBCL are not useful indicators for gastric DLBCL, Bcl-2 or BLIMP-1 expression does correlate with worse prognosis. These data support the notion that clinicopathological features in DLBCL vary according to the disease location. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Albertian errors in head-mounted displays: I. Choice of eye-point location for a near- or far-field task visualization.

PubMed

Rolland, Jannick; Ha, Yonggang; Fidopiastis, Cali

2004-06-01

A theoretical investigation of rendered depth and angular errors, or Albertian errors, linked to natural eye movements in binocular head-mounted displays (HMDs) is presented for three possible eye-point locations: the center of the entrance pupil, the nodal point, and the center of rotation of the eye. A numerical quantification was conducted for both the pupil and the center of rotation of the eye under the assumption that the user will operate solely in either the near field under an associated instrumentation setting or the far field under a different setting. Under these conditions, the eyes are taken to gaze in the plane of the stereoscopic images. Across conditions, results show that the center of the entrance pupil minimizes rendered angular errors, while the center of rotation minimizes rendered position errors. Significantly, this investigation quantifies that under proper setting of the HMD and correct choice of the eye points, rendered depth and angular errors can be brought to be either negligible or within specification of even the most stringent applications in performance of tasks in either the near field or the far field.

Brady's Geothermal Field Nodal Seismometers Metadata

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lesley Parker

Metadata for the nodal seismometer array deployed at the POROTOMO's Natural Laboratory in Brady Hot Spring, Nevada during the March 2016 testing. Metadata includes location and timing for each instrument as well as file lists of data to be uploaded in a separate submission.

Nodal-line dynamics via exact polynomial solutions for coherent waves traversing aberrated imaging systems.

PubMed

Paganin, David M; Beltran, Mario A; Petersen, Timothy C

2018-03-01

We obtain exact polynomial solutions for two-dimensional coherent complex scalar fields propagating through arbitrary aberrated shift-invariant linear imaging systems. These solutions are used to model nodal-line dynamics of coherent fields output by such systems.

Detection of lymph node metastases in pediatric and adolescent/young adult sarcoma: Sentinel lymph node biopsy versus fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography imaging-A prospective trial.

PubMed

Wagner, Lars M; Kremer, Nathalie; Gelfand, Michael J; Sharp, Susan E; Turpin, Brian K; Nagarajan, Rajaram; Tiao, Gregory M; Pressey, Joseph G; Yin, Julie; Dasgupta, Roshni

2017-01-01

Lymph node metastases are an important cause of treatment failure for pediatric and adolescent/young adult (AYA) sarcoma patients. Nodal sampling is recommended for certain sarcoma subtypes that have a predilection for lymphatic spread. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) may improve the diagnostic yield of nodal sampling, particularly when single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT-CT) is used to facilitate anatomic localization. Functional imaging with positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET-CT) is increasingly used for sarcoma staging and is a less invasive alternative to SLNB. To assess the utility of these 2 staging methods, this study prospectively compared SLNB plus SPECT-CT with PET-CT for the identification of nodal metastases in pediatric and AYA patients. Twenty-eight pediatric and AYA sarcoma patients underwent SLNB with SPECT-CT. The histological findings of the excised lymph nodes were then correlated with preoperative PET-CT imaging. A median of 2.4 sentinel nodes were sampled per patient. No wound infections or chronic lymphedema occurred. SLNB identified tumors in 7 of the 28 patients (25%), including 3 patients who had normal PET-CT imaging of the nodal basin. In contrast, PET-CT demonstrated hypermetabolic regional nodes in 14 patients, and this resulted in a positive predictive value of only 29%. The sensitivity and specificity of PET-CT for detecting histologically confirmed nodal metastases were only 57% and 52%, respectively. SLNB can safely guide the rational selection of nodes for biopsy in pediatric and AYA sarcoma patients and can identify therapy-changing nodal disease not appreciated with PET-CT. Cancer 2017;155-160. © 2016 American Cancer Society. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

An approach to model reactor core nodalization for deterministic safety analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salim, Mohd Faiz; Samsudin, Mohd Rafie; Mamat @ Ibrahim, Mohd Rizal; Roslan, Ridha; Sadri, Abd Aziz; Farid, Mohd Fairus Abd

2016-01-01

Adopting good nodalization strategy is essential to produce an accurate and high quality input model for Deterministic Safety Analysis (DSA) using System Thermal-Hydraulic (SYS-TH) computer code. The purpose of such analysis is to demonstrate the compliance against regulatory requirements and to verify the behavior of the reactor during normal and accident conditions as it was originally designed. Numerous studies in the past have been devoted to the development of the nodalization strategy for small research reactor (e.g. 250kW) up to the bigger research reactor (e.g. 30MW). As such, this paper aims to discuss the state-of-arts thermal hydraulics channel to be employed in the nodalization for RTP-TRIGA Research Reactor specifically for the reactor core. At present, the required thermal-hydraulic parameters for reactor core, such as core geometrical data (length, coolant flow area, hydraulic diameters, and axial power profile) and material properties (including the UZrH1.6, stainless steel clad, graphite reflector) have been collected, analyzed and consolidated in the Reference Database of RTP using standardized methodology, mainly derived from the available technical documentations. Based on the available information in the database, assumptions made on the nodalization approach and calculations performed will be discussed and presented. The development and identification of the thermal hydraulics channel for the reactor core will be implemented during the SYS-TH calculation using RELAP5-3D® computer code. This activity presented in this paper is part of the development of overall nodalization description for RTP-TRIGA Research Reactor under the IAEA Norwegian Extra-Budgetary Programme (NOKEBP) mentoring project on Expertise Development through the Analysis of Reactor Thermal-Hydraulics for Malaysia, denoted as EARTH-M.

Comparison of cryoablation with 3D mapping versus conventional mapping for the treatment of atrioventricular re-entrant tachycardia and right-sided paraseptal accessory pathways.

PubMed

Russo, Mario S; Drago, Fabrizio; Silvetti, Massimo S; Righi, Daniela; Di Mambro, Corrado; Placidi, Silvia; Prosperi, Monica; Ciani, Michele; Naso Onofrio, Maria T; Cannatà, Vittorio

2016-06-01

Aim Transcatheter cryoablation is a well-established technique for the treatment of atrioventricular nodal re-entry tachycardia and atrioventricular re-entry tachycardia in children. Fluoroscopy or three-dimensional mapping systems can be used to perform the ablation procedure. The aim of this study was to compare the success rate of cryoablation procedures for the treatment of right septal accessory pathways and atrioventricular nodal re-entry circuits in children using conventional or three-dimensional mapping and to evaluate whether three-dimensional mapping was associated with reduced patient radiation dose compared with traditional mapping. In 2013, 81 children underwent transcatheter cryoablation at our institution, using conventional mapping in 41 children - 32 atrioventricular nodal re-entry tachycardia and nine atrioventricular re-entry tachycardia - and three-dimensional mapping in 40 children - 24 atrioventricular nodal re-entry tachycardia and 16 atrioventricular re-entry tachycardia. Using conventional mapping, the overall success rate was 78.1 and 66.7% in patients with atrioventricular nodal re-entry tachycardia or atrioventricular re-entry tachycardia, respectively. Using three-dimensional mapping, the overall success rate was 91.6 and 75%, respectively (p=ns). The use of three-dimensional mapping was associated with a reduction in cumulative air kerma and cumulative air kerma-area product of 76.4 and 67.3%, respectively (p<0.05). The use of three-dimensional mapping compared with the conventional fluoroscopy-guided method for cryoablation of right septal accessory pathways and atrioventricular nodal re-entry circuits in children was associated with a significant reduction in patient radiation dose without an increase in success rate.

Incidental Prophylactic Nodal Irradiation and Patterns of Nodal Relapse in Inoperable Early Stage NSCLC Patients Treated With SBRT: A Case-Matched Analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lao, Louis; Department of Radiation Oncology, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland; Hope, Andrew J.

2014-09-01

Purpose: Reported rates of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) nodal failure following stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) are lower than those reported in the surgical series when matched for stage. We hypothesized that this effect was due to incidental prophylactic nodal irradiation. Methods and Materials: A prospectively collected group of medically inoperable early stage NSCLC patients from 2004 to 2010 was used to identify cases with nodal relapses. Controls were matched to cases, 2:1, controlling for tumor volume (ie, same or greater) and tumor location (ie, same lobe). Reference (normalized to equivalent dose for 2-Gy fractions [EQD2]) point doses atmore » the ipsilateral hilum and carina, demographic data, and clinical outcomes were extracted from the medical records. Univariate conditional logistical regression analyses were performed with variables of interest. Results: Cases and controls were well matched except for size. The controls, as expected, had larger gross tumor volumes (P=.02). The mean ipsilateral hilar doses were 9.6 Gy and 22.4 Gy for cases and controls, respectively (P=.014). The mean carinal doses were 7.0 Gy and 9.2 Gy, respectively (P=.13). Mediastinal nodal relapses, with and without ipsilateral hilar relapse, were associated with mean ipsilateral hilar doses of 3.6 Gy and 19.8 Gy, respectively (P=.01). The conditional density plot appears to demonstrate an inverse dose-effect relationship between ipsilateral hilar normalized total dose and risk of ipsilateral hilar relapse. Conclusions: Incidental hilar dose greater than 20 Gy is significantly associated with fewer ipsilateral hilar relapses in inoperable early stage NSCLC patients treated with SBRT.« less

Graph Theoretical Analysis of Functional Brain Networks: Test-Retest Evaluation on Short- and Long-Term Resting-State Functional MRI Data

PubMed Central

Wang, Jin-Hui; Zuo, Xi-Nian; Gohel, Suril; Milham, Michael P.; Biswal, Bharat B.; He, Yong

2011-01-01

Graph-based computational network analysis has proven a powerful tool to quantitatively characterize functional architectures of the brain. However, the test-retest (TRT) reliability of graph metrics of functional networks has not been systematically examined. Here, we investigated TRT reliability of topological metrics of functional brain networks derived from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data. Specifically, we evaluated both short-term (<1 hour apart) and long-term (>5 months apart) TRT reliability for 12 global and 6 local nodal network metrics. We found that reliability of global network metrics was overall low, threshold-sensitive and dependent on several factors of scanning time interval (TI, long-term>short-term), network membership (NM, networks excluding negative correlations>networks including negative correlations) and network type (NT, binarized networks>weighted networks). The dependence was modulated by another factor of node definition (ND) strategy. The local nodal reliability exhibited large variability across nodal metrics and a spatially heterogeneous distribution. Nodal degree was the most reliable metric and varied the least across the factors above. Hub regions in association and limbic/paralimbic cortices showed moderate TRT reliability. Importantly, nodal reliability was robust to above-mentioned four factors. Simulation analysis revealed that global network metrics were extremely sensitive (but varying degrees) to noise in functional connectivity and weighted networks generated numerically more reliable results in compared with binarized networks. For nodal network metrics, they showed high resistance to noise in functional connectivity and no NT related differences were found in the resistance. These findings provide important implications on how to choose reliable analytical schemes and network metrics of interest. PMID:21818285

Identification of nodal tissue in the living heart using rapid scanning fiber-optics confocal microscopy and extracellular fluorophores.

PubMed

Huang, Chao; Kaza, Aditya K; Hitchcock, Robert W; Sachse, Frank B

2013-09-01

Risks associated with pediatric reconstructive heart surgery include injury of the sinoatrial node (SAN) and atrioventricular node (AVN), requiring cardiac rhythm management using implantable pacemakers. These injuries are the result of difficulties in identifying nodal tissues intraoperatively. Here we describe an approach based on confocal microscopy and extracellular fluorophores to quantify tissue microstructure and identify nodal tissue. Using conventional 3-dimensional confocal microscopy we investigated the microstructural arrangement of SAN, AVN, and atrial working myocardium (AWM) in fixed rat heart. AWM exhibited a regular striated arrangement of the extracellular space. In contrast, SAN and AVN had an irregular, reticulated arrangement. AWM, SAN, and AVN tissues were beneath a thin surface layer of tissue that did not obstruct confocal microscopic imaging. Subsequently, we imaged tissues in living rat hearts with real-time fiber-optics confocal microscopy. Fiber-optics confocal microscopy images resembled images acquired with conventional confocal microscopy. We investigated spatial regularity of tissue microstructure from Fourier analysis and second-order image moments. Fourier analysis of fiber-optics confocal microscopy images showed that the spatial regularity of AWM was greater than that of nodal tissues (37.5 ± 5.0% versus 24.3 ± 3.9% for SAN and 23.8 ± 3.7% for AVN; P<0.05). Similar differences of spatial regularities were revealed from second-order image moments (50.0 ± 7.3% for AWM versus 29.3 ± 6.7% for SAN and 27.3 ± 5.5% for AVN; P<0.05). The study demonstrates feasibility of identifying nodal tissue in living heart using extracellular fluorophores and fiber-optics confocal microscopy. Application of the approach in pediatric reconstructive heart surgery may reduce risks of injuring nodal tissues.

Decision Trees Predicting Tumor Shrinkage for Head and Neck Cancer: Implications for Adaptive Radiotherapy.

PubMed

Surucu, Murat; Shah, Karan K; Mescioglu, Ibrahim; Roeske, John C; Small, William; Choi, Mehee; Emami, Bahman

2016-02-01

To develop decision trees predicting for tumor volume reduction in patients with head and neck (H&N) cancer using pretreatment clinical and pathological parameters. Forty-eight patients treated with definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx, oropharynx, oral cavity, or hypopharynx were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were rescanned at a median dose of 37.8 Gy and replanned to account for anatomical changes. The percentages of gross tumor volume (GTV) change from initial to rescan computed tomography (CT; %GTVΔ) were calculated. Two decision trees were generated to correlate %GTVΔ in primary and nodal volumes with 14 characteristics including age, gender, Karnofsky performance status (KPS), site, human papilloma virus (HPV) status, tumor grade, primary tumor growth pattern (endophytic/exophytic), tumor/nodal/group stages, chemotherapy regimen, and primary, nodal, and total GTV volumes in the initial CT scan. The C4.5 Decision Tree induction algorithm was implemented. The median %GTVΔ for primary, nodal, and total GTVs was 26.8%, 43.0%, and 31.2%, respectively. Type of chemotherapy, age, primary tumor growth pattern, site, KPS, and HPV status were the most predictive parameters for primary %GTVΔ decision tree, whereas for nodal %GTVΔ, KPS, site, age, primary tumor growth pattern, initial primary GTV, and total GTV volumes were predictive. Both decision trees had an accuracy of 88%. There can be significant changes in primary and nodal tumor volumes during the course of H&N chemoradiotherapy. Considering the proposed decision trees, radiation oncologists can select patients predicted to have high %GTVΔ, who would theoretically gain the most benefit from adaptive radiotherapy, in order to better use limited clinical resources. © The Author(s) 2015.

On the correct representation of bending and axial deformation in the absolute nodal coordinate formulation with an elastic line approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerstmayr, Johannes; Irschik, Hans

2008-12-01

In finite element methods that are based on position and slope coordinates, a representation of axial and bending deformation by means of an elastic line approach has become popular. Such beam and plate formulations based on the so-called absolute nodal coordinate formulation have not yet been verified sufficiently enough with respect to analytical results or classical nonlinear rod theories. Examining the existing planar absolute nodal coordinate element, which uses a curvature proportional bending strain expression, it turns out that the deformation does not fully agree with the solution of the geometrically exact theory and, even more serious, the normal force is incorrect. A correction based on the classical ideas of the extensible elastica and geometrically exact theories is applied and a consistent strain energy and bending moment relations are derived. The strain energy of the solid finite element formulation of the absolute nodal coordinate beam is based on the St. Venant-Kirchhoff material: therefore, the strain energy is derived for the latter case and compared to classical nonlinear rod theories. The error in the original absolute nodal coordinate formulation is documented by numerical examples. The numerical example of a large deformation cantilever beam shows that the normal force is incorrect when using the previous approach, while a perfect agreement between the absolute nodal coordinate formulation and the extensible elastica can be gained when applying the proposed modifications. The numerical examples show a very good agreement of reference analytical and numerical solutions with the solutions of the proposed beam formulation for the case of large deformation pre-curved static and dynamic problems, including buckling and eigenvalue analysis. The resulting beam formulation does not employ rotational degrees of freedom and therefore has advantages compared to classical beam elements regarding energy-momentum conservation.

Nodal endoplasmic reticulum, a specialized form of endoplasmic reticulum found in gravity-sensing root tip columella cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zheng, H. Q.; Staehelin, L. A.

2001-01-01

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of columella root cap cells has been postulated to play a role in gravity sensing. We have re-examined the ultrastructure of columella cells in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) root tips preserved by high-pressure freezing/freeze-substitution techniques to gain more precise information about the organization of the ER in such cells. The most notable findings are: the identification of a specialized form of ER, termed "nodal ER," which is found exclusively in columella cells; the demonstration that the bulk of the ER is organized in the form of a tubular network that is confined to a peripheral layer under the plasma membrane; and the discovery that this ER-rich peripheral region excludes Golgi stacks, vacuoles, and amyloplasts but not mitochondria. Nodal ER domains consist of an approximately 100-nm-diameter central rod composed of oblong subunits to which usually seven sheets of rough ER are attached along their margins. These domains form patches at the interface between the peripheral ER network and the ER-free central region of the cells, and they occupy defined positions within central and flanking columella cells. Over one-half of the nodal ER domains are located along the outer tangential walls of the flanking cells. Cytochalasin D and latrunculin A cause an increase in size and a decrease in numbers of nodal ER domains. We postulate that the nodal ER membranes locally modulate the gravisensing signals produced by the sedimenting amyloplasts, and that the confinement of all ER membranes to the cell periphery serves to enhance the sedimentability of the amyloplasts in the central region of columella cells.

An approach to model reactor core nodalization for deterministic safety analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Salim, Mohd Faiz, E-mail: mohdfaizs@tnb.com.my; Samsudin, Mohd Rafie, E-mail: rafies@tnb.com.my; Mamat Ibrahim, Mohd Rizal, E-mail: m-rizal@nuclearmalaysia.gov.my

Adopting good nodalization strategy is essential to produce an accurate and high quality input model for Deterministic Safety Analysis (DSA) using System Thermal-Hydraulic (SYS-TH) computer code. The purpose of such analysis is to demonstrate the compliance against regulatory requirements and to verify the behavior of the reactor during normal and accident conditions as it was originally designed. Numerous studies in the past have been devoted to the development of the nodalization strategy for small research reactor (e.g. 250kW) up to the bigger research reactor (e.g. 30MW). As such, this paper aims to discuss the state-of-arts thermal hydraulics channel to bemore » employed in the nodalization for RTP-TRIGA Research Reactor specifically for the reactor core. At present, the required thermal-hydraulic parameters for reactor core, such as core geometrical data (length, coolant flow area, hydraulic diameters, and axial power profile) and material properties (including the UZrH{sub 1.6}, stainless steel clad, graphite reflector) have been collected, analyzed and consolidated in the Reference Database of RTP using standardized methodology, mainly derived from the available technical documentations. Based on the available information in the database, assumptions made on the nodalization approach and calculations performed will be discussed and presented. The development and identification of the thermal hydraulics channel for the reactor core will be implemented during the SYS-TH calculation using RELAP5-3D{sup ®} computer code. This activity presented in this paper is part of the development of overall nodalization description for RTP-TRIGA Research Reactor under the IAEA Norwegian Extra-Budgetary Programme (NOKEBP) mentoring project on Expertise Development through the Analysis of Reactor Thermal-Hydraulics for Malaysia, denoted as EARTH-M.« less

Genetic Analysis Reveals a Hierarchy of Interactions between Polycystin-Encoding Genes and Genes Controlling Cilia Function during Left-Right Determination

PubMed Central

Grimes, Daniel T.; Keynton, Jennifer L.; Buenavista, Maria T.; Jin, Xingjian; Patel, Saloni H.; Kyosuke, Shinohara; Williams, Debbie J.; Hamada, Hiroshi; Hussain, Rohanah; Nauli, Surya M.; Norris, Dominic P.

2016-01-01

During mammalian development, left-right (L-R) asymmetry is established by a cilia-driven leftward fluid flow within a midline embryonic cavity called the node. This ‘nodal flow’ is detected by peripherally-located crown cells that each assemble a primary cilium which contain the putative Ca2+ channel PKD2. The interaction of flow and crown cell cilia promotes left side-specific expression of Nodal in the lateral plate mesoderm (LPM). Whilst the PKD2-interacting protein PKD1L1 has also been implicated in L-R patterning, the underlying mechanism by which flow is detected and the genetic relationship between Polycystin function and asymmetric gene expression remains unknown. Here, we characterize a Pkd1l1 mutant line in which Nodal is activated bilaterally, suggesting that PKD1L1 is not required for LPM Nodal pathway activation per se, but rather to restrict Nodal to the left side downstream of nodal flow. Epistasis analysis shows that Pkd1l1 acts as an upstream genetic repressor of Pkd2. This study therefore provides a genetic pathway for the early stages of L-R determination. Moreover, using a system in which cultured cells are supplied artificial flow, we demonstrate that PKD1L1 is sufficient to mediate a Ca2+ signaling response after flow stimulation. Finally, we show that an extracellular PKD domain within PKD1L1 is crucial for PKD1L1 function; as such, destabilizing the domain causes L-R defects in the mouse. Our demonstration that PKD1L1 protein can mediate a response to flow coheres with a mechanosensation model of flow sensation in which the force of fluid flow drives asymmetric gene expression in the embryo. PMID:27272319

Micropropagation of annatto (Bixa orellana L.) from mature tree and assessment of genetic fidelity of micropropagated plants with RAPD markers.

PubMed

Siril, E A; Joseph, Nisha

2013-01-01

An in vitro propagation technique based on axillary bud proliferation was developed for the first time to mature annatto (Bixa orellana L.) tree. Nodal segments cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 1.0 μM benzyl adenine (BA) and tender coconut water (10 %) showed significantly high (P < 0.05) explant response (67.0 %), development of elongated shoots (3.36), shoot buds (8.9) and shoot elongation (3.53 cm). Cytokinins like zeatin, isopentenyl adenine (2-iP), kinetin, or thidiazuron (TDZ) were inferior to BA to induce multiple shoots. Seasonal variations significantly affected the in vitro response of nodal explants. In vitro rooting experiments have showed 55.6 % rooting on MS medium containing 15 μM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). Alternatively, in vitro raised shoots were rooted (61.1 %) ex vitro, by 10 mM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) for 30 s. The results of the RAPD marker system revealed the genetic stability among the micropropagated plants. The present protocol in brief, can be used for the clonal propagation of the superior genotype and preservation of germplasm.

Altered Cerebral Blood Flow Covariance Network in Schizophrenia.

PubMed

Liu, Feng; Zhuo, Chuanjun; Yu, Chunshui

2016-01-01

Many studies have shown abnormal cerebral blood flow (CBF) in schizophrenia; however, it remains unclear how topological properties of CBF network are altered in this disorder. Here, arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI was employed to measure resting-state CBF in 96 schizophrenia patients and 91 healthy controls. CBF covariance network of each group was constructed by calculating across-subject CBF covariance between 90 brain regions. Graph theory was used to compare intergroup differences in global and nodal topological measures of the network. Both schizophrenia patients and healthy controls had small-world topology in CBF covariance networks, implying an optimal balance between functional segregation and integration. Compared with healthy controls, schizophrenia patients showed reduced small-worldness, normalized clustering coefficient and local efficiency of the network, suggesting a shift toward randomized network topology in schizophrenia. Furthermore, schizophrenia patients exhibited altered nodal centrality in the perceptual-, affective-, language-, and spatial-related regions, indicating functional disturbance of these systems in schizophrenia. This study demonstrated for the first time that schizophrenia patients have disrupted topological properties in CBF covariance network, which provides a new perspective (efficiency of blood flow distribution between brain regions) for understanding neural mechanisms of schizophrenia.

Assessment of factors affecting micropropagation and ex vitro acclimatization of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L.

PubMed

Jahan, Anushi Arjumend; Anis, M; Aref, I M

2011-03-01

Rapid differentiation of multiple shoots was observed in 94% of nodal explants of one year old Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L. plants. Shoot bud induction and multiplication took place on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with two cytokinins, i.e. Benzyladenine (BA) or Kinetin (Kn) either alone or in combination with different auxins, indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) or α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). Between different media, pH levels and growth regulators tried, the optimum condition for maximum regenerative response was obtained on MS + Kn (2.5 μM) + N AA (0.5 μM) media at 5.8 pH, forming cultures with 23.26 ± 0.89 number of shoots and 6.36 ± 0.80 cm shoot length after 8 weeks of culture. Histological sections confirmed the formation of multiple buds from nodal explants. Rooting was achieved ex vitro by dipping the basal ends of microshoots in 200 μM IBA for 30 min followed by their transplantation in sterile soilrite. The plantlets with well-developed shoot and root system were successfully established in garden soil and grown outside in a greenhouse with a 80% survival rate.

Micropropagation and genetic transformation of Tylophora indica (Burm. f.) Merr.: a review.

PubMed

Teixeira da Silva, Jaime A; Jha, Sumita

2016-11-01

This review provides an in-depth and comprehensive overview of the in vitro culture of Tylophora species, which have medicinal properties. Tylophora indica (Burm. f.) Merr. is a climbing perennial vine with medicinal properties. The tissue culture and genetic transformation of T. indica, which has been extensively studied, is reviewed. Micropropagation using nodal explants has been reported in 25 % of all publications. Leaf explants from field-grown plants has been the explant of choice of independent research groups, which reported direct and callus-mediated organogenesis as well as callus-mediated somatic embryogenesis. Protoplast-mediated regeneration and callus-mediated shoot organogenesis has also been reported from stem explants, and to a lesser degree from root explants of micropropagated plants in vitro. Recent studies that used HPLC confirmed the potential of micropropagated plants to synthesize the major T. indica alkaloid tylophorine prior to and after transfer to field conditions. The genetic integrity of callus-regenerated plants was confirmed by RAPD in a few reports. Tissue culture is an essential base for genetic transformation studies. Hairy roots and transgenic T. indica plants have been shown to accumulate tylophorine suggesting that in vitro biology and transgenic methods are viable ways of clonally producing valuable germplasm and mass producing compounds of commercial value. Further studies that investigate the factors affecting the biosynthesis of Tylophora alkaloids and other secondary metabolites need to be conducted using non-transformed as well as transformed cell and organ cultures.

Advanced nodal neutron diffusion method with space-dependent cross sections: ILLICO-VX

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rajic, H.L.; Ougouag, A.M.

1987-01-01

Advanced transverse integrated nodal methods for neutron diffusion developed since the 1970s require that node- or assembly-homogenized cross sections be known. The underlying structural heterogeneity can be accurately accounted for in homogenization procedures by the use of heterogeneity or discontinuity factors. Other (milder) types of heterogeneity, burnup-induced or due to thermal-hydraulic feedback, can be resolved by explicitly accounting for the spatial variations of material properties. This can be done during the nodal computations via nonlinear iterations. The new method has been implemented in the code ILLICO-VX (ILLICO variable cross-section method). Numerous numerical tests were performed. As expected, the convergence ratemore » of ILLICO-VX is lower than that of ILLICO, requiring approx. 30% more outer iterations per k/sub eff/ computation. The methodology has also been implemented as the NOMAD-VX option of the NOMAD, multicycle, multigroup, two- and three-dimensional nodal diffusion depletion code. The burnup-induced heterogeneities (space dependence of cross sections) are calculated during the burnup steps.« less

Universal heat conduction in Ce 1-xYb xCoIn 5: Evidence for robust nodal d-wave superconducting gap

DOE PAGES

Xu, Y.; Petrovic, C.; Dong, J. K.; ...

2016-02-01

In the heavy-fermion superconductor Ce 1-xYb xCoIn 5, Yb doping was reported to cause a possible change from nodal d-wave superconductivity to a fully gapped d-wave molecular superfluid of composite pairs near x ≈ 0.07 (nominal value x nom = 0.2). Here we present systematic thermal conductivity measurements on Ce 1-xYb xCoIn 5 (x = 0.013, 0.084, and 0.163) single crystals. The observed finite residual linear term κ 0/T is insensitive to Yb doping, verifying the universal heat conduction of the nodal d-wave superconducting gap in Ce 1-xYb xCoIn 5. Similar universal heat conduction is also observed in the CeCo(Inmore » 1–yCd y) 5 system. Furthermore, these results reveal a robust nodal d-wave gap in CeCoIn 5 upon Yb or Cd doping.« less

Disappearance of nodal gap across the insulator-superconductor transition in a copper-oxide superconductor.

PubMed

Peng, Yingying; Meng, Jianqiao; Mou, Daixiang; He, Junfeng; Zhao, Lin; Wu, Yue; Liu, Guodong; Dong, Xiaoli; He, Shaolong; Zhang, Jun; Wang, Xiaoyang; Peng, Qinjun; Wang, Zhimin; Zhang, Shenjin; Yang, Feng; Chen, Chuangtian; Xu, Zuyan; Lee, T K; Zhou, X J

2013-01-01

The parent compound of the copper-oxide high-temperature superconductors is a Mott insulator. Superconductivity is realized by doping an appropriate amount of charge carriers. How a Mott insulator transforms into a superconductor is crucial in understanding the unusual physical properties of high-temperature superconductors and the superconductivity mechanism. Here we report high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission measurement on heavily underdoped Bi₂Sr₂-xLaxCuO(₆+δ) system. The electronic structure of the lightly doped samples exhibit a number of characteristics: existence of an energy gap along the nodal direction, d-wave-like anisotropic energy gap along the underlying Fermi surface, and coexistence of a coherence peak and a broad hump in the photoemission spectra. Our results reveal a clear insulator-superconductor transition at a critical doping level of ~0.10 where the nodal energy gap approaches zero, the three-dimensional antiferromagnetic order disappears, and superconductivity starts to emerge. These observations clearly signal a close connection between the nodal gap, antiferromagnetism and superconductivity.

Topological Phase Transitions in Line-nodal Superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Gil Young; Han, Sangeun; Moon, Eun-Gook

Fathoming interplay between symmetry and topology of many-electron wave-functions deepens our understanding in quantum nature of many particle systems. Topology often protects zero-energy excitation, and in a certain class, symmetry is intrinsically tied to the topological protection. Namely, unless symmetry is broken, topological nature is intact. We study one specific case of such class, symmetry-protected line-nodal superconductors in three spatial dimensions (3d). Mismatch between phase spaces of order parameter fluctuation and line-nodal fermion excitation induces an exotic universality class in a drastic contrast to one of the conventional ϕ4 theory in 3d. Hyper-scaling violation and relativistic dynamic scaling with unusually large quantum critical region are main characteristics, and their implication in experiments is discussed. For example, continuous phase transition out of line-nodal superconductors has a linear phase boundary in a temperature-tuning parameter phase-diagram. This work was supported by the Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project of Korea Government and KAIST start-up funding.

Bifurcation behaviors of synchronized regions in logistic map networks with coupling delay

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tang, Longkun, E-mail: tomlk@hqu.edu.cn, E-mail: xqwu@whu.edu.cn; Wu, Xiaoqun, E-mail: tomlk@hqu.edu.cn, E-mail: xqwu@whu.edu.cn; Lu, Jun-an, E-mail: jalu@whu.edu.cn

2015-03-15

Network synchronized regions play an extremely important role in network synchronization according to the master stability function framework. This paper focuses on network synchronous state stability via studying the effects of nodal dynamics, coupling delay, and coupling way on synchronized regions in Logistic map networks. Theoretical and numerical investigations show that (1) network synchronization is closely associated with its nodal dynamics. Particularly, the synchronized region bifurcation points through which the synchronized region switches from one type to another are in good agreement with those of the uncoupled node system, and chaotic nodal dynamics can greatly impede network synchronization. (2) Themore » coupling delay generally impairs the synchronizability of Logistic map networks, which is also dominated by the parity of delay for some nodal parameters. (3) A simple nonlinear coupling facilitates network synchronization more than the linear one does. The results found in this paper will help to intensify our understanding for the synchronous state stability in discrete-time networks with coupling delay.« less

Nuclear movement regulated by non-Smad Nodal signaling via JNK is associated with Smad signaling during zebrafish endoderm specification.

PubMed

Hozumi, Shunya; Aoki, Shun; Kikuchi, Yutaka

2017-11-01

Asymmetric nuclear positioning is observed during animal development, but its regulation and significance in cell differentiation remain poorly understood. Using zebrafish blastulae, we provide evidence that nuclear movement towards the yolk syncytial layer, which comprises extraembryonic tissue, occurs in the first cells fated to differentiate into the endoderm. Nodal signaling is essential for nuclear movement, whereas nuclear envelope proteins are involved in movement through microtubule formation. Positioning of the microtubule-organizing center, which is proposed to be crucial for nuclear movement, is regulated by Nodal signaling and nuclear envelope proteins. The non-Smad JNK signaling pathway, which is downstream of Nodal signaling, regulates nuclear movement independently of the Smad pathway, and this nuclear movement is associated with Smad signal transduction toward the nucleus. Our study provides insight into the function of nuclear movement in Smad signaling toward the nucleus, and could be applied to the control of TGFβ signaling. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Observation of nodal line in non-symmorphic topological semimetal InBi

DOE PAGES

Ekahana, Sandy Adhitia; Wu, Shu-Chun; Jiang, Juan; ...

2017-05-30

Topological nodal semimetal (TNS), characterized by its touching conduction and valence bands, is a newly discovered state of quantum matter which exhibits various exotic physical phenomena. Recently, a new type of TNS called topological nodal line semimetal (TNLS) is predicted where its conduction and valence band form a degenerate one-dimension line which is further protected by its crystal symmetry. In this work, we systematically investigated the bulk and surface electronic structure of the non-symmorphic, TNLS in InBi (which is also a type II Dirac semimetal) with strong spin–orbit coupling by using angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy. By tracking the crossing points of the bulk bands at the Brillouin zone boundary, we discovered the nodal-line feature along themore » $${{k}}_{{z}}$$ direction, in agreement with the ab initio calculations and confirmed it to be a new compound in the TNLS family. Our discovery provides a new material platform for the study of these exotic topological quantum phases and paves the way for possible future applications.« less

Pelvic Nodal Dosing With Registration to the Prostate: Implications for High-Risk Prostate Cancer Patients Receiving Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kishan, Amar U., E-mail: aukishan@mednet.ucla.edu; Lamb, James M.; Jani, Shyam S.

2015-03-15

Purpose: To determine whether image guidance with rigid registration (RR) to intraprostatic markers (IPMs) yields acceptable coverage of the pelvic lymph nodes in the context of a stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) regimen. Methods and Materials: Four to seven kilovoltage cone-beam CTs (CBCTs) from 12 patients with high-risk prostate cancer were analyzed, allowing approximation of an SBRT regimen. The nodal clinical target volume (CTV{sub N}) and bladder were contoured on all kilovoltage CBCTs. The V{sub 100} CTV{sub N}, expressed as a ratio to the same parameter on the initial plan, and the magnitude of translational shift between RR to themore » IPMs versus RR to the pelvic bones, were computed. The ability of a multimodality bladder filling protocol to minimize bladder height variation was assessed in a separate cohort of 4 patients. Results: Sixty-five CBCTs were assessed. The average V{sub 100} CTV{sub N} was 92.6%, but for a subset of 3 patients the average was 80.0%, compared with 97.8% for the others (P<.0001). The average overall and superior–inferior axis magnitudes of the bony-to-fiducial translations were significantly larger in the subgroup with suboptimal nodal coverage (8.1 vs 3.9 mm and 5.8 vs 2.4 mm, respectively; P<.0001). Relative bladder height changes were also significantly larger in the subgroup with suboptimal nodal coverage (42.9% vs 18.5%; P<.05). Use of a multimodality bladder-filling protocol minimized bladder height variation (P<.001). Conclusion: A majority of patients had acceptable nodal coverage after RR to IPMs, even when approximating SBRT. However, a subset of patients had suboptimal nodal coverage. These patients had large bony-to-fiducial translations and large variations in bladder height. Nodal coverage should be excellent if the superior–inferior axis bony-to-fiducial translation and the relative bladder height change (both easily measured on CBCT) are kept to a minimum. Implementation of a strict bladder filling protocol may achieve this goal.« less

Assessment of nodal involvement in non-small-cell lung cancer with 18F-FDG-PET/CT: mediastinal blood pool cut-off has the highest sensitivity and tumour SUVmax/2 has the highest specificity.

PubMed

Mallorie, Amy; Goldring, James; Patel, Anant; Lim, Eric; Wagner, Thomas

2017-08-01

Lymph node involvement in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a major factor in determining management and prognosis. We aimed to evaluate the accuracy of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose-PET/computed tomography (CT) for the assessment of nodal involvement in patients with NSCLC. In this retrospective study, we included 61 patients with suspected or confirmed resectable NSCLC over a 2-year period from April 2013 to April 2015. 221 nodes with pathological staging from surgery or endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration were assessed using a nodal station-based analysis with original clinical reports and three different cut-offs: mediastinal blood pool (MBP), liver background and tumour standardized uptake value maximal (SUVmax)/2. Using nodal station-based analysis for activity more than tumour SUVmax/2, the sensitivity was 45%, the specificity was 89% and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 87%. For activity more than MBP, the sensitivity was 93%, the specificity was 72% and NPV was 98%. For activity more than liver background, the sensitivity was 83%, the specificity was 84% and NPV was 96%. Using a nodal staging-based analysis for accuracy at detecting N2/3 disease, for activity more than tumour SUVmax/2, the sensitivity was 59%, the specificity was 85% and NPV was 80%. For activity more than MBP, the sensitivity was 95%, the specificity was 61% and NPV was 96%. For activity more than liver background, the sensitivity was 86%, the specificity was 81% and NPV was 92%. Receiver-operating characteristic analysis showed the optimal nodal SUVmax to be more than 6.4 with a sensitivity of 45% and a specificity of 95%, with an area under the curve of 0.85. Activity more than MBP was the most sensitive cut-off with the highest sensitivity and NPV. Activity more than primary tumour SUVmax/2 was the most specific cut-off. Nodal SUVmax more than 6.4 has a high specificity of 95%.

Energy gap evolution across the superconductivity dome in single crystals of (Ba1−xKx)Fe2As2

PubMed Central

Cho, Kyuil; Kończykowski, Marcin; Teknowijoyo, Serafim; Tanatar, Makariy A.; Liu, Yong; Lograsso, Thomas A.; Straszheim, Warren E.; Mishra, Vivek; Maiti, Saurabh; Hirschfeld, Peter J.; Prozorov, Ruslan

2016-01-01

The mechanism of unconventional superconductivity in iron-based superconductors (IBSs) is one of the most intriguing questions in current materials research. Among non-oxide IBSs, (Ba1−xKx)Fe2As2 has been intensively studied because of its high superconducting transition temperature and fascinating evolution of the superconducting gap structure from being fully isotropic at optimal doping (x ≈ 0.4) to becoming nodal at x > 0.8. Although this marked evolution was identified in several independent experiments, there are no details of the gap evolution to date because of the lack of high-quality single crystals covering the entire K-doping range of the superconducting dome. We conducted a systematic study of the London penetration depth, λ(T), across the full phase diagram for different concentrations of point-like defects introduced by 2.5-MeV electron irradiation. Fitting the low-temperature variation with the power law, Δλ ~ Tn, we find that the exponent n is the highest and the Tc suppression rate with disorder is the smallest at optimal doping, and they evolve with doping being away from optimal, which is consistent with increasing gap anisotropy, including an abrupt change around x ≃ 0.8, indicating the onset of nodal behavior. Our analysis using a self-consistent t-matrix approach suggests the ubiquitous and robust nature of s± pairing in IBSs and argues against a previously suggested transition to a d-wave state near x = 1 in this system. PMID:27704046

Energy gap evolution across the superconductivity dome in single crystals of (Ba1-x K x )Fe2As2.

PubMed

Cho, Kyuil; Kończykowski, Marcin; Teknowijoyo, Serafim; Tanatar, Makariy A; Liu, Yong; Lograsso, Thomas A; Straszheim, Warren E; Mishra, Vivek; Maiti, Saurabh; Hirschfeld, Peter J; Prozorov, Ruslan

2016-09-01

The mechanism of unconventional superconductivity in iron-based superconductors (IBSs) is one of the most intriguing questions in current materials research. Among non-oxide IBSs, (Ba 1- x K x )Fe 2 As 2 has been intensively studied because of its high superconducting transition temperature and fascinating evolution of the superconducting gap structure from being fully isotropic at optimal doping ( x ≈ 0.4) to becoming nodal at x > 0.8. Although this marked evolution was identified in several independent experiments, there are no details of the gap evolution to date because of the lack of high-quality single crystals covering the entire K-doping range of the superconducting dome. We conducted a systematic study of the London penetration depth, λ( T ), across the full phase diagram for different concentrations of point-like defects introduced by 2.5-MeV electron irradiation. Fitting the low-temperature variation with the power law, Δλ ~ T n , we find that the exponent n is the highest and the T c suppression rate with disorder is the smallest at optimal doping, and they evolve with doping being away from optimal, which is consistent with increasing gap anisotropy, including an abrupt change around x ≃ 0.8, indicating the onset of nodal behavior. Our analysis using a self-consistent t -matrix approach suggests the ubiquitous and robust nature of s ± pairing in IBSs and argues against a previously suggested transition to a d -wave state near x = 1 in this system.

Energy gap evolution across the superconductivity dome in single crystals of (Ba 1-xK x)Fe 2As 2

DOE PAGES

Cho, Kyuil; Konczykowski, Marcin; Teknowijoyo, Serafim; ...

2016-09-30

The mechanism of unconventional superconductivity in iron-based superconductors (IBSs) is one of the most intriguing questions in current materials research. Among non-oxide IBSs, (Ba 1$-$xK x)Fe 2As 2 has been intensively studied because of its high superconducting transition temperature and fascinating evolution of the superconducting gap structure from being fully isotropic at optimal doping (x ≈ 0.4) to becoming nodal at x > 0.8. Although this marked evolution was identified in several independent experiments, there are no details of the gap evolution to date because of the lack of high-quality single crystals covering the entire K-doping range of the superconductingmore » dome. In this work, we conducted a systematic study of the London penetration depth, λ(T), across the full phase diagram for different concentrations of point-like defects introduced by 2.5-MeV electron irradiation. Fitting the low-temperature variation with the power law, Δλ ~ T n, we find that the exponent n is the highest and the Tc suppression rate with disorder is the smallest at optimal doping, and they evolve with doping being away from optimal, which is consistent with increasing gap anisotropy, including an abrupt change around x ≃ 0.8, indicating the onset of nodal behavior. Our analysis using a self-consistent t-matrix approach suggests the ubiquitous and robust nature of s ± pairing in IBSs and argues against a previously suggested transition to a d-wave state near x = 1 in this system.« less

The effects of implementing synoptic pathology reporting in cancer diagnosis: a systematic review.

PubMed

Sluijter, Caro E; van Lonkhuijzen, Luc R C W; van Slooten, Henk-Jan; Nagtegaal, Iris D; Overbeek, Lucy I H

2016-06-01

Pathology reporting is evolving from a traditional narrative report to a more structured synoptic report. Narrative reporting can cause misinterpretation due to lack of information and structure. In this systematic review, we evaluate the impact of synoptic reporting on completeness of pathology reports and quality of pathology evaluation for solid tumours. Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane databases were systematically searched to identify studies describing the effect of synoptic reporting implementation on completeness of reporting and quality of pathology evaluation of solid malignant tumours. Thirty-three studies met the inclusion criteria. All studies, except one, reported an increased overall completeness of pathology reports after introduction of synoptic reporting (SR). Most frequently studied cancers were breast (n = 9) and colorectal cancer (n = 16). For breast cancer, narrative reports adequately described 'tumour type' and 'nodal status'. Synoptic reporting resulted in improved description of 'resection margins', 'DCIS size', 'location' and 'presence of calcifications'. For colorectal cancer, narrative reports adequately reported 'tumour type', 'invasion depth', 'lymph node counts' and 'nodal status'. Synoptic reporting resulted in increased reporting of 'circumferential margin', 'resection margin', 'perineural invasion' and 'lymphovascular invasion'. In addition, increased numbers of reported lymph nodes were found in synoptic reports. Narrative reports of other cancer types described the traditional parameters adequately, whereas for 'resection margins' and '(lympho)vascular/perineural invasion', implementation of synoptic reporting was necessary. Synoptic reporting results in improved reporting of clinical relevant data. Demonstration of clinical impact of this improved method of pathology reporting is required for successful introduction and implementation in daily pathology practice.

Review analysis of medullary carcinoma thyroid--15-year Indian experience.

PubMed

Dorairajan, N; Saravanakumar, P; Karthikeyan, S; Siddharth, D; Kanna, Srinivasulu

2005-08-01

To emphasize the importance of adequate primary surgery in cases of medullary carcinoma of the thyroid, 44 cases of treated medullary carcinoma of thyroid were retrospectively reviewed in Government General Hospital, Chennai between 1987 and 2002. Patients who underwent total thyroidectomy with only central compartment dissection were compared with those who had undergone total thyroidectomy with meticulous triple compartment (bilateral lateral and central groups) nodal dissection. The group of total thyroidectomy with only central compartment dissection had high rate of lymph nodal recurrence and persistent hypercalcitoninaemia when compared with the group of total thyroidectomy with meticulous triple compartment nodal dissection. (Chi square value 4.503 with p<0.05).

Oestrogen receptors, nodes and stage as predictors of post-recurrence survival in 457 breast cancer patients.

PubMed Central

Shek, L. L.; Godolphin, W.; Spinelli, J. J.

1987-01-01

The relationship to survival after first recurrence of oestrogen receptor (ER), nodal status and TNM stage at diagnosis, and treatment for advanced disease was studied in 457 females whose primary breast cancer was diagnosed in 1975 to 1981. Receptor concentration was the most important predictor of post-recurrence survival, with some additional information conveyed by nodal status. ER predicted survival after recurrence independently of nodal status, clinical stage or mode of therapy. Response to endocrine therapy is only a facet of the generally favourable prognosis of ER positive patients, rather than the sole explanation. PMID:3435707

Simple vector bundles on a nodal Weierstrass cubic and quasi-trigonometric solutions of the classical Yang-Baxter equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burban, Igor; Galinat, Lennart; Stolin, Alexander

2017-11-01

In this paper we study the combinatorics of quasi-trigonometric solutions of the classical Yang-Baxter equation, arising from simple vector bundles on a nodal Weierstraß cubic. Dedicated to the memory of Petr Petrovich Kulish.

pN0(i+) Breast Cancer: Treatment Patterns, Locoregional Recurrence, and Survival Outcomes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Karam, Irene; Breast Cancer Outcomes Unit, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, BC; Lesperance, Maria F.

Purpose: To examine treatment patterns, recurrence, and survival outcomes in patients with pN0(i+) breast cancer. Methods and Materials: Subjects were 5999 women with AJCC (6th edition) pT1-3, pN0-N1a, M0 breast cancer diagnosed between 2003 and 2006. Of these, 4342 (72%) had pN0, 96 (2%) had pN0(i+), 349 (6%) had pNmic (micrometastases >0.2 mm to ≤2 mm), and 1212 (20%) had pN1a (1-3 positive macroscopic nodes) disease. Treatment characteristics and 5-year Kaplan-Meier local recurrence, regional recurrence (RR), locoregional recurrence (LRR), and overall survival were compared between nodal subgroups. Multivariable analysis was performed using Cox regression modeling. A 1:3 case-match analysis examinedmore » outcomes in pN0(i+) cases compared with pN0 controls matched for similar tumor and treatment characteristics. Results: Median follow-up was 4.8 years. Adjuvant systemic therapy use increased with nodal stage: 81%, 92%, 95%, and 94% in pN0, pN0(i+), pNmic, and pN1a disease, respectively (P<.001). Nodal radiation therapy (RT) use also increased with nodal stage: 1.7% in pN0, 27% in pN0(i+), 33% in pNmic, and 63% in pN1a cohorts (P<.001). Five-year Kaplan-Meier outcomes in pN0 versus pN0(i+) cases were as follows: local recurrence 1.7% versus 3.7% (P=.20), RR 0.5% versus 2.2% (P=.02), and LRR 2.1% versus 5.8% (P=.02). There were no RR events in 26 patients with pN0(i+) disease who received nodal RT and 2 RR events in 70 patients who did not receive nodal RT. On multivariable analysis, pN0(i+) was not associated with worse locoregional control or survival. On case-match analysis, LRR and overall survival were similar between pN0(i+) and matched pN0 counterparts. Conclusions: Nodal involvement with isolated tumor cells is not a significant prognostic factor for LRR or survival in this study's multivariable and case-match analyses. These data do not support the routine use of nodal RT in the setting of pN0(i+) disease. Prospective studies are needed to define optimal locoregional management for women with pN0(i+) breast cancer.« less

Analysis of nodal aberration properties in off-axis freeform system design.

PubMed

Shi, Haodong; Jiang, Huilin; Zhang, Xin; Wang, Chao; Liu, Tao

2016-08-20

Freeform surfaces have the advantage of balancing off-axis aberration. In this paper, based on the framework of nodal aberration theory (NAT) applied to the coaxial system, the third-order astigmatism and coma wave aberration expressions of an off-axis system with Zernike polynomial surfaces are derived. The relationship between the off-axis and surface shape acting on the nodal distributions is revealed. The nodal aberration properties of the off-axis freeform system are analyzed and validated by using full-field displays (FFDs). It has been demonstrated that adding Zernike terms, up to nine, to the off-axis system modifies the nodal locations, but the field dependence of the third-order aberration does not change. On this basis, an off-axis two-mirror freeform system with 500 mm effective focal length (EFL) and 300 mm entrance pupil diameter (EPD) working in long-wave infrared is designed. The field constant aberrations induced by surface tilting are corrected by selecting specific Zernike terms. The design results show that the nodes of third-order astigmatism and coma move back into the field of view (FOV). The modulation transfer function (MTF) curves are above 0.4 at 20 line pairs per millimeter (lp/mm) which meets the infrared reconnaissance requirement. This work provides essential insight and guidance for aberration correction in off-axis freeform system design.

Conserved and divergent expression patterns of markers of axial development in the laboratory opossum, Monodelphis domestica.

PubMed

Yoshida, Michio; Kajikawa, Eriko; Yamamoto, Daisuke; Kurokawa, Daisuke; Yonemura, Shigenobu; Kobayashi, Kensaku; Kiyonari, Hiroshi; Aizawa, Shinichi

2016-12-01

Previous comparative studies suggest that the requirement for Nodal in epiblast and hypoblast development is unique to mammalians. Expression of anterior visceral endoderm (AVE) genes in the visceral endoderm and of their orthologs in the hypoblast may be unique to mammalians and avians, and is absent in the reptilian hypoblast. Axis formation in reptiles is signaled by the formation of the posterior marginal epiblast (PME), which expresses a series of primitive streak genes. To assess the phylogenetic origin of Nodal and AVE gene expression and axis formation in amniotes, we examined marker gene expression in gray short-tailed opossum, a metatherian. Nodal was expressed in neither epiblast nor hypoblast of opossum embryos. No AVE genes were expressed in the opossum hypoblast. Attainment of polarity in the embryonic disk was signaled by Nodal, Wnt3a, Fgf8, and Bra expression in the PME at 8.5 days post-coitus. Nodal expression in epiblast or hypoblast may be unique to eutherians. AVE gene expression in visceral endoderm and hypoblast may have been independently acquired in eutherian and avian lineages. PME formation appears to be the event that signals axis formation in reptilian and metatherian embryos, and thus may be an ancestral characteristic of basal amniotes. Developmental Dynamics 245:1176-1188, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Human papillomavirus reduces the prognostic value of nodal involvement in tonsillar squamous cell carcinomas.

PubMed

Straetmans, Jos M J A A; Olthof, Nadine; Mooren, Jeroen J; de Jong, Jos; Speel, Ernst-Jan M; Kremer, Bernd

2009-10-01

Assessment of the prognostic value of nodal status in relation to human papillomavirus (HPV) status and the various treatment modalities in tonsillar squamous cell carcinomas (TSCC). Retrospective 5-year survival analysis. A 5-year follow-up of disease-free, disease-specific, and overall survival in a group of 81 patients with TSCC was conducted. The nodal status and integration of HPV-DNA in the genome (detected with fluorescence in situ hybridization) as prognostic indicators were examined while correcting for other clinical parameters (smoking habits, alcohol consumption, treatment modality, differentiation, TNM classification). Of TSCCs, 41% were positive for HPV type 16. In these TSCCs, the primary tumor was significantly smaller when compared to HVP-negative TSCCs (P = .04), whereas the percentage of cases with cervical metastases was identical. In the total population, it was not nodal involvement, but rather HPV manifestation, which was related to patient prognosis. Within the treatment modalities (surgery combined with radiotherapy and radiotherapy alone), neither nodal status nor HPV were prognostic indicators. Since a substantial percentage of TSCCs are HPV-positive and metastasizes to cervical lymph nodes in less advanced primary tumors, the N status is an unreliable prognostic indicator in TSCCs. HPV is only prognostically relevant in the total tumor population, but loses its value within patient groups receiving a single treatment modality. The value of HPV for prognosis of patients with TSCC requires further study.

All-to-all sequenced fault detection system

DOEpatents

Archer, Charles Jens; Pinnow, Kurt Walter; Ratterman, Joseph D.; Smith, Brian Edward

2010-11-02

An apparatus, program product and method enable nodal fault detection by sequencing communications between all system nodes. A master node may coordinate communications between two slave nodes before sequencing to and initiating communications between a new pair of slave nodes. The communications may be analyzed to determine the nodal fault.

PATRAN-STAGS translator (PATSTAGS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Otte, Neil

1990-01-01

A a computer program used to translate PATRAN finite element model data into Structural Analysis of General Shells (STAGS) input data is presented. The program supports translation of nodal, nodal constraints, element, force, and pressure data. The subroutine UPRESS required for the readings of live pressure data into STAGS is also presented.

Rapid Seismic Deployment for Capturing Aftershocks of the September 2017 Tehuantepec, Mexico (M=8.1) and Morelos-Puebla (M=7.1), Mexico Earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velasco, A. A.; Karplus, M. S.; Dena, O.; Gonzalez-Huizar, H.; Husker, A. L.; Perez-Campos, X.; Calo, M.; Valdes, C. M.

2017-12-01

The September 7 Tehuantepec, Mexico (M=8.1) and the September 19 Morelos-Puebla, Mexico (M=7.1) earthquakes ruptured with extensional faulting within the Cocos Plate at 70-km and 50-km depth, as it subducts beneath the continental North American Plate. Both earthquakes caused significant damage and loss of life. These events were followed by a M=6.1 extensional earthquake at only 10-km depth in Oaxaca on September 23, 2017. While the Morelos-Puebla earthquake was likely too far away to be statically triggered by the Tehuantepec earthquake, initial Coulomb stress analyses show that the M=6.1 event may have been an aftershock of the Tehuantepec earthquake. Many questions remain about these earthquakes, including: Did the Cocos Plate earthquakes load the upper plate, and could they possibly trigger an equal or larger earthquake on the plate interface? Are these the result of plate bending? Do the aftershocks migrate to the locked zone in the subduction zone? Why did the intermediate depth earthquakes create so much damage? Are these earthquakes linked by dynamic stresses? Is it possible that a potential slow-slip event triggered both events? To address some of these questions, we deployed 10 broadband seismometers near the epicenter of the Tehuantepec, Mexico earthquake and 51 UTEP-owned nodes (5-Hz, 3-component geophones) to record aftershocks and augment networks deployed by the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). The 10 broadband instruments will be deployed for 6 months, while the nodes were deployed 25 days. The relative ease-of-deployment and larger numbers of the nodes allowed us to deploy them quickly in the area near the M=6.1 Oaxaca earthquake, just a few days after that earthquake struck. We deployed them near the heavily-damaged cities of Juchitan, Ixtaltepec, and Ixtepec as well as in Tehuantepec and Salina Cruz, Oaxaca in order to test their capabilities for site characterization and aftershock studies. This is the first test of these instruments in a region heavily affected by aftershocks, outside of Oklahoma. Analysis of the nodal and broadband data will allow us to investigate fault geometries from aftershock locations, stress release and orientation from the determination of fault plane solutions, and site effects and characteristics in regions of extensive damage.

Revisiting the physical characterisitics of the subduction interplate seismogenic zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heuret, Arnauld; Lallemand, Serge; Funiciello, Francesca; Piromallo, Claudia

2010-05-01

Based on the Centennial earthquake catalog, the revised 1964-2007 EHB hypocenters catalog and the 1976-2007 CMT Harvard catalog, we have extracted the hypocenters, nodal planes and seismic moments of worldwide subduction earthquakes for the 1900-2007 period. For the 1976-2007 period, we combine the focal solutions provided by Harvard and the revised hypocenters from Engdahl et al. (1998). Older events are extracted from the Centennial catalogue (Engdahl and Villasenor, 2002) and they are used to estimate the cumulated seismic moment only. The selection criteria for the subduction earthquakes are similar to those used by Mc Caffrey (1994), i.e., we test if the focal mechanisms are consistent with 1/ shallow thrust events (depth > 70 km, positive slips, and at least one nodal plane gets dip < 45°), and, 2/ the plate interface local geometry and orientation (one nodal plane is oriented toward the volcanic arc, the azimuth of this nodal plane ranges between ± 45° with respect to the trench one, its dip ranges between ± 20° with respect to the slab one and the epicentre is located seaward of the volcanic arc). Our study concerns segments of subduction zones that fit with estimated paleoruptures associated with major events (M > 8). We assume that the seismogenic zone coincides with the distribution of 5.5 < M < 7 subduction earthquakes. We provide a map of the interplate seismogenic zones for 80% of the trench systems including dip, length, downdip and updip limits, we revisit the statistical study done by Pacheco et al. (1993) and test some empirical laws obtained for example by Ruff and Kanamori (1980) in light of a more complete, detailed, accurate and uniform description of the subduction interplate seismogenic zone. Since subduction earthquakes result from stress accumulation along the interplate and stress depends on plates kinematics, subduction zone geometry, thermal state and seismic coupling, we aim to isolate some correlations between parameters. The statistical analysis reveals that: 1- vs, the subduction velocity is the first order controlling parameter of seismogenic zone variability, both in term of geometry and seismic behaviour; 2- steep dip, large vertical extent and narrow horizontal extent of the seismogenic zone are associated to fast subductions, and cold slabs, the opposite holding for slow subductions and warm slabs; the seismogenic zone usually ends in the fore-arc mantle rather than at the upper plate Moho depth; 3- seismic rate () variability is coherent with the geometry of the seismogenic zone:  increases with the dip and with the vertical extent of the seismogenic zone, and it fits with vs and with the subducting plate thermal state; 4- mega-events occurrence determines the level of seismic energy released along the subduction interface, whatever  is; 5- to some extent, the potential size of earthquakes fits with vs and with the seismogenic zone geometry, but second order controlling parameters are more difficult to detect; 6- the plate coupling, measured through Upper Plate Strain, is one possible second order parameter: mega-events are preferentially associated to neutral subductions, i.e. moderate compressive stresses along the plate interface; high plate coupling (compressive UPS) is thought to inhibit mega-events genesis by enhancing the locking of the plate interface and preventing the rupture to extend laterally. This research was supported as part of the Eurohorcs/ESF — European Young Investigators Awards Scheme (resp. F.F.), by funds from the National Research Council of Italy and other National Funding Agencies participating in the 3rd Memorandum of Understanding, as well as from the EC Sixth Framework Programme.

Proper source-receiver distance to obtain surface wave group velocity profile for flaw detection inside a concrete plate-like structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Chia-Chi; Hsu, Keng-Tsang; Wang, Hong-Hua; Chiang, Chih-Hung

2018-04-01

A technique leads to rapid flaw detection for concrete plate-like structure is realized by obtaining the group velocity dispersion profile of the fundamental antisymmetric mode of the plate (A0 mode). The depth of a delaminating crack, honeycomb or depth of weak surface layer on top of the sound concrete can all be evaluated by the change of velocity in the dispersion profile of A0 mode at the wavelength about twice of the depth. The testing method involves obtaining the A0 group slowness spectrogram produced by single test with one receiver placed away from the source of impact. The image of the spectrogram is obtained by Short-Time Fourier Transfer (STFT) and enhanced by reassigned method. The choice of window length in STFT and the ratio between impactor-receiver distance and plate thickness, d/T, is essential as the dominant surface wave response may simply a non-dispersive Rayleigh wave or following the A0 or S0 (fundamental symmetric mode) modal dispersion curve. In this study, the axisymmetric finite element model of a plate subject to transient load was constructed. The nodal vertical velocity waveforms for various distances were analyzed using various STFT window lengths. The results show, for certain d/T ratio, S0 mode would be dominant when longer window is used. The best window lengths for a d/T ratio as well as the corresponding largest wavelength which follows the A0 theoretical dispersion curve or Rayleigh wave were summarized. The information allows people to determine the proper impactor-receiver distance and analyzing window to successfully detect the depth of flaws inside a plate.

Performance of a recoverable tug for planetary missions including use of perigee propulsion and corrections for nodal regression

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borsody, J.

1976-01-01

Mathematical equations are derived by using the Maximum Principle to obtain the maximum payload capability of a reusable tug for planetary missions. The mathematical formulation includes correction for nodal precession of the space shuttle orbit. The tug performs this nodal correction in returning to this precessed orbit. The sample case analyzed represents an inner planet mission as defined by the declination (fixed) and right ascension of the outgoing asymptote and the mission energy. Payload capability is derived for a typical cryogenic tug and the sample case with and without perigee propulsion. Optimal trajectory profiles and some important orbital elements are also discussed.

Locational Marginal Pricing in the Campus Power System at the Power Distribution Level

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hao, Jun; Gu, Yi; Zhang, Yingchen

2016-11-14

In the development of smart grid at distribution level, the realization of real-time nodal pricing is one of the key challenges. The research work in this paper implements and studies the methodology of locational marginal pricing at distribution level based on a real-world distribution power system. The pricing mechanism utilizes optimal power flow to calculate the corresponding distributional nodal prices. Both Direct Current Optimal Power Flow and Alternate Current Optimal Power Flow are utilized to calculate and analyze the nodal prices. The University of Denver campus power grid is used as the power distribution system test bed to demonstrate themore » pricing methodology.« less

“Nodal Gap” induced by the incommensurate diagonal spin density modulation in underdoped high- T c superconductors

DOE PAGES

Zhou, Tao; Gao, Yi; Zhu, Jian -Xin

2015-03-07

Recenmore » tly it was revealed that the whole Fermi surface is fully gapped for several families of underdoped cuprates. The existence of the finite energy gap along the d -wave nodal lines (nodal gap) contrasts the common understanding of the d -wave pairing symmetry, which challenges the present theories for the high- T c superconductors. Here we propose that the incommensurate diagonal spin-density-wave order can account for the above experimental observation. The Fermi surface and the local density of states are also studied. Our results are in good agreement with many important experiments in high- T c superconductors.« less

Pathology of nodal marginal zone lymphomas.

PubMed

Pileri, Stefano; Ponzoni, Maurilio

Nodal marginal zone B cell lymphomas (NMZLs) are a rare group of lymphoid disorders part of the spectrum of marginal zone B-cell lymphomas, which encompass splenic marginal one B-cell lymphoma (SMZL) and extra nodal marginal zone of B-cell lymphoma (EMZL), often of MALT-type. Two clinicopathological forms of NMZL are recognized: adult-type and pediatric-type, respectively. NMZLs show overlapping features with other types of MZ, but distinctive features as well. In this review, we will focus on the salient distinguishing features of NMZL mostly under morphological/immunophenotypical/molecular perspectives in views of the recent acquisitions and forthcoming updated 2016 WHO classification of lymphoid malignancies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Involved-Field Radiotherapy versus Elective Nodal Irradiation in Combination with Concurrent Chemotherapy for Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Prospective Randomized Study

PubMed Central

Chen, Ming; Bao, Yong; Ma, Hong-Lian; Wang, Jin; Wang, Yan; Peng, Fang; Zhou, Qi-Chao; Xie, Cong-Hua

2013-01-01

This prospective randomized study is to evaluate the locoregional failure and its impact on survival by comparing involved field radiotherapy (IFRT) with elective nodal irradiation (ENI) in combination with concurrent chemotherapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer. It appears that higher dose could be delivered in IFRT arm than that in ENI arm, and IFRT did not increase the risk of initially uninvolved or isolated nodal failures. Both a tendency of improved locoregional progression-free survival and a significant increased overall survival rate are in favor of IFRT arm in this study. PMID:23762840

Off-diagonal Jacobian support for Nodal BCs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peterson, John W.; Andrs, David; Gaston, Derek R.

In this brief note, we describe the implementation of o-diagonal Jacobian computations for nodal boundary conditions in the Multiphysics Object Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) [1] framework. There are presently a number of applications [2{5] based on the MOOSE framework that solve complicated physical systems of partial dierential equations whose boundary conditions are often highly nonlinear. Accurately computing the on- and o-diagonal Jacobian and preconditioner entries associated to these constraints is crucial for enabling ecient numerical solvers in these applications. Two key ingredients are required for properly specifying the Jacobian contributions of nonlinear nodal boundary conditions in MOOSE and nite elementmore » codes in general: 1. The ability to zero out entire Jacobian matrix rows after \

Symmorphic Intersecting Nodal Rings in Semiconducting Layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Cheng; Xie, Yuee; Chen, Yuanping; Kim, Heung-Sik; Vanderbilt, David

2018-03-01

The unique properties of topological semimetals have strongly driven efforts to seek for new topological phases and related materials. Here, we identify a critical condition for the existence of intersecting nodal rings (INRs) in symmorphic crystals, and further classify all possible kinds of INRs which can be obtained in the layered semiconductors with Amm2 and Cmmm space group symmetries. Several honeycomb structures are suggested to be topological INR semimetals, including layered and "hidden" layered structures. Transitions between the three types of INRs, named as α , β , and γ type, can be driven by external strains in these structures. The resulting surface states and Landau-level structures, more complicated than those resulting from a simple nodal loop, are also discussed.

Experimental Influence Coefficients and Vibration Modes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weidman, Deene J.; Kordes, Eldon E.

1959-01-01

Test results are presented for both symmetrical and antisymmetrical static loading of a wing model mounted on a three-point support system. The first six free-free vibration modes were determined experimentally. A comparison is made of the symmetrical nodal patterns and frequencies with the symmetrical nodal patterns and frequencies calculated from the experimental influence coefficients.

PATSTAGS: PATRAN-To-STAGSC-1 Translator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Otte, Neil

1993-01-01

PATSTAGS computer program translates data from PATRAN finite-element mathematical model into STAGS input records used for engineering analysis. Reads data from PATRAN neutral file and writes STAGS input records into STAGS input file and UPRESS data file. Supports translations of nodal constraints, and of nodal, element, force, and pressure data. Written in FORTRAN 77.

Contribution of Hedgehog signaling to the establishment of left-right asymmetry in the sea urchin

PubMed Central

Warner, Jacob F.; Miranda, Esther L.; McClay, David R.

2016-01-01

Summary Most bilaterians exhibit a left-right asymmetric distribution of their internal organs. The sea urchin larva is notable in this regard since most adult structures are generated from left sided embryonic structures. The gene regulatory network governing this larval asymmetry is still a work in progress but involves several conserved signaling pathways including Nodal, and BMP. Here we provide a comprehensive analysis of Hedgehog signaling and it’s contribution to left-right asymmetry. We report that Hh signaling plays a conserved role to regulate late asymmetric expression of Nodal and that this regulation occurs after Nodal breaks left-right symmetry in the mesoderm. Thus, while Hh functions to maintain late Nodal expression, the molecular asymmetry of the future coelomic pouches is locked in. Furthermore we report that cilia play a role only insofar as to transduce Hh signaling and do not have an independent effect on the asymmetry of the mesoderm. From this, we are able to construct a more complete regulatory network governing the establishment of left-right asymmetry in the sea urchin. PMID:26872875

Contribution of hedgehog signaling to the establishment of left-right asymmetry in the sea urchin.

PubMed

Warner, Jacob F; Miranda, Esther L; McClay, David R

2016-03-15

Most bilaterians exhibit a left-right asymmetric distribution of their internal organs. The sea urchin larva is notable in this regard since most adult structures are generated from left sided embryonic structures. The gene regulatory network governing this larval asymmetry is still a work in progress but involves several conserved signaling pathways including Nodal, and BMP. Here we provide a comprehensive analysis of Hedgehog signaling and it's contribution to left-right asymmetry. We report that Hh signaling plays a conserved role to regulate late asymmetric expression of Nodal and that this regulation occurs after Nodal breaks left-right symmetry in the mesoderm. Thus, while Hh functions to maintain late Nodal expression, the molecular asymmetry of the future coelomic pouches is locked in. Furthermore we report that cilia play a role only insofar as to transduce Hh signaling and do not have an independent effect on the asymmetry of the mesoderm. From this, we are able to construct a more complete regulatory network governing the establishment of left-right asymmetry in the sea urchin. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An efficient in vitro regeneration protocol for a natural dye yielding plant, Strobilanthes flaccidifolious Nees., from nodal explants.

PubMed

Deb, Chitta Ranjan; Arenmongla, T

2012-11-01

Adventitious shoot buds formation from axillary buds of nodal segments of S. flaccidifolious was achieved on MS medium containing sucrose (3%, w/v), and a-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA; 3 microM) and benzyl adenine (3 microM) in combination. The nodal segments were primed on 'Growtak Sieve' for 48 h on MS medium containing sucrose (2%), polyvinyl pyrollidone (200 mgL(-1)) as antioxidant. About 80% of primed nodal segments responded positively and formed approximately 12 adventitious shoot buds per explants from explants collected during October-November months of every year. The shoot buds converted into plantlets on MS medium containing sucrose (3%) and kinetin (3 microM) where approximately 7 micro shoots developed per subculture after 8 weeks of culture. The regenerated micro shoots induced average 14 roots/plant on medium containing NAA (3 microM). The regenerates were hardened for 6-7 weeks on medium with 1/2MS salt solution and sucrose (2%) under normal laboratory condition before transferring to potting mix. About 70% transplants survived after two months of transfer.

Serum decoy receptor 3 level: a predictive marker for nodal metastasis and survival among oral cavity cancer patients.

PubMed

Tu, Hsi-Feng; Liu, Chung-Ji; Liu, Shyun-Yeu; Chen, Yu-Ping; Yu, En-Hao; Lin, Shu-Chun; Chang, Kuo-Wei

2011-03-01

Validating markers for prediction of nodal metastasis could be beneficial in treatment of oral cavity cancer. Decoy receptor 3 (DcR3), locus on 20q13, functions as a death decoy inhibiting apoptosis mediated by the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) family. This study analyzed the serum level of DcR3 in relationship to the clinical parameters of oral cavity cancer patients together with detection of DcR3 genomic copy number in primary and recurrent tumors. Elevated serum DcR3 was associated with nodal metastasis and worse prognosis. Gain of DcR3 copy number was detected in 17% of primary tumor tissue but not found in healthy areca chewers. Tissue from recurrent tumors showed more frequent DcR3 copy number alteration (48%) than the paired primary tumor tissue. Serum DcR3 level is a predictor for the nodal metastasis and survival among oral cavity cancer patients and the DcR3 copy number alteration could underlie oral carcinogenesis progression. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Robustness Elasticity in Complex Networks

PubMed Central

Matisziw, Timothy C.; Grubesic, Tony H.; Guo, Junyu

2012-01-01

Network robustness refers to a network’s resilience to stress or damage. Given that most networks are inherently dynamic, with changing topology, loads, and operational states, their robustness is also likely subject to change. However, in most analyses of network structure, it is assumed that interaction among nodes has no effect on robustness. To investigate the hypothesis that network robustness is not sensitive or elastic to the level of interaction (or flow) among network nodes, this paper explores the impacts of network disruption, namely arc deletion, over a temporal sequence of observed nodal interactions for a large Internet backbone system. In particular, a mathematical programming approach is used to identify exact bounds on robustness to arc deletion for each epoch of nodal interaction. Elasticity of the identified bounds relative to the magnitude of arc deletion is assessed. Results indicate that system robustness can be highly elastic to spatial and temporal variations in nodal interactions within complex systems. Further, the presence of this elasticity provides evidence that a failure to account for nodal interaction can confound characterizations of complex networked systems. PMID:22808060

Impact of intra- versus inter-annual snow depth variation on water relations and photosynthesis for two Great Basin Desert shrubs.

PubMed

Loik, Michael E; Griffith, Alden B; Alpert, Holly; Concilio, Amy L; Wade, Catherine E; Martinson, Sharon J

2015-06-01

Snowfall provides the majority of soil water in certain ecosystems of North America. We tested the hypothesis that snow depth variation affects soil water content, which in turn drives water potential (Ψ) and photosynthesis, over 10 years for two widespread shrubs of the western USA. Stem Ψ (Ψ stem) and photosynthetic gas exchange [stomatal conductance to water vapor (g s), and CO2 assimilation (A)] were measured in mid-June each year from 2004 to 2013 for Artemisia tridentata var. vaseyana (Asteraceae) and Purshia tridentata (Rosaceae). Snow fences were used to create increased or decreased snow depth plots. Snow depth on +snow plots was about twice that of ambient plots in most years, and 20 % lower on -snow plots, consistent with several down-scaled climate model projections. Maximal soil water content at 40- and 100-cm depths was correlated with February snow depth. For both species, multivariate ANOVA (MANOVA) showed that Ψ stem, g s, and A were significantly affected by intra-annual variation in snow depth. Within years, MANOVA showed that only A was significantly affected by spatial snow depth treatments for A. tridentata, and Ψ stem was significantly affected by snow depth for P. tridentata. Results show that stem water relations and photosynthetic gas exchange for these two cold desert shrub species in mid-June were more affected by inter-annual variation in snow depth by comparison to within-year spatial variation in snow depth. The results highlight the potential importance of changes in inter-annual variation in snowfall for future shrub photosynthesis in the western Great Basin Desert.

From cluster structures to nuclear molecules: The role of nodal structure of the single-particle wave functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afanasjev, A. V.; Abusara, H.

2018-02-01

The nodal structure of the density distributions of the single-particle states occupied in rod-shaped, hyper- and megadeformed structures of nonrotating and rotating N ˜Z nuclei has been investigated in detail. The single-particle states with the Nilsson quantum numbers of the [N N 0 ]1 /2 (with N from 0 to 5) and [N ,N -1 ,1 ]Ω (with N from 1 to 3 and Ω =1 /2 , 3/2) types are considered. These states are building blocks of extremely deformed shapes in the nuclei with mass numbers A ≤50 . Because of (near) axial symmetry and large elongation of such structures, the wave functions of the single-particle states occupied are dominated by a single basis state in cylindrical basis. This basis state defines the nodal structure of the single-particle density distribution. The nodal structure of the single-particle density distributions allows us to understand in a relatively simple way the necessary conditions for α clusterization and the suppression of the α clusterization with the increase of mass number. It also explains in a natural way the coexistence of ellipsoidal mean-field-type structures and nuclear molecules at similar excitation energies and the features of particle-hole excitations connecting these two types of the structures. Our analysis of the nodal structure of the single-particle density distributions does not support the existence of quantum liquid phase for the deformations and nuclei under study.

A point-value enhanced finite volume method based on approximate delta functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xuan, Li-Jun; Majdalani, Joseph

2018-02-01

We revisit the concept of an approximate delta function (ADF), introduced by Huynh (2011) [1], in the form of a finite-order polynomial that holds identical integral properties to the Dirac delta function when used in conjunction with a finite-order polynomial integrand over a finite domain. We show that the use of generic ADF polynomials can be effective at recovering and generalizing several high-order methods, including Taylor-based and nodal-based Discontinuous Galerkin methods, as well as the Correction Procedure via Reconstruction. Based on the ADF concept, we then proceed to formulate a Point-value enhanced Finite Volume (PFV) method, which stores and updates the cell-averaged values inside each element as well as the unknown quantities and, if needed, their derivatives on nodal points. The sharing of nodal information with surrounding elements saves the number of degrees of freedom compared to other compact methods at the same order. To ensure conservation, cell-averaged values are updated using an identical approach to that adopted in the finite volume method. Here, the updating of nodal values and their derivatives is achieved through an ADF concept that leverages all of the elements within the domain of integration that share the same nodal point. The resulting scheme is shown to be very stable at successively increasing orders. Both accuracy and stability of the PFV method are verified using a Fourier analysis and through applications to the linear wave and nonlinear Burgers' equations in one-dimensional space.

Management of recurrent/persistent nodal disease in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer: a critical review of the risks and benefits of surgical intervention versus active surveillance.

PubMed

Tufano, Ralph P; Clayman, Gary; Heller, Keith S; Inabnet, William B; Kebebew, Electron; Shaha, Ashok; Steward, David L; Tuttle, R Michael

2015-01-01

The primary goals of this interdisciplinary consensus statement are to define the eligibility criteria for management of recurrent and persistent cervical nodal disease in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and to review the risks and benefits of surgical intervention versus active surveillance. A writing group was convened by the Surgical Affairs Committee of the American Thyroid Association and was tasked with identifying the important clinical elements to consider when managing recurrent/persistent nodal disease in patients with DTC based on the available evidence in the literature and the group's collective experience. The decision on how best to manage individual patients with suspected recurrent/persistent nodal disease is challenging and requires the consideration of a significant number of variables outlined by the members of the interdisciplinary team. Here we report on the consensus opinions that were reached by the writing group regarding the technical and clinical issues encountered in this patient population. Identification of recurrent/persistent disease requires a team decision-making process that includes the patient and physicians as to what, if any, intervention should be performed to best control the disease while minimizing morbidity. Several management principles and variables involved in the decision making for surgery versus active surveillance were developed that should be taken into account when deciding how best to manage a patient with DTC and suspected recurrent or persistent cervical nodal disease.

Rapid enhancement of nodal quasiparticle mass with heavily underdoping in Bi2212

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anzai, Hiroaki; Arita, Masashi; Namatame, Hirofumi; Taniguchi, Masaki; Ishikado, Motoyuki; Fujita, Kazuhiro; Ishida, Shigeyuki; Uchida, Shin-ichi; Ino, Akihiro

2018-05-01

We report substantial advance of our low-energy angle-resolved photoemission study of nodal quasiparticles in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ. The new data cover the samples from underdoped down to heavily underdoped levels. We also present the nodal Fermi velocities that determined by using an excitation-photon energy of hν = 7.0 eV over a wide doping range. The consistency between the results with hν = 8.1 and 7.0 eV allows us to rule out the effect of photoemission matrix elements. In comparison with the data previously reported, the nodal effective mass increases by a factor of ∼ 1.5 in going from optimally doped to heavily underdoped levels. We find a rapid enhancement of the nodal quasiparticle mass at low doping levels near the superconductor-to-insulator transition. The effective coupling spectrum, λ (ω) , is extracted directly from the energy derivatives of the quasiparticle dispersion and scattering rate, as a causal function of the mass enhancement factor. A steplike increase in Reλ (ω) around ∼ 65 meV is demonstrated clearly by the Kramers-Kronig transform of Imλ (ω) . To extract the low-energy renormalization effect, we calculated a simple model for the electron-boson interaction. This model reveals that the contribution of the renormalization at | ω | ≤ 15 meV to the quasiparticle mass is larger than that around 65 meV in underdoped samples.

Aftershocks of the june 20, 1978, Greece earthquake: A multimode faulting sequence

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carver, D.; Bollinger, G.A.

1981-01-01

A 10-station portable seismograph network was deployed in northern Greece to study aftershocks of the magnitude (mb) 6.4 earthquake of June 20, 1978. The main shock occurred (in a graben) about 25 km northeast of the city of Thessaloniki and caused an east-west zone of surface rupturing 14 km long that splayed to 7 km wide at the west end. The hypocenters for 116 aftershocks in the magnitude range from 2.5 to 4.5 were determined. The epicenters for these events cover an area 30 km (east-west) by 18 km (north-south), and focal depths ranges from 4 to 12 km. Most of the aftershocks in the east half of the aftershock zone are north of the surface rupture and north of the graben. Those in the west half are located within the boundaries of the graben. Composite focalmechanism solutions for selected aftershocks indicate reactivation of geologically mapped normal faults in the area. Also, strike-slip and dip-slip faults that splay off the western end of the zone of surface ruptures may have been activated. The epicenters for four large (M ??? 4.8) foreshocks and the main shock were relocated using the method of joint epicenter determination. Collectively, those five epicenters form an arcuate pattern convex southward, that is north of and 5 km distant from the surface rupturing. The 5-km separation, along with a focal depth of 8 km (average aftershock depth) or 16 km (NEIS main-shock depth), implies that the fault plane dips northward 58?? or 73??, respectively. A preferred nodal-plane dip of 36?? was determined by B.C. Papazachos and his colleagues in 1979 from a focal-mechanism solution for the main shock. If this dip is valid for the causal fault and that fault projects to the zone of surface rupturing, a decrease of dip with depth is required. ?? 1981.

Recovering tubewise power from three-dimensional nodal kinetics calculation during material relocation in an HWR

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kalimullah; Morris, E.E.; Yang, W.S.

1994-12-31

To analyze severe accidents in some special-purpose heavy-water reactors made of assemblies consisting of a number of coaxial tubes of aluminum-clad U-Al fuel and aluminum-clad neutron-capturing material, a mechanistic model, MARTINS, for tube beatup, melting, and molten material relocation has been developed and integrated with the DIF3D nodal hexagonal-z reactor kinetics and other phenomenological modules. The DIF3D kinetics homogenizes all materials located and computes the total power produced in an axial segment of a fuel assembly. This paper presents an approximate method, used in MARTINS, to calculate the distribution of this total nodal power into the intact fuel and capturingmore » material tubes and the meat-cladding mixtures relocating during tube disruption. The method accounts for the change in intraassembly radial power profile due to assembly geometry change with the progress of segment-by-segment disruption of different tubes. Earlier methods to recover pinwise power from nodal calculation for liquid-metal-cooled reactors and light water reactors (X-Y and hexagonal unit cells) are not practical for a disrupting assembly having material relocation. Figure 1 shows the assembly`s end view, divided into rings for modeling and analysis. A ring is a coolant subchannel plus the outer surrounding tube. The present method for distributing the nodal power consists of two parts: (a) calculation of the relative values of ring-by-ring power per unit uranium mass and power per unit mass of neutron-capturing material in a given assembly segment, and (b) normalization of these relative values such that the total power of all rings (intact tubes and U-Al-Cp meat-cladding mixtures, where Cp implies the neutron-capturing material) equals the DIF3D-calculated nodal power for the assembly axial segment.« less

Regional brain network organization distinguishes the combined and inattentive subtypes of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

PubMed

Saad, Jacqueline F; Griffiths, Kristi R; Kohn, Michael R; Clarke, Simon; Williams, Leanne M; Korgaonkar, Mayuresh S

2017-01-01

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterized clinically by hyperactive/impulsive and/or inattentive symptoms which determine diagnostic subtypes as Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive (ADHD-HI), Predominantly Inattentive (ADHD-I), and Combined (ADHD-C). Neuroanatomically though we do not yet know if these clinical subtypes reflect distinct aberrations in underlying brain organization. We imaged 34 ADHD participants defined using DSM-IV criteria as ADHD-I ( n  = 16) or as ADHD-C ( n  = 18) and 28 matched typically developing controls, aged 8-17 years, using high-resolution T1 MRI. To quantify neuroanatomical organization we used graph theoretical analysis to assess properties of structural covariance between ADHD subtypes and controls (global network measures: path length, clustering coefficient, and regional network measures: nodal degree). As a context for interpreting network organization differences, we also quantified gray matter volume using voxel-based morphometry. Each ADHD subtype was distinguished by a different organizational profile of the degree to which specific regions were anatomically connected with other regions (i.e., in "nodal degree"). For ADHD-I (compared to both ADHD-C and controls) the nodal degree was higher in the hippocampus. ADHD-I also had a higher nodal degree in the supramarginal gyrus, calcarine sulcus, and superior occipital cortex compared to ADHD-C and in the amygdala compared to controls. By contrast, the nodal degree was higher in the cerebellum for ADHD-C compared to ADHD-I and in the anterior cingulate, middle frontal gyrus and putamen compared to controls. ADHD-C also had reduced nodal degree in the rolandic operculum and middle temporal pole compared to controls. These regional profiles were observed in the context of no differences in gray matter volume or global network organization. Our results suggest that the clinical distinction between the Inattentive and Combined subtypes of ADHD may also be reflected in distinct aberrations in underlying brain organization.

Fibroadenoma in Axillary Ectopic Breast Tissue Mimicking Lymphadenopathy

PubMed Central

Maheshwari, Ujwala M

2017-01-01

Swellings in the axilla especially in women are always viewed with suspicion owing to a large number of these being associated with breast carcinoma presenting as nodal metastasis. In a country like India, tuberculous lymphadenopathy is also amongst the first differentials. We present a case of a woman with right sided axillary swelling mimicking lymphadenopathy which on Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) turned out to be fibroadenoma of the ectopic breast tissue. This condition is a rare occurrence in Ectopic Breast Tissue (EBT) as opposed to that in the normal breast, the most common pathology affecting ectopic breast being carcinomas. PMID:28511397

Effects of leaf age within growth stages of pepper and sorghum plants on leaf thickness, water, chlorophyll, and light reflectance. [in spectral vegetation discrimination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gausman, H. W.; Cardenas, R.; Berumen, A.

1974-01-01

Pepper and sorghum plants (characterized by porous and compact leaf mesophylls, respectively) were used to study the influence of leaf age on light reflectance. Measurements were limited to the upper five nodal positions within each growth stage, since upper leaves make up most of the reflectance surfaces remotely sensed. The increase in leaf thickness and water content with increasing leaf age was taken into consideration, since each of these factors affects the reflectance as well as the selection of spectral wavelength intervals for optimum discrimination of vegetation.

Modification of atrioventricular nodal electrophysiology by selective radiofrequency delivery on the anterior or posterior approaches.

PubMed

Chorro, F J; Sanchis, J; Such, L; Artal, L; Llavador, J J; Llavador, E; Monmeneu, J V; López-Merino, V

1997-05-01

An analysis was made in 14 isolated and perfused rabbit hearts of the electrophysiological effects of selective radiofrequency (RF) delivery in the anterior (group I, n = 7) or posterior zone (group II, n = 7) of the Koch triangle, with the aim of modifying atrioventricular nodal (AVN) conduction without suppressing 1:1 transmission. After opening the right atrium, RF was delivered (0.5 W) with a 1-mm diameter unipolar electrode positioned in the selected zone until a prolongation of no less than 15% was obtained in the Wenckebach cycle length (WCL). Before and after (30 min) RF, anterograde and retrograde AVN refractoriness and conduction were evaluated, stimulating from the crista terminalis (CT), the interatrial septum (IAS), and from the RV epicardium. After RF, the following percentage increments were observed in group I: AH(CT) = 36% +/- 9%, AH(IAS) = 38% +/- 11%, WCL(CT) = 28% +/- 8%, WCL(IAS) = 22% +/- 6%, functional refractory period (FRP) of the AVN(CT) = 13% +/- 11%, FRP-AVN(IAS) = 13% +/- 8%, retrograde WCL = 20% +/- 19%, and retrograde FRPVA = 13% +/- 16%. The increments observed in group II and the significances of the differences with respect to group I were: AH(CT) = 11% +/- 14% (P < 0.01), AH(IAS) = 19% +/- 32% (NS), WCL(CT) = 42% +/- 14% (P < 0.05), WCL(IAS) = 42% +/- 16% (P < 0.01), FRP-AVN(CT) = 28% +/- 28% (NS), FRP-AVN(LAS) = 21% +/- 19% (NS), retrograde WCL = 35% +/- 24% (NS), and retrograde FRP = 16% +/- 13% (NS). In both groups, the AH interval variations were not correlated with those of the rest of the parameters analyzed. Truncated nodal function curves suggestive of a dual AV nodal pathway were obtained in three experiments, though in only one of them was this observed under basal conditions. In the other two experiments, with dual AV nodal physiology only after RF (one from each group), AV nodal reentrant tachycardias were triggered with atrial extrastimulus at coupling intervals equal to or shorter than at those that cause a sudden lengthening of the AH interval, RF delivered in the anterior and posterior zones of the Koch triangle produced effects of different magnitude on the AH interval and Wenckebach cycle length. In the anterior zone the AH interval was prolonged to a greater extent, while in the posterior zone the effects were greater on the Wenckebach cycle length. No correlation existed between the variations in AH interval and Wenckebach cycle length, regardless of where RF was delivered. The evaluation of anterograde AV nodal refractoriness was similar when stimulating from the crista terminalis or from the interatrial septum. By delivering RF, it was possible to induce dual AV nodal physiology and reentrant tachycardias.

Acquiring Domain Knowledge for Planning by Experimentation

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-01-01

visel partt holding grinderi visel p=r1 size-of pull LENGTH k size-of part! LENGTH k ufsee-finish pertl side! ROUGH surface-tinish pan] side...prof-not-cached <nodal> <node2>) (current-goal <nodal> ( goali )) (current-goal (node2> <goal2>) (d@.s-top-protection-violat ion <goal2>) (not-does-top

Benign vascular proliferation in a lymph node following acute toxoplasmosis. A differential diagnosis from Kaposi's sarcoma.

PubMed

Rousselet, M C; Saint-André, J P; Beaufils, J M; Diebold, J

1988-12-01

We describe an unusual intranodal vascular proliferation following acute toxoplasmosis in a man. This proliferation is distinct from other benign vasoformative nodal lesions. It could be interpreted as a reactive healing process that might be misdiagnosed as nodal Kaposi's sarcoma. Some criteria to avoid such misdiagnosis are presented.

Nodal Analysis Optimization Based on the Use of Virtual Current Sources: A Powerful New Pedagogical Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chatzarakis, G. E.

2009-01-01

This paper presents a new pedagogical method for nodal analysis optimization based on the use of virtual current sources, applicable to any linear electric circuit (LEC), regardless of its complexity. The proposed method leads to straightforward solutions, mostly arrived at by inspection. Furthermore, the method is easily adapted to computer…

Anomalous contagion and renormalization in networks with nodal mobility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manrique, Pedro D.; Qi, Hong; Zheng, Minzhang; Xu, Chen; Hui, Pak Ming; Johnson, Neil F.

2016-07-01

A common occurrence in everyday human activity is where people join, leave and possibly rejoin clusters of other individuals —whether this be online (e.g. social media communities) or in real space (e.g. popular meeting places such as cafes). In the steady state, the resulting interaction network would appear static over time if the identities of the nodes are ignored. Here we show that even in this static steady-state limit, a non-zero nodal mobility leads to a diverse set of outbreak profiles that is dramatically different from known forms, and yet matches well with recent real-world social outbreaks. We show how this complication of nodal mobility can be renormalized away for a particular class of networks.

Recent Intermediate Depth Earthquakes in El Salvador, Central Mexico, Cascadia and South-West Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemoine, A.; Gardi, A.; Gutscher, M.; Madariaga, R.

2001-12-01

We studied occurence and source parameters of several recent intermediate depth earthquakes. We concentrated on the Mw=7.7 salvadorian earthquake which took place on January 13, 2001. It was a good example of the high seismic risk associated to such kind of events which occur closer to the coast than the interplate thrust events. The Salvadorian earthquake was an intermediate depth downdip extensional event which occured inside the downgoing Cocos plate, next to the downdip flexure where the dip increases sharply before the slab sinks more steeply. This location corresponds closely to the position of the Mw=5.7 1996 and Mw=7.3 1982 downdip extensional events. Several recent intermediate depth earthquakes occured in subduction zones exhibiting a ``flat slab'' geometry with three distinct flexural bends where flexural stress may be enhanced. The Mw=6.7 Geiyo event showed a downdip extensional mechanism with N-S striking nodal planes. This trend was highly oblique to the trench (Nankai Trough), yet consistent with westward steepening at the SW lateral termination of the SW Japan flat slab. The Mw=6.8 Olympia earthquake in the Cascadia subduction zone occured at the downdip termination of the Juan de Fuca slab, where plate dip increases from about 5o to over 30o. The N-S orientation of the focal planes, parallel to the trench indicated downdip extension. The location at the downdip flexure corresponds closely to the estimated positions of the 1949 M7.1 Olympia and 1965 M6.5 Seattle-Tacoma events. Between 1994 and 1999, in Central Mexico, an unusually high intermediate depth seismicity occured where several authors proposed a flat geometry for the Cocos plate. Seven events of magnitude between Mw=5.9 and Mw=7.1 occured. Three of them were downdip compressional and four where down-dip extensional. We can explain these earthquakes by flexural stresses at down-dip and lateral terminations of the supposed flat segment. Even if intermediate depth earthquakes occurence could be favored by stress transfer between intermediate depth and interplate zone during the earthquake cycle, flexural stresses associated with bendings which are not only present at ``flat slab'' geometry but also at ``normal'' dipping subduction zone, seem to govern the location of intermediate depth seismicity and to explain their focal mechanisms in El Salvador, SW Japon, Cascadia and Central Mexico.

Prediction of in-depth gap heating ratios from wing glove model test data. [space shuttle orbiter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

In-depth gap heating ratios were predicted down RSI tile sidewalls based on temperature measurements obtained from the JSC arc-jet Wing Glove model tests in order to develop gap heating ratios which resulted in the best possible fit of test data and to produce a set of engineering verification heating ratios similar in shape to one another which could be used at various body points on the Orbiter during reentry. The Rockwell TPS Multidimensional heat conduction program was used to perform 3-D thermal analyses using a 3.0 in. thick section of a curved RSI tile with 283 nodal points. Correlation with test data shows that the predicted heating ratios were significantly higher down in the gap than the zero pressure values for T/C stacks 39 and 38 on the Wing Glove model. For stack 37 (in a low pressure region), the baseline heating ratio overpredicted the temperature data. This analysis, which showed that the heating ratios were a strong function of the product of pressure and pressure gradient, will be used to compare with recent Gap/Step and Ames Double Wedge test/analysis results in the effort to identify the Orbiter gap response to high delta P flight environment.

Radical cystectomy with super-extended lymphadenectomy: impact of separate vs en bloc lymph node submission on analysis and outcomes.

PubMed

Zehnder, Pascal; Moltzahn, Felix; Mitra, Anirban P; Cai, Jie; Miranda, Gus; Skinner, Eila C; Gill, Inderbir S; Daneshmand, Siamak

2016-02-01

To update our previous analysis of the clinical and pathological impact of the change in the submission of lymphadenectomy specimens from en bloc to 13 separate anatomically defined packets, which took place at the University of Southern California in May 2002, and to determine whether lymph node (LN) packeting resulted in any change in oncological outcomes. A total of 846 patients who underwent radical cystectomy (RC) with super-extended LN dissection for cTxN0M0 bladder cancer between January 1996 and December 2007 were identified. Specimens of 376 patients were sent en bloc (group 1), and specimens of 470 patients were sent in 13 separate anatomical packets (group 2). The pathological tumour stage distribution and the proportion of LN-positive patients (group 1: 82 patients [22%] versus group 2: 99 patients [21%]; P = 0.80) were similar between the two groups: the median [range] number of total LNs identified increased significantly (group 1: 32 [10-97] versus group 2: 65 [10-179]; P < 0.001). LN density decreased (group 1, 11% versus group 2, 4%; P = 0.005). The median [range] number of positive LNs removed was similar (group 1: 0 [0-30] versus group 2: 0 [0-97]; P = 0.87). No nodal stage shift was observed. The 5-year overall survival (group 1: 58% versus group 2: 59%; P = 0.65) and recurrence-free survival rates (group 1: 68% versus group 2: 70%; P = 0.57) were similar. The incidence of patients with positive LNs remained unchanged, regardless of how the LN specimen was submitted. Submitting 13 separate nodal packets significantly increased the total LN yield, but did not result in a significant increase in the number of positive LNs or a consecutive nodal stage shift and did not affect oncological outcomes. Based on these results LN density is not an accurate prognosticator. © 2014 The Authors BJU International © 2014 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Pharmacological therapy in children with nodal reentry tachycardia: when, how and how long to treat the affected patients.

PubMed

Bouhouch, R; El Houari, T; Fellat, I; Arharbi, M

2008-01-01

Atrio-ventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) is a rare supra-ventricular tachycardia (SVT) in children and becomes more frequent in adolescents. Most of children with an AVNRT have a healthy heart thus rarely experiencing severe symptoms. Because of haemodynamic instability or risk of complications, recurrences of SVT may require a chronic therapy. Interruption of dual atrio-ventricular nodal physiology is the basic mechanism to terminate AVNRT. This may be achieved by using anti-arrhythmic drugs or through Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RF). We aim to review the literature on the use of anti-arrhythmic drugs for the management of AVNRT in children aged more than 1 year and discuss the recommended dosages and the duration of a long term therapy. In the absence of comparative trials of risks and benefits between pharmacological therapy and RF and because of a greater clinical experience with anti-arrhythmic drugs, these last but not the least continue to be first-line therapy in the management of most SVT in children. Trials on pharmacotherapy in children with SVT in general and AVNRT in particular are lacking, use of anti-arrhythmic drugs being extrapolated from adult literature. Although Adenosine is becoming more used since it is the safest and effective drug in the acute setting, Digoxin continue to be the drug of first choice. Beta-blockers and Class I anti-arrhythmic are the second choice drugs with Flecainide being the preferred anti-arrhythmic drug for treatment failures. Amiodarone is rarely used as a chronic therapy in resistant cases. With the new advances in the RF technology, this therapy is becoming more safe and effective for AVNRT in children. Therefore, additional well-designed controlled trials are needed to further evaluate the comparative efficacy of anti-arrhythmic drugs in the management of AVNRT in children, as well as to evaluate dosing and toxicity in various age groups and determine the duration of a chronic therapy as compared to a potential RF.

Large-scale cortical volume correlation networks reveal disrupted small world patterns in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Wu, Qiong; Gao, Yang; Liu, Ai-Shi; Xie, Li-Zhi; Qian, Long; Yang, Xiao-Guang

2018-01-01

To date, the most frequently reported neuroimaging biomarkers in Parkinson's disease (PD) are direct brain imaging measurements focusing on local disrupted regions. However, the notion that PD is related to abnormal functional and structural connectivity has received support in the past few years. Here, we employed graph theory to analyze the structural co-variance networks derived from 50 PD patients and 48 normal controls (NC). Then, the small world properties of brain networks were assessed in the structural networks that were constructed based on cortical volume data. Our results showed that both the PD and NC groups had a small world architecture in brain structural networks. However, the PD patients had a higher characteristic path length and clustering coefficients compared with the NC group. With regard to the nodal centrality, 11 regions, including 3 association cortices, 5 paralimbic cortices, and 3 subcortical regions were identified as hubs in the PD group. In contrast, 10 regions, including 7 association cortical regions, 2 paralimbic cortical regions, and the primary motor cortex region, were identified as hubs. Moreover, the regional centrality was profoundly affected in PD patients, including decreased nodal centrality in the right inferior occipital gyrus and the middle temporal gyrus and increased nodal centrality in the right amygdala, the left caudate and the superior temporal gyrus. In addition, the structural cortical network of PD showed reduced topological stability for targeted attacks. Together, this study shows that the coordinated patterns of cortical volume network are widely altered in PD patients with a decrease in the efficiency of parallel information processing. These changes provide structural evidence to support the concept that the core pathophysiology of PD is associated with disruptive alterations in the coordination of large-scale brain networks that underlie high-level cognition. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

18F-FDG PET/CT in the detection of asymptomatic malignant melanoma recurrence.

PubMed

Lawal, Ismaheel; Lengana, Thabo; Ololade, Kehinde; Boshomane, Tebatso; Reyneke, Florette; Modiselle, Moshe; Vorster, Mariza; Sathekge, Mike

2017-06-12

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of FDG PET/CT in the detection of asymptomatic recurrence in patients with malignant melanoma who have had resection of their primary lesion. We also aimed to determine the pattern and factors predisposing to disease recurrence. Patients with malignant melanoma who have had surgical resection of their disease and without any clinical evidence of disease recurrence were followed-up with FDG PET/CT. The diagnostic accuracy of FDG PET/CT, pattern of recurrence and factors predictive of disease recurrence were determined. A total of 144 patients were followed-up for a median period of 50.50 months. Asymptomatic recurrence was seen in 37 patients (25.7 %) with a median time to recurrence of 20 months. Lymph node was the commonest site of asymptomatic recurrence. Sex, tumour depth, histology type and presence of nodal metastasis were significant predictors of tumour recurrence. Age, race, site of primary lesion, type of lymph node resection were not significant predictors of disease recurrence. Race has a significant effect on the histological subtype of tumour (nodular maligna was more common in Caucasian while acral lentiginous was more prevalent in the Blacks) and the site of the primary lesion (lower limb in Blacks and trunk in Caucasians). Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of FDG PET/CT for the detection of disease recurrence were 94.5 %, 87.6 % and 89.6 % respectively. FDG PET/CT is a suitable modality for early detection of asymptomatic recurrence of malignant melanoma. Asymptomatic recurrence most commonly occurs in lymph nodes. Sex, nodal metastasis and tumour pathologic features are predictors of recurrence.

Mathematical embryology: the fluid mechanics of nodal cilia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, D. J.; Smith, A. A.; Blake, J. R.

2011-07-01

Left-right symmetry breaking is critical to vertebrate embryonic development; in many species this process begins with cilia-driven flow in a structure termed the `node'. Primary `whirling' cilia, tilted towards the posterior, transport morphogen-containing vesicles towards the left, initiating left-right asymmetric development. We review recent theoretical models based on the point-force stokeslet and point-torque rotlet singularities, explaining how rotation and surface-tilt produce directional flow. Analysis of image singularity systems enforcing the no-slip condition shows how tilted rotation produces a far-field `stresslet' directional flow, and how time-dependent point-force and time-independent point-torque models are in this respect equivalent. Associated slender body theory analysis is reviewed; this approach enables efficient and accurate simulation of three-dimensional time-dependent flow, time-dependence being essential in predicting features of the flow such as chaotic advection, which have subsequently been determined experimentally. A new model for the nodal flow utilising the regularized stokeslet method is developed, to model the effect of the overlying Reichert's membrane. Velocity fields and particle paths within the enclosed domain are computed and compared with the flow profiles predicted by previous `membrane-less' models. Computations confirm that the presence of the membrane produces flow-reversal in the upper region, but no continuous region of reverse flow close to the epithelium. The stresslet far-field is no longer evident in the membrane model, due to the depth of the cavity being of similar magnitude to the cilium length. Simulations predict that vesicles released within one cilium length of the epithelium are generally transported to the left via a `loopy drift' motion, sometimes involving highly unpredictable detours around leftward cilia [truncated

An analytical study of M2 tidal waves in the Taiwan Strait using an extended Taylor method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Di; Fang, Guohong; Cui, Xinmei; Teng, Fei

2018-02-01

The tides in the Taiwan Strait (TS) feature large semidiurnal lunar (M2) amplitudes. An extended Taylor method is employed in this study to provide an analytical model for the M2 tide in the TS. The strait is idealized as a rectangular basin with a uniform depth, and the Coriolis force and bottom friction are retained in the governing equations. The observed tides at the northern and southern openings are used as open boundary conditions. The obtained analytical solution, which consists of a stronger southward propagating Kelvin wave, a weaker northward propagating Kelvin wave, and two families of Poincaré modes trapped at the northern and southern openings, agrees well with the observations in the strait. The superposition of two Kelvin waves basically represents the observed tidal pattern, including an anti-nodal band in the central strait, and the cross-strait asymmetry (greater amplitudes in the west and smaller in the east) of the anti-nodal band. Inclusion of Poincaré modes further improves the model result in that the cross-strait asymmetry can be better reproduced. To explore the formation mechanism of the northward propagating wave in the TS, three experiments are carried out, including the deep basin south of the strait. The results show that the southward incident wave is reflected to form a northward wave by the abruptly deepened topography south of the strait, but the reflected wave is slightly weaker than the northward wave obtained from the above analytical solution, in which the southern open boundary condition is specified with observations. Inclusion of the forcing at the Luzon Strait strengthens the northward Kelvin wave in the TS, and the forcing is thus of some (but lesser) importance to the M2 tide in the TS.

An Iterative Travel Time Inversion and Waveform Modeling Method to Determine the Crust Structure and Focal Mechanism: Case Study of 2015 Alxa Left Banner Ms5.8 Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, C.; Ge, Z.

2017-12-01

The boundary region between Alxa Block and Ordos Block is an area of stress concentration with strong seismicity and frequent small earthquakes. However, the knowledge of this area is limited since only a few seismic stations were deployed in this area. The 2015 Ms5.8 Alxa Left Banner Earthquake on April 15 is the largest one occurred in the surroundings since the 1976 Ms6.2 Bayinmuren Earthquake. Abundant stations built in the northern part of Chinese North-South Seismic Belt recorded this event sequence well within short distance, which provides us a great opportunity to carry out studies. We use these data to obtain a mean 1-D layered velocity structure via iterative inversion based on both travel time and waveform misfits. Then we use the travel time difference between data and synthetic seismograms to relocate the epicenter. Finally we invert the best double-couple focal mechanism and centroid depths of the source. As the result, the source is located at (39.7027° N, 106.4207° E) with a depth of 18 km and Mw 5.28. Nodal plane Ⅰ has strike 86°, dip angle 90° and slip angle -3°, while plane Ⅱ has strike 176°, dip angle 87° and slip angle 180°. Considering the dynamic structure of regional fault zone, we believe this earthquake is caused by a nearly pure left-lateral strike-slip fault with nodal plane Ⅰ being the fault plane. The seismogenic structure is likely to be an E-W striking buried fault nearby. There develops several groups of NE, NEE and E-W striking faults in Jilantai tectonic zone, parts of which have been verified by geophysical investigations. But we still know little about the dynamic nature of them. From our study, the corresponding fault of this event may indicate all groups of faults with same E-W strike has the common character of large-dip left-lateral strike-slip. Moreover, there may be some buried faults being newly born or not found yet. These results could be an important supplement to the future research of seismicity and modern fault zone structure.

Prognostic Value of National Comprehensive Cancer Network Lung Cancer Resection Quality Parameters

PubMed Central

Osarogiagbon, Raymond U.; Ray, Meredith A.; Faris, Nicholas R.; Div, M.; Smeltzer, Matthew P.; Stat, M.; Fehnel, Carrie; Houston-Harris, Cheryl; Signore, Raymond S.; McHugh, Laura M.; Levy, Paul; Wiggins, Lynn; Sachdev, Vishal; Robbins, Edward T.

2017-01-01

Background The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) surgical resection guidelines for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) recommend anatomic resection, negative margins, examination of hilar/intrapulmonary lymph nodes, and examination of 3 or more mediastinal nodal stations. We examined the survival impact of these guidelines. Methods Population-based observational study using patient-level data from all curative-intent NSCLC resections from 2004–2013 at 11 institutions in 4 contiguous Dartmouth Hospital Referral Regions in 3 US states. We used an adjusted Cox proportional hazards model to assess the overall survival impact of attaining NCCN guidelines. Results Of 2,429 eligible resections,91% were anatomic, 94% had negative margins, 51% sampled hilar nodes, and 26% examined three or more mediastinal nodal stations. Only 17% of resections met all four criteria, however there was a significant increasing trend from 2% in 2004 to 39% in 2013 (p<0.001). Compared to patients whose surgery missed one or more parameters, the hazard ratio for patients whose surgery met all four criteria was 0.71 (95% confidence interval: 0.59–0.86, p<0.001). Margin status and the nodal staging parameters were most strongly linked with survival. Conclusions Attainment of NCCN surgical quality guidelines was low, but improving, over the past decade in this cohort from a high lung cancer mortality region of the US. The NCCN quality criteria, especially the nodal examination criteria, were strongly associated with survival. The quality of nodal examination should be a focus of quality improvement in NSCLC care. PMID:28366464

Recurrence in Region of Spared Parotid Gland After Definitive Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cannon, Donald M.; Lee, Nancy Y.

2008-03-01

Purpose: To discuss the implications of three examples of periparotid recurrence after definitive intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for head and neck cancer (HNC). Methods and Materials: We present 3 patients with HNC who underwent definitive IMRT with concurrent chemotherapy and later had treatment failure in or near a spared parotid gland. Two patients had bilateral multilevel nodal disease, and all had Level II nodal disease ipsilateral to the site of recurrence. The patients were treated using dose-painting IMRT with a dose of 70 Gy to the gross tumor volume and 59.4 Gy or 54 Gy to the high-risk or low-risk clinicalmore » tumor volume, respectively. The parotid glands were spared bilaterally. The patients had not undergone any surgical treatment for HNC before radiotherapy. Results: All patients had treatment failure in the region of a spared parotid gland. Failure in the 2 patients with bilateral multilevel nodal involvement occurred in the periparotid lymph nodes. The third patient developed a dermal metastasis near the tail of a spared parotid gland. On pretreatment imaging, the 2 patients with nodal failure had small nonspecific periparotid nodules that showed no hypermetabolic activity on positron emission tomography. Conclusion: For HNC patients receiving definitive IMRT, nonspecific positron emission tomography-negative periparotid nodules on pretreatment imaging should raise the index of suspicion for subclinical disease in the presence of multilevel or Level II nodal metastases. Additional evaluation of such nodules might be indicated before sparing the ipsilateral parotid gland.« less

Local opiate receptors in the sinoatrial node moderate vagal bradycardia.

PubMed

Farias, M; Jackson, K; Stanfill, A; Caffrey, J L

2001-02-20

Met-enkephalin-arg-phe (MEAP) interrupts vagal bradycardia when infused into the systemic circulation. This study was designed to locate the opiate receptors functionally responsible for this inhibition. Previous observations suggested that the receptors were most likely located in either intracardiac parasympathetic ganglia or the pre-junctional nerve terminals innervating the sinoatrial node. In this study 10 dogs were instrumented with a microdialysis probe inserted into the sinoatrial node. The functional position of the probe was tested by briefly introducing norepinephrine into the probe producing an increase in heart rate of more than 30 beats/min. Vagal stimulations were conducted at 0.5, 1.2 and 4 Hz during vehicle infusion (saline ascorbate). Cardiovascular responses during vagal stimulation were recorded on-line. MEAP was infused directly into the sinoatrial node via the microdialysis probe. The evaluation of vagal bradycardia was repeated during the nodal application of MEAP, diprenorphine (opiate antagonist), and diprenorphine co-infused with MEAP. MEAP introduced into the sinoatrial node via the microdialysis probe reduced vagal bradycardia by more than half. Simultaneous local nodal blockade of these receptors with the opiate antagonist, diprenorphine, eliminated the effect of MEAP demonstrating the participation by opiate receptors. Systemic infusions of MEAP produced a reduction in vagal bradycardia nearly identical to that observed during nodal administration. When local nodal opiate receptors were blocked with diprenorphine, the systemic effect of MEAP was eliminated. These data lead us to suggest that the opiate receptors responsible for the inhibition of vagal bradycardia are located within the sinoatrial node with few, if any, participating extra-nodal or ganglionic receptors.

Disrupted Nodal and Hub Organization Account for Brain Network Abnormalities in Parkinson’s Disease

PubMed Central

Koshimori, Yuko; Cho, Sang-Soo; Criaud, Marion; Christopher, Leigh; Jacobs, Mark; Ghadery, Christine; Coakeley, Sarah; Harris, Madeleine; Mizrahi, Romina; Hamani, Clement; Lang, Anthony E.; Houle, Sylvain; Strafella, Antonio P.

2016-01-01

The recent application of graph theory to brain networks promises to shed light on complex diseases such as Parkinson’s disease (PD). This study aimed to investigate functional changes in sensorimotor and cognitive networks in Parkinsonian patients, with a focus on inter- and intra-connectivity organization in the disease-associated nodal and hub regions using the graph theoretical analyses. Resting-state functional MRI data of a total of 65 participants, including 23 healthy controls (HCs) and 42 patients, were investigated in 120 nodes for local efficiency, betweenness centrality, and degree. Hub regions were identified in the HC and patient groups. We found nodal and hub changes in patients compared with HCs, including the right pre-supplementary motor area (SMA), left anterior insula, bilateral mid-insula, bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and right caudate nucleus. In general, nodal regions within the sensorimotor network (i.e., right pre-SMA and right mid-insula) displayed weakened connectivity, with the former node associated with more severe bradykinesia, and impaired integration with default mode network regions. The left mid-insula also lost its hub properties in patients. Within the executive networks, the left anterior insular cortex lost its hub properties in patients, while a new hub region was identified in the right caudate nucleus, paralleled by an increased level of inter- and intra-connectivity in the bilateral DLPFC possibly representing compensatory mechanisms. These findings highlight the diffuse changes in nodal organization and regional hub disruption accounting for the distributed abnormalities across brain networks and the clinical manifestations of PD. PMID:27891090

Disrupted Nodal and Hub Organization Account for Brain Network Abnormalities in Parkinson's Disease.

PubMed

Koshimori, Yuko; Cho, Sang-Soo; Criaud, Marion; Christopher, Leigh; Jacobs, Mark; Ghadery, Christine; Coakeley, Sarah; Harris, Madeleine; Mizrahi, Romina; Hamani, Clement; Lang, Anthony E; Houle, Sylvain; Strafella, Antonio P

2016-01-01

The recent application of graph theory to brain networks promises to shed light on complex diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD). This study aimed to investigate functional changes in sensorimotor and cognitive networks in Parkinsonian patients, with a focus on inter- and intra-connectivity organization in the disease-associated nodal and hub regions using the graph theoretical analyses. Resting-state functional MRI data of a total of 65 participants, including 23 healthy controls (HCs) and 42 patients, were investigated in 120 nodes for local efficiency, betweenness centrality, and degree. Hub regions were identified in the HC and patient groups. We found nodal and hub changes in patients compared with HCs, including the right pre-supplementary motor area (SMA), left anterior insula, bilateral mid-insula, bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and right caudate nucleus. In general, nodal regions within the sensorimotor network (i.e., right pre-SMA and right mid-insula) displayed weakened connectivity, with the former node associated with more severe bradykinesia, and impaired integration with default mode network regions. The left mid-insula also lost its hub properties in patients. Within the executive networks, the left anterior insular cortex lost its hub properties in patients, while a new hub region was identified in the right caudate nucleus, paralleled by an increased level of inter- and intra-connectivity in the bilateral DLPFC possibly representing compensatory mechanisms. These findings highlight the diffuse changes in nodal organization and regional hub disruption accounting for the distributed abnormalities across brain networks and the clinical manifestations of PD.

Translational co-regulation of a ligand and inhibitor by a conserved RNA element

PubMed Central

Zaucker, Andreas; Nagorska, Agnieszka; Kumari, Pooja; Hecker, Nikolai; Wang, Yin; Huang, Sizhou; Cooper, Ledean; Sivashanmugam, Lavanya; VijayKumar, Shruthi; Brosens, Jan; Gorodkin, Jan

2018-01-01

Abstract In many organisms, transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of components of pathways or processes has been reported. However, to date, there are few reports of translational co-regulation of multiple components of a developmental signaling pathway. Here, we show that an RNA element which we previously identified as a dorsal localization element (DLE) in the 3′UTR of zebrafish nodal-related1/squint (ndr1/sqt) ligand mRNA, is shared by the related ligand nodal-related2/cyclops (ndr2/cyc) and the nodal inhibitors, lefty1 (lft1) and lefty2 mRNAs. We investigated the activity of the DLEs through functional assays in live zebrafish embryos. The lft1 DLE localizes fluorescently labeled RNA similarly to the ndr1/sqt DLE. Similar to the ndr1/sqt 3′UTR, the lft1 and lft2 3′UTRs are bound by the RNA-binding protein (RBP) and translational repressor, Y-box binding protein 1 (Ybx1), whereas deletions in the DLE abolish binding to Ybx1. Analysis of zebrafish ybx1 mutants shows that Ybx1 represses lefty1 translation in embryos. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated inactivation of human YBX1 also results in human NODAL translational de-repression, suggesting broader conservation of the DLE RNA element/Ybx1 RBP module in regulation of Nodal signaling. Our findings demonstrate translational co-regulation of components of a signaling pathway by an RNA element conserved in both sequence and structure and an RBP, revealing a ‘translational regulon’. PMID:29059375

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy with S-1 in patients with stage III-IV oral squamous cell carcinoma: A retrospective analysis of nodal classification based on the neck node level.

PubMed

Murakami, Ryuji; Semba, Akiko; Kawahara, Kenta; Matsuyama, Keiya; Hiraki, Akimitsu; Nagata, Masashi; Toya, Ryo; Yamashita, Yasuyuki; Oya, Natsuo; Nakayama, Hideki

2017-07-01

The aim of the present study was to retrospectively evaluate the treatment outcomes of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with S-1, an oral fluoropyrimidine anticancer agent, for advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The study population consisted of 47 patients with clinical stage III or IV oral SCC, who underwent CCRT with S-1. Pretreatment variables, including patient age, clinical stage, T classification, midline involvement of the primary tumor and nodal status, were analyzed as predictors of survival. In addition to the N classification (node-positive, multiple and contralateral), the prognostic impact of the level of nodal involvement was assessed. Nodal involvement was mainly observed at levels Ib and II; involvement at levels Ia and III-V was considered to be anterior and inferior extension, respectively, and was recorded as extensive nodal involvement (ENI). The 3-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 37 and 27%, respectively. A finding of ENI was a significant factor for OS [hazard ratio (HR)=2.16; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03-4.55; P=0.038] and PFS (HR=2.65; 95% CI: 1.32-5.33; P=0.005); the 3-year OS and PFS rates in patients with vs. those without ENI were 23 vs. 50% and 9 vs. 43%, respectively. The other variables were not significant. Therefore, CCRT with S-1 may be an alternative treatment for advanced oral SCC; favorable outcomes are expected in patients without ENI.

Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy for the Treatment of Squamous Cell Anal Cancer With Para-aortic Nodal Involvement

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hodges, Joseph C.; Das, Prajnan, E-mail: PrajDas@mdanderson.or; Eng, Cathy

2009-11-01

Purpose: To determine the rates of toxicity, locoregional control, distant control, and survival in anal cancer patients with para-aortic nodal involvement, treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and concurrent chemotherapy at a single institution. Methods and Materials: Between 2001 and 2007, 6 patients with squamous cell anal cancer and para-aortic nodal involvement were treated with IMRT and concurrent infusional 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin. The primary tumor was treated with a median dose of 57.5 Gy (range, 54-60 Gy), involved para-aortic, pelvic, and inguinal lymph nodes were treated with a median dose of 55 Gy (range, 50.5-55 Gy), and noninvolved nodal regions weremore » treated with a median dose of 45 Gy (range, 43.5-45 Gy). Results: After a median follow-up of 25 months, none of the patients had a recurrence at the primary tumor, pelvic/inguinal nodes, or para-aortic nodes, whereas 2 patients developed distant metastases to the liver. Four of the 6 patients are alive. The 3-year actuarial locoregional control, distant control, and overall survival rates were 100%, 56%, and 63%, respectively. Four of the 6 patients developed Grade 3 acute gastrointestinal toxicity during chemoradiation. Conclusions: Intensity-modulated radiotherapy and concurrent chemotherapy could potentially serve as definitive therapy in anal cancer patients with para-aortic nodal involvement. Adjuvant chemotherapy may be indicated in these patients, as demonstrated by the distant failure rates. These patients need to be followed carefully because of the potential for treatment-related toxicities.« less

Rationality of moduli space of torsion-free sheaves over reducible curve

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dey, Arijit; Suhas, B. N.

2018-06-01

Let M(2 , w ̲ , χ) be the moduli space of rank 2 torsion-free sheaves of fixed determinant and odd Euler characteristic over a reducible nodal curve with each irreducible component having utmost two nodal singularities. We show that in each irreducible component of M(2 , w ̲ , χ) , the closure of rank 2 vector bundles is rational.

Identification and expression of Smads associated with TGF-beta/activin/nodal signaling pathways in the rainbow trout (Oncorhynuchus mykiss)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Smad proteins are essential components of the TGF-beta/activin/nodal family signaling pathway. We report the identification and characterization of transcripts representing 3 receptor Smads (Smad2a, Smad2b, Smad3), 2 common Smads (Smad4a, Smad4b) and one inhibitory Smad (Smad7). Phylogenetic an...

Zebrafish hhex, nk2.1a, and pax2.1 regulate thyroid growth and differentiation downstream of Nodal-dependent transcription factors.

PubMed

Elsalini, Osama A; von Gartzen, Julia; Cramer, Matthias; Rohr, Klaus B

2003-11-01

During zebrafish development, the thyroid primordium initiates expression of molecular markers such as hhex and nk2.1a in the endoderm prior to pharynx formation. As expected for an endodermally derived organ, initiation of thyroid development depends on Nodal signalling. We find that it also depends on three downstream effectors of Nodal activity, casanova (cas), bonnie and clyde (bon), and faust (fau)/gata5. Despite their early Nodal-dependent expression in the endoderm, both hhex and nk2.1a are only required relatively late during thyroid development. In hhex and nk2.1a loss-of-function phenotypes, thyroid development is initiated and arrests only after the primordium has evaginated from the pharyngeal epithelium. Thus, like pax2.1, both hhex and nk2.1a have similarly late roles in differentiation or growth of thyroid follicular cells, and here, we show that all three genes act in parallel rather than in a single pathway. Our functional analysis suggests that these genes have similar roles as in mammalian thyroid development, albeit in a different temporal mode of organogenesis.

Topological materials discovery using electron filling constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Ru; Po, Hoi Chun; Neaton, Jeffrey B.; Vishwanath, Ashvin

2018-01-01

Nodal semimetals are classes of topological materials that have nodal-point or nodal-line Fermi surfaces, which give them novel transport and topological properties. Despite being highly sought after, there are currently very few experimental realizations, and identifying new materials candidates has mainly relied on exhaustive database searches. Here we show how recent studies on the interplay between electron filling and nonsymmorphic space-group symmetries can guide the search for filling-enforced nodal semimetals. We recast the previously derived constraints on the allowed band-insulator fillings in any space group into a new form, which enables effective screening of materials candidates based solely on their space group, electron count in the formula unit, and multiplicity of the formula unit. This criterion greatly reduces the computation load for discovering topological materials in a database of previously synthesized compounds. As a demonstration, we focus on a few selected nonsymmorphic space groups which are predicted to host filling-enforced Dirac semimetals. Of the more than 30,000 entires listed, our filling criterion alone eliminates 96% of the entries before they are passed on for further analysis. We discover a handful of candidates from this guided search; among them, the monoclinic crystal Ca2Pt2Ga is particularly promising.

Time-Referenced Effects of an Internal vs. External Focus of Attention on Muscular Activity and Compensatory Variability

PubMed Central

Hossner, Ernst-Joachim; Ehrlenspiel, Felix

2010-01-01

The paralysis-by-analysis phenomenon, i.e., attending to the execution of one's movement impairs performance, has gathered a lot of attention over recent years (see Wulf, 2007, for a review). Explanations of this phenomenon, e.g., the hypotheses of constrained action (Wulf et al., 2001) or of step-by-step execution (Masters, 1992; Beilock et al., 2002), however, do not refer to the level of underlying mechanisms on the level of sensorimotor control. For this purpose, a “nodal-point hypothesis” is presented here with the core assumption that skilled motor behavior is internally based on sensorimotor chains of nodal points, that attending to intermediate nodal points leads to a muscular re-freezing of the motor system at exactly and exclusively these points in time, and that this re-freezing is accompanied by the disruption of compensatory processes, resulting in an overall decrease of motor performance. Two experiments, on lever sequencing and basketball free throws, respectively, are reported that successfully tested these time-referenced predictions, i.e., showing that muscular activity is selectively increased and compensatory variability selectively decreased at movement-related nodal points if these points are in the focus of attention. PMID:21833285

Comparative assessment of genetic and epigenetic variation among regenerants of potato (Solanum tuberosum) derived from long-term nodal tissue-culture and cell selection.

PubMed

Dann, Alison L; Wilson, Calum R

2011-04-01

Three long-term nodal tissued cultured Russet Burbank potato clones and nine thaxtomin A-treated regenerant lines, derived from the nodal lines, were assessed for genetic and epigenetic (in the form of DNA methylation) differences by AFLP and MSAP. The treated regenerant lines were originally selected for superior resistance to common scab disease and acceptable tuber yield in pot and field trials. The long-term, tissue culture clone lines exhibited genetic (8.75-15.63% polymorphisms) and epigenetic (12.56-26.13% polymorphisms) differences between them and may represent a stress response induced by normal plant growth disruption. The thaxtomin A-treated regenerant lines exhibited much higher significant (p < 0.05) genetic (2-29.38%) and epigenetic (45.22-51.76%) polymorphisms than the nodal cultured parent clones. Methylation-sensitive mutations accumulated within the regenerant lines are significantly correlated (p < 0.05) to disease resistance. However, linking phenotypic differences that could be of benefit to potato growers, to single gene sequence polymorphisms in a tetraploid plant such as the potato would be extremely difficult since it is assumed many desirable traits are under polygenic control.

Theoretical and experimental evidence for a nodal energy gap in MgB2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agassi, Y. Dan; Oates, Daniel E.

2017-11-01

We present a phenomenological model that strongly suggests that the smaller of the two energy gaps in MgB2, the so-called π gap, contains nodal lines with a six-fold symmetry (i-wave). The model also indicates that the larger gap, the so-called σ gap, is conventional s-wave. The model is an extension of the BCS gap equation that accounts for the elastic anisotropy in MgB2 and the Coulomb repulsion. It is based on a phononic pairing mechanism and assumes no coupling between the two energy gaps in MgB2 at zero temperature. All of the parameters of the model, such as sound velocities and masses, are independently determined material constants. The results agree with a previous ad-hoc hypothesis that the π energy gap has six nodal lines. That hypothesis was motivated by low-temperature measurements of the surface impedance and intermodulation distortion in high-quality thin films. We briefly review experimental evidence in the literature that is relevant to the energy-gap symmetry. We find that the evidence from the literature for s-wave is inconclusive. Our finding is that the π gap has six nodal lines.

An amphioxus nodal gene (AmphiNodal) with early symmetrical expression in the organizer and mesoderm and later asymmetrical expression associated with left-right axis formation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yu, Jr-Kai; Holland, Linda Z.; Holland, Nicholas D.

2002-01-01

The full-length sequence and zygotic expression of an amphioxus nodal gene are described. Expression is first detected in the early gastrula just within the dorsal lip of the blastopore in a region of hypoblast that is probably comparable with the vertebrate Spemann's organizer. In the late gastrula and early neurula, expression remains bilaterally symmetrical, limited to paraxial mesoderm and immediately overlying regions of the neural plate. Later in the neurula stage, all neural expression disappears, and mesodermal expression disappears from the right side. All along the left side of the neurula, mesodermal expression spreads into the left side of the gut endoderm. Soon thereafter, all expression is down-regulated except near the anterior and posterior ends of the animal, where transcripts are still found in the mesoderm and endoderm on the left side. At this time, expression also begins in the ectoderm on the left side of the head, in the region where the mouth later forms. These results suggest that amphioxus and vertebrate nodal genes play evolutionarily conserved roles in establishing Spemann's organizer, patterning the mesoderm rostrocaudally and setting up the asymmetrical left-right axis of the body.

Nodal liquids in extended t-J models and dynamical supersymmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mavromatos, Nick E.; Sarkar, Sarben

2000-08-01

In the context of extended t-J models, with intersite Coulomb interactions of the form -V∑ninj, with ni denoting the electron number operator at site i, nodal liquids are discussed. We use the spin-charge separation ansatz as applied to the nodes of a d-wave superconducting gap. Such a situation may be of relevance to the physics of high-temperature superconductivity. We point out the possibility of existence of certain points in the parameter space of the model characterized by dynamical supersymmetries between the spinon and holon degrees of freedom, which are quite different from the symmetries in conventional supersymmetric t-J models. Such symmetries pertain to the continuum effective-field theory of the nodal liquid, and one's hope is that the ancestor lattice model may differ from the continuum theory only by renormalization-group irrelevant operators in the infrared. We give plausible arguments that nodal liquids at such supersymmetric points are characterized by superconductivity of Kosterlitz-Thouless type. The fact that quantum fluctuations around such points can be studied in a controlled way, probably makes such systems of special importance for an eventual nonperturbative understanding of the complex phase diagram of the associated high-temperature superconducting materials.

Nodal gap detection through polar angle-resolved density of states measurements in uniaxial superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsutsumi, Yasumasa; Nomoto, Takuya; Ikeda, Hiroaki; Machida, Kazushige

2016-12-01

We propose a spectroscopic method to identify the nodal gap structure in unconventional superconductors. This method is best suited for locating the horizontal line node and for pinpointing the isolated point nodes by measuring polar angle (θ ) resolved zero-energy density of states N (θ ) . This is measured by specific heat or thermal conductivity at low temperatures under a magnetic field. We examine a variety of uniaxially symmetric nodal structures, including point and/or line nodes with linear and quadratic dispersions, by solving the Eilenberger equation in vortex states. It is found that (a) the maxima of N (θ ) continuously shift from the antinodal to the nodal direction (θn) as a field increases accompanying the oscillation pattern reversal at low and high fields. Furthermore, (b) local minima emerge next to θn on both sides, except for the case of the linear point node. These features are robust and detectable experimentally. Experimental results of N (θ ) performed on several superconductors, UPd2Al3,URu2Si2,CuxBi2Se3 , and UPt3, are examined and commented on in light of the present theory.

Neotectonics and seismicity of a slowly deforming segment of the Adria-Europe convergence zone - the northern Dinarides fold-and-thrust belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ustaszewski, Kamil; Herak, Marijan; Tomljenović, Bruno; Herak, Davorka; Matej, Srebrenka

2014-05-01

With GPS-derived shortening rates of c. 3-5 mm/a, the Adria-Europe convergence zone across the fold-and-thrust belt of the Dinarides (Balkan Peninsula) is a slowly deforming plate boundary by global standards. We have analysed the active tectonics and instrumental seismicity of the northernmost segment of this fold-and-thrust belt at its border to the Pannonian Basin. This area hosts a Maastrichtian collisional suture formed by closure of Mesozoic fragments of the Neotethys, overprinted by Miocene back-arc extension, which led to the exhumation of greenschist- to amphibolite-grade rocks in several core complexes. Geological, geomorphological and reflection seismic data provide evidence for a compressive or transpressive reactivation of extensional faults after about 5 Ma. The study area represents the seismically most active region of the Dinarides apart from the Adriatic Sea coast and the area around Zagreb. The strongest instrumentally recorded earthquake (27 October 1969) affected the city of Banja Luka (northern Bosnia and Herzegovina). Fault plane solutions for the main shock (ML 6.4) and its largest foreshock (ML 6.0) indicate reverse faulting along ESE-WNW-striking nodal planes and generally N-S trending pressure axes. The spatial distribution of epicentres and focal depths, analyses of the macroseismic field and fault-plane solutions for several smaller events suggest on-going shortening in the internal Dinarides. Our results therefore imply that current Adria-Europe convergence is widely distributed across c. 300 km, rendering the entire Dinarides fold-and-thrust belt a slowly deforming plate boundary.

Upgrading the definition of early gastric cancer: better staging means more appropriate treatment.

PubMed

Saragoni, Luca

2015-12-01

Since Murakami defined early gastric cancer (EGC) as a "carcinoma limited to the gastric mucosa and/or submucosa regardless of the lymph node status", several authors have focused on the most influential histopathological parameters for predicting the development of lymph node metastases by considering the lymph node status as an important prognostic factor. A few authors have also considered the depth of invasion as one of the keys to explaining the existence of subgroups of patients affected by EGC with poor prognoses. In any case, EGC is still considered an initial phase of tumor progression with good prognosis. The introduction of modern endoscopic devices has allowed a precise diagnosis of early lesions, which can lead to improved definitions of tumors that can be radically treated with endoscopic mucosal resection or endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Given the widespread use of these techniques, the Japanese Gastric Cancer Association (JGCA) identified in 2011 the standard criteria that should exclude the presence of lymph node metastases. At that time, EGCs with nodal involvement should have been asserted as no longer fitting the definition of an early tumor. Some authors have also demonstrated that the morphological growth pattern of a tumor, according to Kodama's classification, is one of the most important prognostic factors, thereby suggesting the need to report it in histopathological drafts. Notwithstanding the acquired knowledge regarding the clinical behavior of EGC, Murakami's definition is still being used. This definition needs to be upgraded according to the modern staging of the disease so that the appropriate treatment would be selected.

Delineating Concealed Faults within Cogdell Oil Field via Earthquake Detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aiken, C.; Walter, J. I.; Brudzinski, M.; Skoumal, R.; Savvaidis, A.; Frohlich, C.; Borgfeldt, T.; Dotray, P.

2016-12-01

Cogdell oil field, located within the Permian Basin of western Texas, has experienced several earthquakes ranging from magnitude 1.7 to 4.6, most of which were recorded since 2006. Using the Earthscope USArray, Gan and Frohlich [2013] relocated some of these events and found a positive correlation in the timing of increased earthquake activity and increased CO2 injection volume. However, focal depths of these earthquakes are unknown due to 70 km station spacing of the USArray. Accurate focal depths as well as new detections can delineate subsurface faults and establish whether earthquakes are occurring in the shallow sediments or in the deeper basement. To delineate subsurface fault(s) in this region, we first detect earthquakes not currently listed in the USGS catalog by applying continuous waveform-template matching algorithms to multiple seismic data sets. We utilize seismic data spanning the time frame of 2006 to 2016 - which includes data from the U.S. Geological Survey Global Seismographic Network, the USArray, and the Sweetwater, TX broadband and nodal array located 20-40 km away. The catalog of earthquakes enhanced by template matching reveals events that were well recorded by the large-N Sweetwater array, so we are experimenting with strategies for optimizing template matching using different configurations of many stations. Since earthquake activity in the Cogdell oil field is on-going (a magnitude 2.6 occurred on May 29, 2016), a temporary deployment of TexNet seismometers has been planned for the immediate vicinity of Cogdell oil field in August 2016. Results on focal depths and detection of small magnitude events are pending this small local network deployment.

Stereoscopic camera and viewing systems with undistorted depth presentation and reduced or eliminated erroneous acceleration and deceleration perceptions, or with perceptions produced or enhanced for special effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Diner, Daniel B. (Inventor)

1991-01-01

Methods for providing stereoscopic image presentation and stereoscopic configurations using stereoscopic viewing systems having converged or parallel cameras may be set up to reduce or eliminate erroneously perceived accelerations and decelerations by proper selection of parameters, such as an image magnification factor, q, and intercamera distance, 2w. For converged cameras, q is selected to be equal to Ve - qwl = 0, where V is the camera distance, e is half the interocular distance of an observer, w is half the intercamera distance, and l is the actual distance from the first nodal point of each camera to the convergence point, and for parallel cameras, q is selected to be equal to e/w. While converged cameras cannot be set up to provide fully undistorted three-dimensional views, they can be set up to provide a linear relationship between real and apparent depth and thus minimize erroneously perceived accelerations and decelerations for three sagittal planes, x = -w, x = 0, and x = +w which are indicated to the observer. Parallel cameras can be set up to provide fully undistorted three-dimensional views by controlling the location of the observer and by magnification and shifting of left and right images. In addition, the teachings of this disclosure can be used to provide methods of stereoscopic image presentation and stereoscopic camera configurations to produce a nonlinear relation between perceived and real depth, and erroneously produce or enhance perceived accelerations and decelerations in order to provide special effects for entertainment, training, or educational purposes.

Unusual presentation of Warthin variant of Papillary thyroid carcinoma with lymph nodal metastases in a patient of Graves' disease.

PubMed

Padma, Subramanyam; Sundaram, Palaniswamy Shanmuga; Arun, B R

2015-01-01

Warthin-like Papillary thyroid carcinoma (WPTC) is a rare variant of papillary carcinoma of thyroid, PTC which derives its name by closely resembling Warthin's tumor of salivary gland. Hallmark histological feature of this variant is papillary folding lined by oncocytic neoplastic cells with clear nuclei and nuclear pseudoinclusions, accompanied by prominent lymphocytic infiltrate in the papillary stalks. It is thought to be one of those differentiated thyroid cancers with favorable prognosis. We report a case of Graves' disease with a cold nodule harboring WPTC with initial presentation of lymph nodal metastases. It is important to identify this peculiar variant of PTC as 5 to 10% of them undergo dedifferentiation and 30% have the lymph nodal metastases and extra thyroidal extension.

Is visual short-term memory depthful?

PubMed

Reeves, Adam; Lei, Quan

2014-03-01

Does visual short-term memory (VSTM) depend on depth, as it might be if information was stored in more than one depth layer? Depth is critical in natural viewing and might be expected to affect retention, but whether this is so is currently unknown. Cued partial reports of letter arrays (Sperling, 1960) were measured up to 700 ms after display termination. Adding stereoscopic depth hardly affected VSTM capacity or decay inferred from total errors. The pattern of transposition errors (letters reported from an uncued row) was almost independent of depth and cue delay. We conclude that VSTM is effectively two-dimensional. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seismically active column and volcanic plumbing system beneath the island arc of the Izu-Bonin subduction zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Špičák, Aleš; Vaněk, Jiří; Hanuš, Václav

2009-12-01

A detailed spatio-temporal analysis of teleseismic earthquake occurrence (mb > 4.0) along the convergent margin of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana arc system reveals an anomalously high concentration of events between 27° and 30.5°N, beneath a chain of seamounts between Tori-shima and Nishino-shima volcanoes. This seismicity is dominated by the 1985/1986 earthquake swarm represented in the Engdahl—van der Hilst—Buland database by 146 earthquakes in the body wave magnitude range 4.3-5.8 and focal depth range 1-100 km. The epicentral cluster of the swarm is elongated parallel to the volcanic chain. Available focal mechanisms are consistent with an extensional tectonic regime and reveal nodal planes with azimuths close to that of the epicentral cluster. Earthquakes of the 1985/1986 swarm occurred in seven time phases. Seismic activity migrated in space from one phase to the other. Earthquake foci belonging to individual phases of the swarm aligned in vertically disposed seismically active columns. The epicentral zones of the columns are located in the immediate vicinity of seamounts Suiyo and Mokuyo, recently reported by the Japanese Meteorological Agency as volcanically active. The three observations—episodic character of earthquake occurrence, column-like vertically arranged seismicity pattern, and existence of volcanic seamounts at the seafloor above the earthquake foci—led us to interpret the 1985/1986 swarm as a consequence of subduction-related magmatic and/or fluid activity. A modification of the shallow earthquake swarm magmatic model of D. Hill fits earthquake foci distribution, tectonic stress orientation and fault plane solutions. The 1985/1986 deep-rooted earthquake swarm in the Izu-Bonin region represents an uncommon phenomenon of plate tectonics. The portion of the lithospheric wedge that was affected by the swarm should be composed of fractured rigid, brittle material so that the source of magma and/or fluids which might induce the swarm should be situated at a depth of at least 100 km in the aseismic part of the subduction zone.

Seismically active column and volcanic plumbing system beneath the island arc of the Izu-Bonin subduction zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Špičák, Aleš; Vaněk, Jiří; Hanuš, Václav

2009-12-01

A detailed spatio-temporal analysis of teleseismic earthquake occurrence (mb > 4.0) along the convergent margin of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana arc system reveals an anomalously high concentration of events between 27° and 30.5°N, beneath a chain of seamounts between Tori-shima and Nishino-shima volcanoes. This seismicity is dominated by the 1985/1986 earthquake swarm represented in the Engdahl-van der Hilst-Buland database by 146 earthquakes in the body wave magnitude range 4.3-5.8 and focal depth range 1-100 km. The epicentral cluster of the swarm is elongated parallel to the volcanic chain. Available focal mechanisms are consistent with an extensional tectonic regime and reveal nodal planes with azimuths close to that of the epicentral cluster. Earthquakes of the 1985/1986 swarm occurred in seven time phases. Seismic activity migrated in space from one phase to the other. Earthquake foci belonging to individual phases of the swarm aligned in vertically disposed seismically active columns. The epicentral zones of the columns are located in the immediate vicinity of seamounts Suiyo and Mokuyo, recently reported by the Japanese Meteorological Agency as volcanically active. The three observations-episodic character of earthquake occurrence, column-like vertically arranged seismicity pattern, and existence of volcanic seamounts at the seafloor above the earthquake foci-led us to interpret the 1985/1986 swarm as a consequence of subduction-related magmatic and/or fluid activity. A modification of the shallow earthquake swarm magmatic model of D. Hill fits earthquake foci distribution, tectonic stress orientation and fault plane solutions. The 1985/1986 deep-rooted earthquake swarm in the Izu-Bonin region represents an uncommon phenomenon of plate tectonics. The portion of the lithospheric wedge that was affected by the swarm should be composed of fractured rigid, brittle material so that the source of magma and/or fluids which might induce the swarm should be situated at a depth of at least 100 km in the aseismic part of the subduction zone.

[Parahisian atrial tachycardia or atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia with tendon of Todaro breakthrough?].

PubMed

Orczykowski, Michał; Jaworska-Wilczyńska, Maria; Urbanek, Piotr; Bodalski, Robert; Derejko, Paweł; Gajek, Jacek; Hryniewiecki, Tomasz; Szumowski, Lukasz; Walczak, Franciszek

2010-08-01

We present a case of a 61 year-old woman with tachycardia originating close to the His bundle where radiofrequency (RF) ablation may bear potential risk of atrioventricular (AV) block. In this case report we discuss the possibility of a AV nodal reciprocating tachycardia with tendon of Todaro breakthrough. Patient was safely and effectively treated with RF catheter ablation.

Retrospective Analysis of Outcome Differences in Preoperative Concurrent Chemoradiation With or Without Elective Nodal Irradiation for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hsu, Feng-Ming; Cancer Research Center, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

2011-11-15

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and patterns of failure of elective nodal irradiation (ENI) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) undergoing preoperative concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) followed by radical surgery. Methods and Materials: We retrospectively studied 118 patients with AJCC Stage II to III esophageal SCC undergoing preoperative CCRT (median, 36 Gy), followed by radical esophagectomy. Of them, 73 patients (62%) had ENI and 45 patients (38%) had no ENI. Patients with ENI received radiotherapy to either supraclavicular (n = 54) or celiac (n = 19) lymphatics. Fifty-six patients (57%) received chemotherapy with paclitaxel plus cisplatin. The 3-year progression-freemore » survival, overall survival, and patterns of failure were analyzed. Distant nodal recurrence was classified into M1a and M1b regions. A separate analysis using matched cases was conducted. Results: The median follow-up was 38 months. There were no differences in pathological complete response rate (p = 0.12), perioperative mortality rate (p = 0.48), or delayed Grade 3 or greater cardiopulmonary toxicities (p = 0.44), between the groups. More patients in the non-ENI group had M1a failure than in the ENI group, with 3-year rates of 11% and 3%, respectively (p = 0.05). However, the 3-year isolated distant nodal (M1a + M1b) failure rates were not different (ENI, 10%; non-ENI, 14%; p = 0.29). In multivariate analysis, pathological nodal status was the only independent prognostic factor associated with overall survival (hazard ratio = 1.78, p = 0.045). The 3-year overall survival and progression-free survival were 45% and 45%, respectively, in the ENI group, and 52% and 43%, respectively, in the non-ENI group (p = 0.31 and 0.89, respectively). Matched cases analysis did not show a statistical difference in outcomes between the groups. Conclusions: ENI reduced the M1a failure rate but was not associated with improved outcomes in patients undergoing preoperative CCRT for esophageal SCC. Pathological nodal metastasis predicted poor outcome.« less

Pediatric and adolescent lymphoma: comparison of whole-body STIR half-Fourier RARE MR imaging with an enhanced PET/CT reference for initial staging.

PubMed

Punwani, Shonit; Taylor, Stuart A; Bainbridge, Alan; Prakash, Vineet; Bandula, Steven; De Vita, Enrico; Olsen, Oystein E; Hain, Sharon F; Stevens, Nicola; Daw, Stephen; Shankar, Ananth; Bomanji, Jamshed B; Humphries, Paul D

2010-04-01

To compare the diagnostic performance of rapid whole-body anatomic magnetic resonance (MR) staging of pediatric and adolescent lymphoma to an enhanced positron emission tomographic (PET)/computed tomographic (CT) reference standard. Ethical permission was given by the University College London Hospital ethics committee, and informed written consent was obtained from all participants and/or parents or guardians. Thirty-one subjects (age range, 7.3-18.0 years; 18 male, 11 female) with histologically proved lymphoma were prospectively recruited. Pretreatment staging was performed with whole-body short inversion time inversion-recovery (STIR) half-Fourier rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement (RARE) MR imaging, fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT, and contrast agent-enhanced chest CT. Twenty-six subjects had posttreatment PET/CT and compromised our final cohort. Eleven nodal and 11 extranodal sites per patient were assessed on MR imaging by two radiologists in consensus, with a nodal short-axis threshold of >1 cm and predefined extranodal positivity criteria. The same sites were independantly evaluated by two nuclear medicine physicians on PET/CT images. Disease positivity was defined as a maximum standardized uptake value >2.5 or nodal size >1 cm. An unblinded expert panel reevaluated the imaging findings, removing perceptual errors, and derived an enhanced PET/CT reference standard (taking into account chest CT and 3-month follow-up imaging) against which the reported and intrinsic performance of MR imaging was assessed by using the kappa statistic. There was very good agreement between MR imaging and the enhanced PET/CT reference standard for nodal and extranodal staging (kappa = 0.96 and 0.86, respectively) which improved following elimination of perceptual errors (kappa = 0.97 and 0.91, respectively). The sensitivity and specificity of MR imaging (following removal of perceptual error) were 98% and 99%, respectively, for nodal disease and 91% and 99%, respectively, for extranodal disease. Whole-body STIR half-Fourier RARE MR imaging of pediatric and adolescent lymphoma can accurately depict nodal and extranodal disease and may provide an alternative nonionizing imaging method for anatomic disease assessment at initial staging. RSNA, 2010

SU-E-T-157: Evaluation and Comparison of Doses to Pelvic Lymph Nodes and to Point B with 3D Image Guided Treatment Planning for High Dose Brachytherapy for Treatment of Cervical Cancer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bhandare, N.

2014-06-01

Purpose: To estimate and compare the doses received by the obturator, external and internal iliac lymph nodes and point Methods: CT-MR fused image sets of 15 patients obtained for each of 5 fractions of HDR brachytherapy using tandem and ring applicator, were used to generate treatment plans optimized to deliver a prescription dose to HRCTV-D90 and to minimize the doses to organs at risk (OARs). For each set of image, target volume (GTV, HRCTV) OARs (Bladder, Rectum, Sigmoid), and both left and right pelvic lymph nodes (obturator, external and internal iliac lymph nodes) were delineated. Dose-volume histograms (DVH) were generatedmore » for pelvic nodal groups (left and right obturator group, internal and external iliac chains) Per fraction DVH parameters used for dose comparison included dose to 100% volume (D100), and dose received by 2cc (D2cc), 1cc (D1cc) and 0.1 cc (D0.1cc) of nodal volume. Dose to point B was compared with each DVH parameter using 2 sided t-test. Pearson correlation were determined to examine relationship of point B dose with nodal DVH parameters. Results: FIGO clinical stage varied from 1B1 to IIIB. The median pretreatment tumor diameter measured on MRI was 4.5 cm (2.7– 6.4cm).The median dose to bilateral point B was 1.20 Gy ± 0.12 or 20% of the prescription dose. The correlation coefficients were all <0.60 for all nodal DVH parameters indicating low degree of correlation. Only 2 cc of obturator nodes was not significantly different from point B dose on t-test. Conclusion: Dose to point B does not adequately represent the dose to any specific pelvic nodal group. When using image guided 3D dose-volume optimized treatment nodal groups should be individually identified and delineated to obtain the doses received by pelvic nodes.« less

SU-F-P-52: A Meta-Analysis of Controlled Clinical Trials Comparing Elective Nodal Irradiation with Involved-Field Irradiation for Conformal Or Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy in Patients with Esophageal Cancer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bai, W; Zhang, R; Zhou, Z

Purpose: To compare elective nodal irradiation with involved-field irradiation for three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy or intensity-modulated radiotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer by a metaanalysis. Methods: Wanfang, CNKI, VIP, CBM databases, PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library were searched to identify the controlled clinical trials of elective nodal irradiation with involved-field irradiation for three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy or intensity-modulated radiotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer. The obtained data were analyzed using Stata 11.0. The difference between two groups was estimated by calculating the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Results: A total of 12 controlled clinical trials involving 1095 esophagealmore » cancer patients, which were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, were included in this meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed that the elective nodal irradiation group reduced the rates of out-field failure comparing with involved-field irradiation group (OR=3.727, P=0.007). However, the rates of ≥grades 3 acute radiation pneumonitis and esophagitis were significantly higher in the elective nodal irradiation group than in the involved-field irradiation group (OR=0.348, P=0.001, OR=0.385, P=0.000). 1-, 2-, 3-year local control rates (OR=0.966, P=0.837, OR=0.946, P=0.781; OR=0.732P=0.098) and 1-, 3-, 5-year survival rates were similar in the two groups ( OR=0.966, P=0.837; OR=0.946, P=0.781; OR=0.732, P=0.098; OR=0.952, P=0.756; OR=1.149, P=0.422; OR=0.768, P=0.120). It is the same with the rates of distant metastasis (OR=0.986, P=0.937). Conclusion: Compared with involved-field irradiation, the elective nodal irradiation can reduce the rates of out-field failure for three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy or intensity-modulated radiotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer. However, its advantage of local control and survival rates is not obvious and it increases the incidence of toxicities.« less

Retrospective analysis of outcome differences in preoperative concurrent chemoradiation with or without elective nodal irradiation for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

PubMed

Hsu, Feng-Ming; Lee, Jang-Ming; Huang, Pei-Ming; Lin, Chia-Chi; Hsu, Chih-Hung; Tsai, Yu-Chieh; Lee, Yung-Chie; Chia-Hsien Cheng, Jason

2011-11-15

To evaluate the efficacy and patterns of failure of elective nodal irradiation (ENI) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) undergoing preoperative concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) followed by radical surgery. We retrospectively studied 118 patients with AJCC Stage II to III esophageal SCC undergoing preoperative CCRT (median, 36 Gy), followed by radical esophagectomy. Of them, 73 patients (62%) had ENI and 45 patients (38%) had no ENI. Patients with ENI received radiotherapy to either supraclavicular (n = 54) or celiac (n = 19) lymphatics. Fifty-six patients (57%) received chemotherapy with paclitaxel plus cisplatin. The 3-year progression-free survival, overall survival, and patterns of failure were analyzed. Distant nodal recurrence was classified into M1a and M1b regions. A separate analysis using matched cases was conducted. The median follow-up was 38 months. There were no differences in pathological complete response rate (p = 0.12), perioperative mortality rate (p = 0.48), or delayed Grade 3 or greater cardiopulmonary toxicities (p = 0.44), between the groups. More patients in the non-ENI group had M1a failure than in the ENI group, with 3-year rates of 11% and 3%, respectively (p = 0.05). However, the 3-year isolated distant nodal (M1a + M1b) failure rates were not different (ENI, 10%; non-ENI, 14%; p = 0.29). In multivariate analysis, pathological nodal status was the only independent prognostic factor associated with overall survival (hazard ratio = 1.78, p = 0.045). The 3-year overall survival and progression-free survival were 45% and 45%, respectively, in the ENI group, and 52% and 43%, respectively, in the non-ENI group (p = 0.31 and 0.89, respectively). Matched cases analysis did not show a statistical difference in outcomes between the groups. ENI reduced the M1a failure rate but was not associated with improved outcomes in patients undergoing preoperative CCRT for esophageal SCC. Pathological nodal metastasis predicted poor outcome. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A new database on subduction seismicity at the global scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Presti, D.; Heuret, A.; Funiciello, F.; Piromallo, C.

2012-04-01

In the framework of the EURYI Project 'Convergent margins and seismogenesis: defining the risk of great earthquakes by using statistical data and modelling', a global collection of recent intraslab seismicity has been performed. Based on EHB hypocenter and CMT Harvard catalogues, the hypocenters, nodal planes and seismic moments of worldwide subduction-related earthquakes were extracted for the period 1976 - 2007. Data were collected for centroid depths between sea level and 700 km and for magnitude Mw ≥ 5.5. For each subduction zone, a set of trench-normal transects were constructed choosing a 120km width of the cross-section on each side of a vertical plane and a spacing of 1 degree along the trench. For each of the 505 resulting transects, the whole subduction seismogenic zone was mapped as focal mechanisms projected on to a vertical plane after their faulting type classification according to the Aki-Richards convention. Transect by transect, fist the seismicity that can be considered not related to the subduction process under investigation was removed, then was selected the upper plate seismicity (i.e. earthquakes generated within the upper plate as a result of the subduction process). After deletion from the so obtained event subset of the interplate seismicity as identified in the framework of this project by Heuret et al. (2011), we can be reasonably confident that the remaining seismicity can be related to the subducting plate. Among these earthquakes we then selected the intermediate and deep depth seismicity. The upper limit of the intermediate depth seismicity is generally fixed at 70 km depth in order to avoid possible mixing with interplate seismicity. The ranking of intermediate depth and deep seismicity was in most of cases referred to earthquakes with focal depth between 70-300 km and with depth exceeding 300 km, respectively. Outer-rise seismicity was also selected. Following Heuret et al. (2011), the 505 transects were merged into 62 larger segments that were ideally homogeneous in terms of their seismogenic zone characteristics. Comparisons between main seismic parameters (e.g. cumulated seismic moment, P- and T-axes distributions, spatial and temporal distribution of largest magnitudes) with relation to both the different categories selected and the different segments have been performed in order to obtain a snapshot on the general behaviour of global subduction-related seismicity.

KLF4, p21 and context-dependent opposing forces in cancer.

PubMed

Rowland, Benjamin D; Peeper, Daniel S

2006-01-01

Krüppel-like factors are transcriptional regulators that influence several cellular functions, including proliferation. Recent studies have shown that one family member, KLF4, can function both as a tumour suppressor and an oncogene. The ability of KLF4 to affect the levels of expression of the cell-cycle regulator p21 seems to be involved, in that this protein might function as a switch that determines the outcome of KLF4 signalling. Is this role of p21 restricted to KLF4, or does p21 represent a nodal point for signals from multiple other factors with opposing functions in cancer?

Using a Large Scale Computational Model to Study the Effect of Longitudinal and Radial Electrical Coupling in the Cochlea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mistrík, Pavel; Ashmore, Jonathan

2009-02-01

We describe a large scale computational model of electrical current flow in the cochlea which is constructed by a flexible Modified Nodal Analysis algorithm to incorporate electrical components representing hair cells and the intercellular radial and longitudinal current flow. The model is used as a laboratory to study the effects of changing longitudinal gap junctional coupling, and shows the way in which cochlear microphonic spreads and tuning is affected. The process for incorporating mechanical longitudinal coupling and feedback is described. We find a difference in tuning and attenuation depending on whether longitudinal or radial couplings are altered.

Doping dependence of low-energy quasiparticle excitations in superconducting Bi2212.

PubMed

Ino, Akihiro; Anzai, Hiroaki; Arita, Masashi; Namatame, Hirofumi; Taniguchi, Masaki; Ishikado, Motoyuki; Fujita, Kazuhiro; Ishida, Shigeyuki; Uchida, Shinichi

2013-12-05

: The doping-dependent evolution of the d-wave superconducting state is studied from the perspective of the angle-resolved photoemission spectra of a high-Tc cuprate, Bi2Sr2CaCu2 O8+δ (Bi2212). The anisotropic evolution of the energy gap for Bogoliubov quasiparticles is parametrized by critical temperature and superfluid density. The renormalization of nodal quasiparticles is evaluated in terms of mass enhancement spectra. These quantities shed light on the strong coupling nature of electron pairing and the impact of forward elastic or inelastic scatterings. We suggest that the quasiparticle excitations in the superconducting cuprates are profoundly affected by doping-dependent screening.

Preculturing effect of thidiazuron on in vitro shoot multiplication and micropropagation round in Capparis decidua (Forsk.) an important multipurpose plant.

PubMed

Bukhari, Najat A W; Siddique, Iram; Perveen, Kahkashan

2016-09-01

An efficient protocol was developed for clonal multiplication of an important shrub: Capparis decidua (Forsk.) Edgew, through in vitro shoot induction and multiplication from nodal explants. Pretreatment of nodal explants in a liquid Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium augmented with various thidiazuron (TDZ) concentrations at relatively high levels (5-100 μM) for different time duration (4, 8, 12 and 16 d), proved a significant approach for in vitro shoot production. After an initial exposure time to TDZ, nodal explants were inoculated onto a MS basal medium devoid of TDZ for further induction and proliferation. The highest regeneration rate (85%), average number of shoots/explant (8.7 ± 0.22) and maximum shoot length (3.9 ± 0.33 cm) were obtained from the nodal explants exposed to 50 μM TDZ for 8 d. The nodal explants excised from the proliferated cultures of TDZ (50 μM) for 8 d were used as explants and showed an enhancement rate after next three round of in vitro propagation. Best results for rooting was obtained by ex vitro treatment of shoots with 200 μM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) for 20 min. as it produced an average of 5.7 ± 0.41 roots per microshoot with 4.4 ± 0.39 cm root length in 84% shoots. Different planting substrates was tested for maximum survival of hardening off micropropagated plantlets and soilrite proved most effective than others as 97.1 ± 7.21 plantlets survived. All micropropagated plants grew well in natural conditions and showed similar morphology to the mother plant.

Sentinel lymph node mapping reduces practice pattern variations in surgical staging for endometrial adenocarcinoma: A before and after study.

PubMed

Liu, Christina Y; Elias, Kevin M; Howitt, Brooke E; Lee, Larissa J; Feltmate, Colleen M

2017-05-01

To examine the effects of universal sentinel lymph node mapping on the use of nodal staging in endometrial adenocarcinoma. Two approaches to laparoscopic staging for endometrial adenocarcinoma were compared using a before and after study design. The before cohort underwent selective lymphadenectomy from January 1, 2014-October 1, 2015 while the after cohort underwent universal sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping from October 2, 2015-September 29, 2016. The before cohort comprised 215 patients and the after cohort 166 patients. In women undergoing SLN mapping, a sentinel node was identified at least unilaterally in 146/153 cases (95.4%), and bilaterally in 114/153 (74.5%) of cases. Pelvic nodes were removed in 35.8% of the before cohort versus 92.2% of the after cohort (p<0.0001) with more nodal evaluation among both low risk (9.6% vs. 91%, p<0.0001) and high risk cases (66% vs. 94%, p<0.0001). While the proportion of low risk cases diagnosed with nodal involvement did not significantly change (0.9% to 3.1%, p=0.32), there was a trend toward more diagnoses of nodal involvement in high risk cases (5% to 13.2%, p=0.06). Mean number of pelvic lymph nodes removed (15 vs. 4, p<0.0001), mean operative time (181min vs. 137min, p<0.0001), estimated blood loss (80ml vs. 56ml, p=0.004), and rate of post-operative complications (13% vs. 5.2%, p=0.04) all decreased after the adoption of SLN dissection. Universal sentinel lymph node dissection for laparoscopic endometrial cancer staging reduces heterogeneity in surgeon staging practice, increases nodal detection, and lowers post-operative complications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Surgery has a key role for quality assurance of colorectal cancer screening programs: impact of the third level multidisciplinary team on lymph nodal staging.

PubMed

Bianco, Francesco; De Franciscis, Silvia; Belli, Andrea; Di Lena, Maria; Avallone, Antonio; Bianco, Maria Antonia; Di Marzo, Sabato; Gigli, Letizia; Rotondano, Gianluca; Spena, Silvana Russo; Tatangelo, Fabiana; Tempesta, Alfonso; Romano, Giovanni Maria

2016-03-01

From 2011 to 2013 in the area of the Naples 3 public health district (ASL-NA3), a colorectal cancer screening program (CCSP) was developed. In order to stress the need of quality assurance procedures for surgery and pathology, a third level oncologic pathway was added and set up at a referral colorectal cancer center (RC). Lymph nodal (LN) harvesting, as a process indicator, and nodal positivity were adopted for an interim analysis. The program was implemented by a series of audit meetings and a double type of multidisciplinary team (MDT): "horizontal" and "vertical." Three hundred and forty colorectal cancer (CRC) patients underwent surgery: 119 chose to be operated at the RC (Gr In), 65 were operated at 22 district hospitals (DH) (Gr Out), and 156 symptomatic not screened patients were operated at the RC (Gr Sym). Statistical analysis revealed differences between Gr In and Gr Out colon groups both for LN harvesting (median of 26 and 11, respectively, P = 0.0001), and for nodal positivity after the first screening round (34.78 and 19.45%, respectively, P = 0.0169). Results were all the more significant in a subset analysis on early T stage colon subgroups (In vs Out) both for LN harvesting (P < 0.0001) and nodal positivity (P < 0.0001). xSignificant differences between RC and DHs were found, particularly for early-stage CRC patients. LN harvesting should be considered as a surrogate marker of quality assurance for at least screening hospitals for "minimum best" standard of care. This should lead to set up a third level in any CCSP.

Quantification of incidental mediastinal and hilar irradiation delivered during definitive stereotactic body radiation therapy for peripheral non-small cell lung cancer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martin, Kate L.; Gomez, Jorge; Nazareth, Daryl P.

2012-07-01

To determine the amount of incidental radiation dose received by the mediastinal and hilar nodes for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). Fifty consecutive patients with NSCLC, treated using an SBRT technique, were identified. Of these patients, 38 had a prescription dose of 60 Gy in 20-Gy fractions and were eligible for analysis. For each patient, ipsilateral upper (level 2) and lower (level 4) paratracheal, and hilar (level 10) nodal regions were contoured on the planning computed tomography (CT) images. Using the clinical treatment plan, dose and volume calculations were performed retrospectivelymore » for each nodal region. SBRT to upper lobe tumors resulted in an average total ipsilateral mean dose of between 5.2 and 7.8 Gy for the most proximal paratracheal nodal stations (2R and 4R for right upper lobe lesions, 2L and 4L for left upper lobe lesions). SBRT to lower lobe tumors resulted in an average total ipsilateral mean dose of between 15.6 and 21.5 Gy for the most proximal hilar nodal stations (10R for right lower lobe lesions, 10 l for left lower lobe lesions). Doses to more distal nodes were substantially lower than 5 Gy. The often substantial incidental irradiation, delivered during SBRT for peripheral NSCLC of the lower lobes to the most proximal hilar lymph nodes may be therapeutic for low-volume, subclinical nodal disease. Treatment of peripheral upper lobe lung tumors delivers less incidental irradiation to the paratracheal lymph nodes with lower likelihood of therapeutic benefit.« less

Radiation Field Design in the ACOSOG Z0011 (Alliance) Trial

PubMed Central

Jagsi, Reshma; Chadha, Manjeet; Moni, Janaki; Ballman, Karla; Laurie, Fran; Buchholz, Thomas A.; Giuliano, Armando; Haffty, Bruce G.

2014-01-01

Purpose ACOSOG Z0011 established that axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) is unnecessary in patients with breast cancer with one to two positive sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) who undergo lumpectomy, radiotherapy (RT), and systemic therapy. We sought to ascertain RT coverage of the regional nodes in that trial. Methods We evaluated case report forms completed 18 months after enrollment. From 2012 to 2013, we collected all available detailed RT records for central review. Results Among 605 patients with completed case report forms, 89% received whole-breast RT. Of these, 89 (15%) were recorded as also receiving treatment to the supraclavicular region. Detailed RT records were obtained for 228 patients, of whom 185 (81.1%) received tangent-only treatment. Among 142 with sufficient records to evaluate tangent height, high tangents (cranial tangent border ≤ 2 cm from humeral head) were used in 50% of patients (33 of 66) randomly assigned to ALND and 52.6% (40 of 76) randomly assigned to SLND. Of the 228 patients with records reviewed, 43 (18.9%) received directed regional nodal RT using ≥ three fields: 22 in the ALND arm and 21 in the SLND arm. Those receiving directed nodal RT had greater nodal involvement (P < .001) than those who did not. Overall, there was no significant difference between treatment arms in the use of protocol-prohibited nodal fields. Conclusion Most patients treated in Z0011 received tangential RT alone, and some received no RT at all. Some patients received directed nodal irradiation via a third field. Further research is necessary to determine the optimal RT approach in patients with low-volume axillary disease treated with SLND alone. PMID:25135994

Computing an upper bound on contact stress with surrogate duality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xuan, Zhaocheng; Papadopoulos, Panayiotis

2016-07-01

We present a method for computing an upper bound on the contact stress of elastic bodies. The continuum model of elastic bodies with contact is first modeled as a constrained optimization problem by using finite elements. An explicit formulation of the total contact force, a fraction function with the numerator as a linear function and the denominator as a quadratic convex function, is derived with only the normalized nodal contact forces as the constrained variables in a standard simplex. Then two bounds are obtained for the sum of the nodal contact forces. The first is an explicit formulation of matrices of the finite element model, derived by maximizing the fraction function under the constraint that the sum of the normalized nodal contact forces is one. The second bound is solved by first maximizing the fraction function subject to the standard simplex and then using Dinkelbach's algorithm for fractional programming to find the maximum—since the fraction function is pseudo concave in a neighborhood of the solution. These two bounds are solved with the problem dimensions being only the number of contact nodes or node pairs, which are much smaller than the dimension for the original problem, namely, the number of degrees of freedom. Next, a scheme for constructing an upper bound on the contact stress is proposed that uses the bounds on the sum of the nodal contact forces obtained on a fine finite element mesh and the nodal contact forces obtained on a coarse finite element mesh, which are problems that can be solved at a lower computational cost. Finally, the proposed method is verified through some examples concerning both frictionless and frictional contact to demonstrate the method's feasibility, efficiency, and robustness.

A viscoelastic higher-order beam finite element

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Arthur R.; Tressler, Alexander

1996-01-01

A viscoelastic internal variable constitutive theory is applied to a higher-order elastic beam theory and finite element formulation. The behavior of the viscous material in the beam is approximately modeled as a Maxwell solid. The finite element formulation requires additional sets of nodal variables for each relaxation time constant needed by the Maxwell solid. Recent developments in modeling viscoelastic material behavior with strain variables that are conjugate to the elastic strain measures are combined with advances in modeling through-the-thickness stresses and strains in thick beams. The result is a viscous thick-beam finite element that possesses superior characteristics for transient analysis since its nodal viscous forces are not linearly dependent an the nodal velocities, which is the case when damping matrices are used. Instead, the nodal viscous forces are directly dependent on the material's relaxation spectrum and the history of the nodal variables through a differential form of the constitutive law for a Maxwell solid. The thick beam quasistatic analysis is explored herein as a first step towards developing more complex viscoelastic models for thick plates and shells, and for dynamic analyses. The internal variable constitutive theory is derived directly from the Boltzmann superposition theorem. The mechanical strains and the conjugate internal strains are shown to be related through a system of first-order, ordinary differential equations. The total time-dependent stress is the superposition of its elastic and viscous components. Equations of motion for the solid are derived from the virtual work principle using the total time-dependent stress. Numerical examples for the problems of relaxation, creep, and cyclic creep are carried out for a beam made from an orthotropic Maxwell solid.

Implications of improved diagnostic imaging of small nodal metastases in head and neck cancer: Radiotherapy target volume transformation and dose de-escalation.

PubMed

van den Bosch, Sven; Vogel, Wouter V; Raaijmakers, Cornelis P; Dijkema, Tim; Terhaard, Chris H J; Al-Mamgani, Abrahim; Kaanders, Johannes H A M

2018-05-03

Diagnostic imaging continues to evolve, and now has unprecedented accuracy for detecting small nodal metastasis. This influences the tumor load in elective target volumes and subsequently has consequences for the radiotherapy dose required to control disease in these volumes. Small metastases that used to remain subclinical and were included in elective volumes, will nowadays be detected and included in high-dose volumes. Consequentially, high-dose volumes will more often contain low-volume disease. These target volume transformations lead to changes in the tumor burden in elective and "gross" tumor volumes with implications for the radiotherapy dose prescribed to these volumes. For head and neck tumors, nodal staging has evolved from mere palpation to combinations of high-resolution imaging modalities. A traditional nodal gross tumor volume in the neck typically had a minimum diameter of 10-15 mm, while nowadays much smaller tumor deposits are detected in lymph nodes. However, the current dose levels for elective nodal irradiation were empirically determined in the 1950s, and have not changed since. In this report the radiobiological consequences of target volume transformation caused by modern imaging of the neck are evaluated, and theoretically derived reductions of dose in radiotherapy for head and neck cancer are proposed. The concept of target volume transformation and subsequent strategies for dose adaptation applies to many other tumor types as well. Awareness of this concept may result in new strategies for target definition and selection of dose levels with the aim to provide optimal tumor control with less toxicity. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Radiofrequency ablation versus cryoablation for atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia in children: a value comparison.

PubMed

Oster, Matthew E; Yang, Zhou; Stewart-Huey, Kay; Glanville, Michelle; Porter, Arlene; Campbell, Robert; Webb, Brad; Strieper, Margaret

2017-03-01

It is unclear whether cryoablation or radiofrequency ablation offers better value for treating atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia in children. We aimed to compare the value of these procedures for treating atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia in children, with value being outcomes relative to costs. We performed a retrospective cohort study of all atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia ablations for children (age⩽18 years) from July, 2009 to June, 2011 at our institution. Costs included fixed costs, miscellaneous hospital costs, and labour costs, and key outcomes were acute and long-term success (6 months) of the ablations. We conducted T-tests and regression analyses to investigate the associations between the ablation procedure type and the cost and success of the ablations. Of 96 unique cases performed by three paediatric electrophysiologists, 48 were cryoablation only, 42 radiofrequency ablation only, and six were a combination. Acute success was 100% for the cryoablation only and radiofrequency ablation only cases and 83% for the combination cases. There were no notable adverse events. The average total cost was $9636 for cryoablation cases, $9708 for radiofrequency ablation cases, and $10,967 for combination cases (p=0.51 for cryoablation only versus radiofrequency ablation only). The long-term success rate was 79.1% for cryoablation only, 92.8% for radiofrequency ablation only, and 66.7% for the combination (p=0.01 for cryoablation only versus radiofrequency ablation only), but long-term success varied notably by provider. Cryoablation and radiofrequency ablation offer similar value in the short term for the treatment of atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia in children. Differences in long-term success may vary substantially by physician, and thus may lead to differences in long-term value.

Sex differences in associations of arginine vasopressin and oxytocin with resting-state functional brain connectivity.

PubMed

Rubin, Leah H; Yao, Li; Keedy, Sarah K; Reilly, James L; Bishop, Jeffrey R; Carter, C Sue; Pournajafi-Nazarloo, Hossein; Drogos, Lauren L; Tamminga, Carol A; Pearlson, Godfrey D; Keshavan, Matcheri S; Clementz, Brett A; Hill, Scot K; Liao, Wei; Ji, Gong-Jun; Lui, Su; Sweeney, John A

2017-01-02

Oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) exert robust and sexually dimorphic influences on cognition and emotion. How these hormones regulate relevant functional brain systems is not well understood. OT and AVP serum concentrations were assayed in 60 healthy individuals (36 women). Brain functional networks assessed with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) were constructed with graph theory-based approaches that characterize brain networks as connected nodes. Sex differences were demonstrated in rs-fMRI. Men showed higher nodal degree (connectedness) and efficiency (information propagation capacity) in left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and bilateral superior temporal gyrus (STG) and higher nodal degree in left rolandic operculum. Women showed higher nodal betweenness (being part of paths between nodes) in right putamen and left inferior parietal gyrus (IPG). Higher hormone levels were associated with less intrinsic connectivity. In men, higher AVP was associated with lower nodal degree and efficiency in left IFG (pars orbitalis) and left STG and less efficiency in left IFG (pars triangularis). In women, higher AVP was associated with lower betweenness in left IPG, and higher OT was associated with lower nodal degree in left IFG (pars orbitalis). Hormones differentially correlate with brain networks that are important for emotion processing and cognition in men and women. AVP in men and OT in women may regulate orbital frontal cortex connectivity, which is important in emotion processing. Hormone associations with STG and pars triangularis in men and parietal cortex in women may account for well-established sex differences in verbal and visuospatial abilities, respectively. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Three-dimensional conformal radiation for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with involved-field irradiation may deliver considerable doses of incidental nodal irradiation.

PubMed

Ji, Kai; Zhao, Lujun; Yang, Chengwen; Meng, Maobin; Wang, Ping

2012-11-27

To quantify the incidental irradiation dose to esophageal lymph node stations when irradiating T1-4N0M0 thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients with a dose of 60 Gy/30f. Thirty-nine patients with medically inoperable T1-4N0M0 thoracic ESCC were treated with three-dimensional conformal radiation (3DCRT) with involved-field radiation (IFI). The conformal clinical target volume (CTV) was re-created using a 3-cm margin in the proximal and distal direction beyond the barium esophagogram, endoscopic examination and CT scan defined the gross tumor volume (GTV) and a 0.5-cm margin in the lateral and anteroposterior directions of the CT scan-defined GTV. The PTV encompassed 1-cm proximal and distal margins and 0.5-cm radial margin based on the CTV. Nodal regions were delineated using the Japanese Society for Esophageal Diseases (JSED) guidelines and an EORTC-ROG expert opinion. The equivalent uniform dose (EUD) and other dosimetric parameters were calculated for each nodal station. Nodal regions with a metastasis rate greater than 5% were considered a high-risk lymph node subgroup. Under a 60 Gy dosage, the median D mean and EUD was greater than 40 Gy in most high-risk nodal regions except for regions of 104, 106tb-R in upper-thoracic ESCC and 101, 104-R, 105, 106rec-L, 2, 3&7 in middle-thoracic ESCC and 107, 3&7 in lower-thoracic ESCC. In the regions with an EUD less than 40 Gy, most incidental irradiation doses were significantly associated with esophageal tumor length and location. Lymph node stations near ESCC receive considerable incidental irradiation doses with involved-field irradiation that may contribute to the elimination of subclinical lesions.

Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: is elective nodal irradiation necessary?

PubMed

Zhao, Kuai-le; Ma, Jin-bo; Liu, Guang; Wu, Kai-liang; Shi, Xue-hui; Jiang, Guo-liang

2010-02-01

To evaluate the local control, survival, and toxicity associated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the esophagus, to determine the appropriate target volumes, and to determine whether elective nodal irradiation is necessary in these patients. A prospective study of 3D-CRT was undertaken in patients with esophageal SCC without distant metastases. Patients received 68.4 Gy in 41 fractions over 44 days using late-course accelerated hyperfractionated 3D-CRT. Only the primary tumor and positive lymph nodes were irradiated. Isolated out-of-field regional nodal recurrence was defined as a recurrence in an initially uninvolved regional lymph node. All 53 patients who made up the study population tolerated the irradiation well. No acute or late Grade 4 or 5 toxicity was observed. The median survival time was 30 months (95% confidence interval, 17.7-41.8). The overall survival rate at 1, 2, and 3 years was 77%, 56%, and 41%, respectively. The local control rate at 1, 2, and 3 years was 83%, 74%, and 62%, respectively. Thirty-nine of the 53 patients (74%) showed treatment failure. Seventeen of the 39 (44%) developed an in-field recurrence, 18 (46%) distant metastasis with or without regional failure, and 3 (8%) an isolated out-of-field nodal recurrence only. One patient died of disease in an unknown location. In patients treated with 3D-CRT for esophageal SCC, the omission of elective nodal irradiation was not associated with a significant amount of failure in lymph node regions not included in the planning target volume. Local failure and distant metastases remained the predominant problems. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Topological and trivial magnetic oscillations in nodal loop semimetals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oroszlány, László; Dóra, Balázs; Cserti, József; Cortijo, Alberto

2018-05-01

Nodal loop semimetals are close descendants of Weyl semimetals and possess a topologically dressed band structure. We argue by combining the conventional theory of magnetic oscillation with topological arguments that nodal loop semimetals host coexisting topological and trivial magnetic oscillations. These originate from mapping the topological properties of the extremal Fermi surface cross sections onto the physics of two dimensional semi-Dirac systems, stemming from merging two massless Dirac cones. By tuning the chemical potential and the direction of magnetic field, a sharp transition is identified from purely trivial oscillations, arising from the Landau levels of a normal two dimensional (2D) electron gas, to a phase where oscillations of topological and trivial origin coexist, originating from 2D massless Dirac and semi-Dirac points, respectively. These could in principle be directly identified in current experiments.

Simultaneous conduction over the fast and slow pathways during induction of atrioventricular nodal reentrant arrhythmia with a rate of less than 100 bpm and infra-His block after radiofrequency ablation of the slow pathway.

PubMed

Amasyalı, Basri; Köktürk, Bülent; Otomo, Kiyoshi; Köse, Sedat

2011-04-01

Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) is the most common form of paroxysmal regular supraventricular tachycardia in adults. It is typically induced with an anterograde block over the fast pathway (FP) and conduction over the slow pathway (SP), with subsequent retrograde conduction over the FP. Rarely, a simultaneous conduction of a premature atrial complex occurs over the FP and SP to induce AVNRT and is called "one for two phenomenon". We present a 46-year-old woman with atrioventricular nodal rhythm with a rate of 95 beats per minute with distinct electrophysiological characteristics showing simultaneous conduction over the FP and SP during induction of tachycardia and an infra-His block after radiofrequency ablation of the SP.

The effect of viscosity on steady transonic flow with a nodal solution topology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Owocki, Stanley P.; Zank, Gary P.

1991-01-01

The effect of viscosity on a steady, transonic flow for which the inviscid limit has a nodal solution topology near the critical point is investigated. For the accelerating case, viscous solutions tend to repel each other, so that a very delicate choice of initial conditions is required to prevent them from diverging. Only the two critical solutions extend to arbitrarily large distances into both the subsonic and supersonic flows. For the decelerating case, the solutions tend to attract, and so an entire two-parameter family of solutions now extends over large distances. The general effect of viscosity on the solution degeneracy of a nodal topology is thus to reduce or limit it for the accelerating case and to enhance it for the decelerating case. The astrophysical implications of these findings are addressed.

Quantum anomalies in nodal line semimetals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burkov, A. A.

2018-04-01

Topological semimetals are a new class of condensed matter systems with nontrivial electronic structure topology. Their unusual observable properties may often be understood in terms of quantum anomalies. In particular, Weyl and Dirac semimetals, which have point band-touching nodes, are characterized by the chiral anomaly, which leads to the Fermi arc surface states, anomalous Hall effect, negative longitudinal magnetoresistance, and planar Hall effect. In this paper, we explore analogous phenomena in nodal line semimetals. We demonstrate that such semimetals realize a three-dimensional analog of the parity anomaly, which is a known property of two-dimensional Dirac semimetals arising, for example, on the surface of a three-dimensional topological insulator. We relate one of the characteristic properties of nodal line semimetals, namely, the drumhead surface states, to this anomaly, and derive the field theory, which encodes the corresponding anomalous response.

Para-aortic nodal metastases in cervical cancer: a blind spot in the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics staging system: current diagnosis and management.

PubMed

Hwang, Lindsay; Bailey, April; Lea, Jayanthi; Albuquerque, Kevin

2015-01-01

In cervical cancer, para-aortic nodal (PALN) metastases at presentation is a strong indicator of poor prognosis. Despite this, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics staging system does not require evaluation of lymph node involvement and does not incorporate clinically detected PALN into the staging system. In the USA, despite screening, a significant number of women still present at an advanced stage often with nodal metastases. While the presence of PALN metastases often indicates occult systemic disease, it is possible with modern therapies to provide long-term control of disease in a percentage of patients. We review the epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of PALN metastases in cervical cancer outlining advances in modern imaging and combined modality therapies (surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy).

Finite-analytic numerical solution of heat transfer in two-dimensional cavity flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, C.-J.; Naseri-Neshat, H.; Ho, K.-S.

1981-01-01

Heat transfer in cavity flow is numerically analyzed by a new numerical method called the finite-analytic method. The basic idea of the finite-analytic method is the incorporation of local analytic solutions in the numerical solutions of linear or nonlinear partial differential equations. In the present investigation, the local analytic solutions for temperature, stream function, and vorticity distributions are derived. When the local analytic solution is evaluated at a given nodal point, it gives an algebraic relationship between a nodal value in a subregion and its neighboring nodal points. A system of algebraic equations is solved to provide the numerical solution of the problem. The finite-analytic method is used to solve heat transfer in the cavity flow at high Reynolds number (1000) for Prandtl numbers of 0.1, 1, and 10.

PIERCE1 is critical for specification of left-right asymmetry in mice.

PubMed

Sung, Young Hoon; Baek, In-Jeoung; Kim, Yong Hwan; Gho, Yong Song; Oh, S Paul; Lee, Young Jae; Lee, Han-Woong

2016-06-16

The specification of left-right asymmetry of the visceral organs is precisely regulated. The earliest breakage of left-right symmetry occurs as the result of leftward flow generated by asymmetric beating of nodal cilia, which eventually induces asymmetric Nodal/Lefty/Pitx2 expression on the left side of the lateral plate mesoderm. PIERCE1 has been identified as a p53 target gene involved in the DNA damage response. In this study, we found that Pierce1-null mice exhibit severe laterality defects, including situs inversus totalis and heterotaxy with randomized situs and left and right isomerisms. The spectrum of laterality defects was closely correlated with randomized expression of Nodal and its downstream genes, Lefty1/2 and Pitx2. The phenotype of Pierce1-null mice most closely resembled that of mutant mice with impaired ciliogenesis and/or ciliary motility of the node. We also found the loss of asymmetric expression of Cerl2, the earliest flow-responding gene in the node of Pierce1-null embryos. The results suggest that Pierce1-null embryos have defects in generating a symmetry breaking signal including leftward nodal flow. This is the first report implicating a role for PIERCE1 in the symmetry-breaking step of left-right asymmetry specification.

Embryonic chirality and the evolution of spiralian left–right asymmetries

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

The group Spiralia includes species with one of the most significant cases of left–right asymmetries in animals: the coiling of the shell of gastropod molluscs (snails). In this animal group, an early event of embryonic chirality controlled by cytoskeleton dynamics and the subsequent differential activation of the genes nodal and Pitx determine the left–right axis of snails, and thus the direction of coiling of the shell. Despite progressive advances in our understanding of left–right axis specification in molluscs, little is known about left–right development in other spiralian taxa. Here, we identify and characterize the expression of nodal and Pitx orthologues in three different spiralian animals—the brachiopod Novocrania anomala, the annelid Owenia fusiformis and the nemertean Lineus ruber—and demonstrate embryonic chirality in the biradial-cleaving spiralian embryo of the bryozoan Membranipora membranacea. We show asymmetric expression of nodal and Pitx in the brachiopod and annelid, respectively, and symmetric expression of Pitx in the nemertean. Our findings indicate that early embryonic chirality is widespread and independent of the cleavage programme in the Spiralia. Additionally, our study illuminates the evolution of nodal and Pitx signalling by demonstrating embryonic asymmetric expression in lineages without obvious adult left–right asymmetries. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Provocative questions in left–right asymmetry’. PMID:27821523

Activin- and Nodal-related factors control antero-posterior patterning of the zebrafish embryo.

PubMed

Thisse, B; Wright, C V; Thisse, C

2000-01-27

Definition of cell fates along the dorso-ventral axis depends on an antagonistic relationship between ventralizing transforming growth factor-beta superfamily members, the bone morphogenetic proteins and factors secreted from the dorsal organizer, such as Noggin and Chordin. The extracellular binding of the last group to the bone morphogenetic proteins prevents them from activating their receptors, and the relative ventralizer:antagonist ratio is thought to specify different dorso-ventral cell fates. Here, by taking advantage of a non-genetic interference method using a specific competitive inhibitor, the Lefty-related gene product Antivin, we provide evidence that cell fate along the antero-posterior axis of the zebrafish embryo is controlled by the morphogenetic activity of another transforming growth factor-beta superfamily subgroup--the Activin and Nodal-related factors. Increasing antivin doses progressively deleted posterior fates within the ectoderm, eventually resulting in the removal of all fates except forebrain and eyes. In contrast, overexpression of activin or nodal-related factors converted ectoderm that was fated to be forebrain into more posterior ectodermal or mesendodermal fates. We propose that modulation of intercellular signalling by Antivin/Activin and Nodal-related factors provides a mechanism for the graded establishment of cell fates along the antero-posterior axis of the zebrafish embryo.

Electrodynamics of the nodal metal state in weakly doped high- Tc cuprates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Y. S.; Segawa, Kouji; Li, Z. Q.; Padilla, W. J.; Dumm, M.; Dordevic, S. V.; Homes, C. C.; Ando, Yoichi; Basov, D. N.

2005-08-01

We report on the detailed analysis of the infrared (IR) conductivity of two prototypical high- Tc systems YBa2Cu3Oy and La2-xSrxCuO4 throughout the complex phase diagram of these compounds. Our focus in this work is to thoroughly document the electromagnetic response of the nodal metal state which is initiated with only a few holes doped in parent antiferromagnetic systems and extends up to the pseudogap boundary in the phase diagram. The key signature of the nodal metal is the two-component conductivity: the Drude mode at low energies followed by a resonance in mid-IR. The Drude component can be attributed to the response of coherent quasiparticles residing on the Fermi arcs detected in photoemission experiments. The microscopic origin of the mid-IR band is yet to be understood. A combination of transport and IR data uncovers fingerprints of the Fermi liquid behavior in the response of the nodal metal. The comprehensive nature of the data sets presented in this work allows us to critically re-evaluate common approaches to the interpretation of the optical data. Specifically we re-examine the role of magnetic excitations in generating electronic self-energy effects through the analysis of the IR data in a high magnetic field.

Room-temperature magnetic topological Weyl fermion and nodal line semimetal states in half-metallic Heusler Co 2TiX (X=Si, Ge, or Sn)

DOE PAGES

Chang, Guoqing; Xu, Su -Yang; Zheng, Hao; ...

2016-12-15

Topological semimetals (TSMs) including Weyl semimetals and nodal-line semimetals are expected to open the next frontier of condensed matter and materials science. Although the first inversion breaking Weyl semimetal was recently discovered in TaAs, its magnetic counterparts, i.e., the time-reversal breaking Weyl and nodal line semimetals, remain elusive. They are predicted to exhibit exotic properties distinct from the inversion breaking TSMs including TaAs. In this paper, we identify the magnetic topological semimetal states in the ferromagnetic half-metal compounds Co 2TiX (X = Si, Ge, or Sn) with Curie temperatures higher than 350 K. Our first-principles band structure calculations show that,more » in the absence of spin-orbit coupling, Co 2TiX features three topological nodal lines. The inclusion of spin-orbit coupling gives rise to Weyl nodes, whose momentum space locations can be controlled as a function of the magnetization direction. Lastly, our results not only open the door for the experimental realization of topological semimetal states in magnetic materials at room temperature, but also suggest potential applications such as unusual anomalous Hall effect in engineered monolayers of the Co 2TiX compounds at high temperature.« less

The Likely Sites of Nodal Metastasis Differs According to the Tumor Extent in Distal Bile Duct Cancer.

PubMed

Kato, Yuichiro; Takahashi, Shinichiro; Gotohda, Naoto; Konishi, Masaru

2016-09-01

In the revised Japanese and Worldwide TNM classification of distal bile duct cancer, the lymph node status is defined as N0 or N1 without reference to the tumor location or extent, according to the presence/absence of metastasis to the regional lymph nodes. Data of 94 patients with distal bile duct cancer who had undergone pancreaticoduodenectomy were reviewed retrospectively. In formalin-fixed specimens, we measured the longitudinal lengths from the papilla to the lower and upper margins of the tumor, in order to investigate the correlation of the tumor extent with the likely sites of nodal metastasis. The frequencies of metastasis to the posterior pancreaticoduodenal nodes (7.1 %) and superior mesenteric artery nodes (0.0 %) were significantly lower in the cases in which the length from the papilla to the lower margin of the tumor was ≥30 mm. The frequencies of nodal metastasis to the common hepatic artery nodes (0.0 %) and hepatoduodenal ligament nodes (6.7 %) were significantly lower in the cases in which the length from the papilla to the upper margin was <40 mm. The likely sites of nodal metastasis differ according to the extent of the tumor in cases of bile duct cancer.

A nodal domain theorem for integrable billiards in two dimensions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Samajdar, Rhine; Jain, Sudhir R., E-mail: srjain@barc.gov.in

Eigenfunctions of integrable planar billiards are studied — in particular, the number of nodal domains, ν of the eigenfunctions with Dirichlet boundary conditions are considered. The billiards for which the time-independent Schrödinger equation (Helmholtz equation) is separable admit trivial expressions for the number of domains. Here, we discover that for all separable and non-separable integrable billiards, ν satisfies certain difference equations. This has been possible because the eigenfunctions can be classified in families labelled by the same value of mmodkn, given a particular k, for a set of quantum numbers, m,n. Further, we observe that the patterns in a familymore » are similar and the algebraic representation of the geometrical nodal patterns is found. Instances of this representation are explained in detail to understand the beauty of the patterns. This paper therefore presents a mathematical connection between integrable systems and difference equations. - Highlights: • We find that the number of nodal domains of eigenfunctions of integrable, planar billiards satisfy a class of difference equations. • The eigenfunctions labelled by quantum numbers (m,n) can be classified in terms of mmodkn. • A theorem is presented, realising algebraic representations of geometrical patterns exhibited by the domains. • This work presents a connection between integrable systems and difference equations.« less

Room-temperature magnetic topological Weyl fermion and nodal line semimetal states in half-metallic Heusler Co 2TiX (X=Si, Ge, or Sn)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chang, Guoqing; Xu, Su -Yang; Zheng, Hao

Topological semimetals (TSMs) including Weyl semimetals and nodal-line semimetals are expected to open the next frontier of condensed matter and materials science. Although the first inversion breaking Weyl semimetal was recently discovered in TaAs, its magnetic counterparts, i.e., the time-reversal breaking Weyl and nodal line semimetals, remain elusive. They are predicted to exhibit exotic properties distinct from the inversion breaking TSMs including TaAs. In this paper, we identify the magnetic topological semimetal states in the ferromagnetic half-metal compounds Co 2TiX (X = Si, Ge, or Sn) with Curie temperatures higher than 350 K. Our first-principles band structure calculations show that,more » in the absence of spin-orbit coupling, Co 2TiX features three topological nodal lines. The inclusion of spin-orbit coupling gives rise to Weyl nodes, whose momentum space locations can be controlled as a function of the magnetization direction. Lastly, our results not only open the door for the experimental realization of topological semimetal states in magnetic materials at room temperature, but also suggest potential applications such as unusual anomalous Hall effect in engineered monolayers of the Co 2TiX compounds at high temperature.« less

A Poised Chromatin Platform for TGF-[beta] Access to Master Regulators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xi, Qiaoran; Wang, Zhanxin; Zaromytidou, Alexia-Ileana

2012-02-07

Specific chromatin marks keep master regulators of differentiation silent yet poised for activation by extracellular signals. We report that nodal TGF-{beta} signals use the poised histone mark H3K9me3 to trigger differentiation of mammalian embryonic stem cells. Nodal receptors induce the formation of companion Smad4-Smad2/3 and TRIM33-Smad2/3 complexes. The PHD-Bromo cassette of TRIM33 facilitates binding of TRIM33-Smad2/3 to H3K9me3 and H3K18ac on the promoters of mesendoderm regulators Gsc and Mixl1. The crystal structure of this cassette, bound to histone H3 peptides, illustrates that PHD recognizes K9me3, and Bromo binds an adjacent K18ac. The interaction between TRIM33-Smad2/3 and H3K9me3 displaces the chromatin-compactingmore » factor HP1, making nodal response elements accessible to Smad4-Smad2/3 for Pol II recruitment. In turn, Smad4 increases K18 acetylation to augment TRIM33-Smad2/3 binding. Thus, nodal effectors use the H3K9me3 mark as a platform to switch master regulators of stem cell differentiation from the poised to the active state.« less

Atlas of the thoracic lymph nodal delineation and recommendations for lymph nodal CTV of esophageal squamous cell cancer in radiation therapy from China.

PubMed

Huang, Wei; Huang, Yong; Sun, Jujie; Liu, Xibin; Zhang, Jian; Zhou, Tao; Zhang, Baijiang; Li, Baosheng

2015-07-01

To construct an anatomical atlas of thoracic lymph node regions of esophageal cancer (EC) based on definitions from The Japan Esophageal Society (JES) and generate a consensus to delineate the nodal clinical target volume (CTVn) for elective nodal radiation (ENI) of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). An interdisciplinary group including two dedicated radiation oncologists, an experienced radiologist, a pathologist and two thoracic surgeons were gathered to generate a three-dimensional radiological description for the mediastinal lymph node regions of EC on axial CT scans. Then the radiological boundaries of lymph node regions were validated by a relatively large number of physicians in multiple institutions. An atlas of detailed anatomic boundaries of lymph node station No. 105-114 was defined on axial CT, along with illustrations. From the previous work, the study provided a guide of CTVn contouring for ENI of thoracic ESCC from a single center. It is feasible to use such an atlas of thoracic lymph node stations for radiotherapy planning. A phase III study based on the atlas is ongoing in China to measure quantitatively the ENI received by patients with ESCC. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantum oscillation signatures of spin-orbit interactions controlling the residual nodal bilayer-splitting in underdoped high-Tc cuprates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrison, Neil; Shekhter, Arkady

2015-03-01

We investigate the origin of the small residual nodal bilayer-splitting in the underdoped high-Tc superconductor YBa2Cu3O6+x using the results of recently published angle-resolved quantum oscillation data [Sebastian et al., Nature 511, 61 (2014)]. A crucial clue to the origin of the residual bilayer-splitting is found to be provided by the anomalously small Zeeman-splitting of some of the observed cyclotron orbits. We show that such an anomalously Zeeman-splitting (or small effective g-factor) for a subset of orbits can be explained by spin-orbit interactions, which become significant in the nodal regions as a result of the vanishing bilayer coupling. The primary effect of spin-orbit interactions is to cause quasiparticles traversing the nodal region of the Brillouin zone to undergo a spin flip. We suggest that the Rashba-like spin-orbit interactions, naturally present in bilayer systems, have the right symmetry and magnitude to give rise to a network of coupled orbits consistent with experimental observations in underdoped YBa2Cu3O6+x. This work is supported by the DOEm BES proposal LANLF100, while the magnet lab is supported by the NSF and Florida State.

Measures of anxiety in zebrafish (Danio rerio): dissociation of black/white preference and novel tank test.

PubMed

Blaser, Rachel E; Rosemberg, Denis B

2012-01-01

The effects of wall color stimuli on diving, and the effects of depth stimuli on scototaxis, were assessed in zebrafish. Three groups of fish were confined to a black, a white, or a transparent tank, and tested for depth preference. Two groups of fish were confined to a deep or a shallow tank, and tested for black-white preference. As predicted, fish preferred the deep half of a split-tank over the shallow half, and preferred the black half of a black/white tank over the white half. Results indicated that the tank wall color significantly affected depth preference, with the transparent tank producing the strongest depth preference and the black tank producing the weakest preference. Tank depth, however, did not significantly affect color preference. Additionally, wall color significantly affected shuttling and immobility, while depth significantly affected shuttling and thigmotaxis. These results are consistent with previous indications that the diving response and scototaxis may reflect dissociable mechanisms of behavior. We conclude that the two tests are complementary rather than interchangeable, and that further research on the motivational systems underlying behavior in each of the two tests is needed.

Primary nodal hemangiosarcoma in four dogs.

PubMed

Chan, Catherine M; Zwahlen, Courtney H; de Lorimier, Louis-Philippe; Yeomans, Stephen M; Hoffmann, Karon L; Moore, Antony S

2016-11-01

CASE DESCRIPTION 4 dogs with a slow-growing mass in the cervical region were evaluated. CLINICAL FINDINGS All dogs had no clinical signs at the time of the evaluation. There was no apparent evidence of visceral metastases or other primary tumor based on available CT or MRI data for any dog. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME For each dog, surgery to remove the mass was performed. Histologic examination of the excised tissue revealed a completely excised grade 1 or 2 lymph node hemangiosarcoma. All dogs received adjuvant chemotherapy; 2 dogs underwent curative intent chemotherapy, 1 dog underwent metronomic treatment with cyclophosphamide, and 1 dog underwent metronomic treatment with chlorambucil. The survival time was 259 days in 1 dog; 3 dogs were still alive 615, 399, and 365 days after surgery. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Primary nodal hemangiosarcoma in dogs is a rare and, to the authors' knowledge, previously undescribed disease that appears to develop in the cervical lymph nodes as a slow-growing mass or masses. Surgical excision and adjunct treatment resulted in long survival times for 3 of the 4 dogs of the present report. Given the aggressive biologic behavior of hemangiosarcomas in other body locations, adjunct chemotherapy should be considered for affected dogs, although its role in the cases described in this report was unclear. Additional clinical information is required to further characterize the biologic behavior of this tumor type and determine the expected survival times and associated risk factors in dogs.

Elevated CO2 alters distribution of nodal leaf area and enhances nitrogen uptake contributing to yield increase of soybean cultivars grown in Mollisols.

PubMed

Jin, Jian; Li, Yansheng; Liu, Xiaobing; Wang, Guanghua; Tang, Caixian; Yu, Zhenhua; Wang, Xiaojuan; Herbert, Stephen J

2017-01-01

Understanding how elevated CO2 affects dynamics of nodal leaf growth and N assimilation is crucial for the construction of high-yielding canopy via breeding and N management to cope with the future climate change. Two soybean cultivars were grown in two Mollisols differing in soil organic carbon (SOC), and exposed to ambient CO2 (380 ppm) or elevated CO2 (580 ppm) throughout the growth stages. Elevated CO2 induced 4-5 more nodes, and nearly doubled the number of branches. Leaf area duration at the upper nodes from R5 to R6 was 4.3-fold greater and that on branches 2.4-fold higher under elevated CO2 than ambient CO2, irrespective of cultivar and soil type. As a result, elevated CO2 markedly increased the number of pods and seeds at these corresponding positions. The yield response to elevated CO2 varied between the cultivars but not soils. The cultivar-specific response was likely attributed to N content per unit leaf area, the capacity of C sink in seeds and N assimilation. Elevated CO2 did not change protein concentration in seeds of either cultivar. These results indicate that elevated CO2 increases leaf area towards the upper nodes and branches which in turn contributes yield increase.

Linear and nonlinear susceptibilities from diffusion quantum Monte Carlo: application to periodic hydrogen chains.

PubMed

Umari, P; Marzari, Nicola

2009-09-07

We calculate the linear and nonlinear susceptibilities of periodic longitudinal chains of hydrogen dimers with different bond-length alternations using a diffusion quantum Monte Carlo approach. These quantities are derived from the changes in electronic polarization as a function of applied finite electric field--an approach we recently introduced and made possible by the use of a Berry-phase, many-body electric-enthalpy functional. Calculated susceptibilities and hypersusceptibilities are found to be in excellent agreement with the best estimates available from quantum chemistry--usually extrapolations to the infinite-chain limit of calculations for chains of finite length. It is found that while exchange effects dominate the proper description of the susceptibilities, second hypersusceptibilities are greatly affected by electronic correlations. We also assess how different approximations to the nodal surface of the many-body wave function affect the accuracy of the calculated susceptibilities.

Development and Evaluation of a Hydrostatic Dynamical Core Using the Spectral Element/Discontinuous Galerkin Methods

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-01

The CG and DG horizontal discretization employs high-order nodal basis functions associated with Lagrange polynomials based on Gauss-Lobatto- Legendre ...and DG horizontal discretization employs high-order nodal basis functions 29 associated with Lagrange polynomials based on Gauss-Lobatto- Legendre ...Inside 235 each element we build ( 1)N + Gauss-Lobatto- Legendre (GLL) quadrature points, where N 236 indicate the polynomial order of the basis

Brady's Geothermal Field Nodal Seismometer Active Source Data Sample

DOE Data Explorer

Kurt Feigl

2016-03-25

This data is in sac format and includes recordings of two active source events from 238 three-component nodal seismometers deployed at Bradys Hot Springs geothermal field as part of the PoroTomo project. The source was a viberoseis truck operating in P-wave vibrational mode and generating a swept-frequency signal. The files are 33 seconds long starting 4 seconds before each sweep was initiated. There is some overlap in the file times.

Role of the EGF-Related Growth Factor Cripto in Murine Mammary Tumorigenesis

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-10-01

release or disclosure of technical data (other than detailed manufacturing or process data) to, or use of such data by, a foreign government that is in...function, we have made constructs that express secreted processed NODAL protein in transfected mammalian cells. For this purpose, we have used a wild-type...that processing of unmodified NODAL protein is dependent upon the cell line used for expression, which presumably reflects differential expression of

Distinct mechanisms determine organ left-right asymmetry patterning in an uncoupled way.

PubMed

Huang, Sizhou; Xu, Wenming; Su, Bingyin; Luo, Lingfei

2014-03-01

Disruption of Nodal in the lateral plate mesoderm (LPM) usually leads to left-right (LR) patterning defects in multiple organs. However, whether the LR patterning of organs is always regulated in a coupled way has largely not yet been elucidated. In addition, whether other crucial regulators exist in the LPM that coordinate with Nodal in regulating organ LR patterning is also undetermined. In this paper, after briefly summarizing the common process of LR patterning, the most puzzling question regarding the initiation of asymmetry is considered and the divergent mechanisms underlying the uncoupled LR patterning in different organs are discussed. On the basis of cases in which different organ LR patterning is determined in an uncoupled way via an independent mechanism or at a different time, we propose that there are other critical factors in the LPM that coordinate with Nodal to regulate heart LR asymmetry patterning during early LR patterning. © 2014 WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

The General-Use Nodal Network Solver (GUNNS) Modeling Package for Space Vehicle Flow System Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harvey, Jason; Moore, Michael

2013-01-01

The General-Use Nodal Network Solver (GUNNS) is a modeling software package that combines nodal analysis and the hydraulic-electric analogy to simulate fluid, electrical, and thermal flow systems. GUNNS is developed by L-3 Communications under the TS21 (Training Systems for the 21st Century) project for NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), primarily for use in space vehicle training simulators at JSC. It has sufficient compactness and fidelity to model the fluid, electrical, and thermal aspects of space vehicles in real-time simulations running on commodity workstations, for vehicle crew and flight controller training. It has a reusable and flexible component and system design, and a Graphical User Interface (GUI), providing capability for rapid GUI-based simulator development, ease of maintenance, and associated cost savings. GUNNS is optimized for NASA's Trick simulation environment, but can be run independently of Trick.

Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Study on Dirac Nodal-line Semimetal ZrSiS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Chih-Chuan; Guan, Syu-You; Wang, Tzu-Cheng; Sankar, Raman; Guo, Guang-Yu; Chou, Fangcheng; Chang, Chia-Seng; Chuang, Tien-Ming

The discovery of 3D Dirac nodal-line protected by non-symmophic symmetry in ZrSiS family has been reported by angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and quantum oscillation measurements. ZrSiS also exhibits a butterfly shaped titanic angular magnetoresistance and strong Zeeman splitting in quantum oscillation. These observations with its layered crystal structure make the ZrSiS family an interesting candidate to understand the novel properties of the nodal-line semimetals. Here, we study the electronic structures of the single crystal ZrSiS by using spectroscopic-imaging scanning tunneling microscope at T= 4.2K. Our quasiparticle scattering interference imaging reveals the characteristic wave vectors with linear dispersion from Dirac line nodes in the bulk and its surface states. Our results are in excellent agreement with the first principle calculation, and also in consistent with ARPES and quantum oscillation measurements.

Incidence of cervical lymph node metastasis and its association with outcomes in patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma. An international collaborative study

PubMed Central

Amit, Moran; Binenbaum, Yoav; Sharma, Kanika; Ramer, Naomi; Ramer, Ilana; Agbetoba, Abib; Glick, Joelle; Yang, Xinjie; Lei, Delin; Bjørndal, Kristine; Godballe, Christian; Mücke, Thomas; Wolff, Klaus-Dietrich; Fliss, Dan; Eckardt, André M.; Copelli, Chiara; Sesenna, Enrico; Palmer, Frank; Ganly, Ian; Patel, Snehal; Gil, Ziv

2016-01-01

Background The patterns of regional metastasis in adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the head and neck and its association with outcome is not established. Methods We conducted a retrospective multicentered multivariate analysis of 270 patients who underwent neck dissection. Results The incidence rate of neck metastases was 29%. The rate observed in the oral cavity is 37%, and in the major salivary glands is 19% (p = .001). The rate of occult nodal metastases was 17%. Overall 5-year survival rates were 44% in patients undergoing therapeutic neck dissections, and 65% and 73% among those undergoing elective neck dissections, with and without nodal metastases, respectively (p = .017). Multivariate analysis revealed that the primary site, nodal classification, and margin status were independent predictors of survival. Conclusion Our findings support the consideration of elective neck treatment in patients with ACC of the oral cavity. PMID:25060927

Pelvic Nodal Radiotherapy in Patients With Unfavorable Intermediate and High-Risk Prostate Cancer: Evidence, Rationale, and Future Directions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Morikawa, Lisa K.; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Roach, Mack, E-mail: mroach@radonc.ucsf.ed

2011-05-01

Over the past 15 years, there have been three major advances in the use of external beam radiotherapy in the management of men with clinically localized prostate made. They include: (1) image guided (IG) three-dimensional conformal/intensity modulated radiotherapy; (2) radiation dose escalation; and (3) androgen deprivation therapy. To date only the last of these three advances have been shown to improve overall survival. The presence of occult pelvic nodal involvement could explain the failure of increased conformality and dose escalation to prolong survival, because the men who appear to be at the greatest risk of death from clinically localized prostatemore » cancer are those who are likely to have lymph node metastases. This review discusses the evidence for prophylactic pelvic nodal radiotherapy, including the key trials and controversies surrounding this issue.« less

Nodal failure index approach to groundwater remediation design

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, J.; Reeves, H.W.; Dowding, C.H.

2008-01-01

Computer simulations often are used to design and to optimize groundwater remediation systems. We present a new computationally efficient approach that calculates the reliability of remedial design at every location in a model domain with a single simulation. The estimated reliability and other model information are used to select a best remedial option for given site conditions, conceptual model, and available data. To evaluate design performance, we introduce the nodal failure index (NFI) to determine the number of nodal locations at which the probability of success is below the design requirement. The strength of the NFI approach is that selected areas of interest can be specified for analysis and the best remedial design determined for this target region. An example application of the NFI approach using a hypothetical model shows how the spatial distribution of reliability can be used for a decision support system in groundwater remediation design. ?? 2008 ASCE.

From nodal-ring topological superfluids to spiral Majorana modes in cold atomic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Wen-Yu; Xu, Dong-Hui; Zhou, Benjamin T.; Zhou, Qi; Law, K. T.

2018-04-01

In this work, we consider a three-dimensional (3D) cubic optical lattice composed of coupled 1D wires with 1D spin-orbit coupling. When the s -wave pairing is induced through Feshbach resonance, the system becomes a topological superfluid with ring nodes, which are the ring nodal degeneracies in the bulk, and supports a large number of surface Majorana zero-energy modes. The large number of surface Majorana modes remain at zero energy even in the presence of disorder due to the protection from a chiral symmetry. When the chiral symmetry is broken, the system becomes a Weyl topological superfluid with Majorana arcs. With 3D spin-orbit coupling, the Weyl superfluid becomes a gapless phase with spiral Majorana modes on the surface. A spatial-resolved radio-frequency spectroscopy is suggested to detect this nodal-ring topological superfluid phase.

Neuroendocrine Merkel cell nodal carcinoma of unknown primary site: management and outcomes of a rare entity.

PubMed

Kotteas, E A; Pavlidis, N

2015-04-01

Merkel cell nodal carcinoma of unknown primary (MCCUP) is a rare neuroendocrine tumour with distinct clinical and biological behaviour. We conducted a review of retrospective data extracted from 90 patients focusing on the management and outcome of this disease. We also compared life expectancy of these patients with the outcome of patients with known Merkel primaries and with neuroendocrine cancers of unidentifiable primary. There is a limited body of data for this type of malignancy, however, patients with Merkel cell nodal carcinoma of unknown primary site, seem to have better survival when treated aggressively than patients with cutaneous Merkel tumours of the same stage and equal survival with patients with low-grade neuroendocrine tumour of unknown origin. The lack of prospective trials, and the inadequate data, hamper the management of these tumours. Establishment of treatment guidelines is urgently needed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of Lifshitz transitions in topological nodal line semimetals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Hui; Li, Linhu; Gong, Jiangbin; Chen, Shu

2018-04-01

We introduce a two-band model of three-dimensional nodal line semimetals (NLSMs), the Fermi surface of which at half-filling may form various one-dimensional configurations of different topology. We study the symmetries and "drumhead" surface states of the model, and find that the transitions between different configurations, namely, the Lifshitz transitions, can be identified solely by the number of gap-closing points on some high-symmetry planes in the Brillouin zone. A global phase diagram of this model is also obtained accordingly. We then investigate the effect of some extra terms analogous to a two-dimensional Rashba-type spin-orbit coupling. The introduced extra terms open a gap for the NLSMs and can be useful in engineering different topological insulating phases. We demonstrate that the behavior of surface Dirac cones in the resulting insulating system has a clear correspondence with the different configurations of the original nodal lines in the absence of the gap terms.

Controlling the motion of multiple objects on a Chladni plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Quan; Sariola, Veikko; Latifi, Kourosh; Liimatainen, Ville

2016-09-01

The origin of the idea of moving objects by acoustic vibration can be traced back to 1787, when Ernst Chladni reported the first detailed studies on the aggregation of sand onto nodal lines of a vibrating plate. Since then and to this date, the prevailing view has been that the particle motion out of nodal lines is random, implying uncontrollability. But how random really is the out-of-nodal-lines motion on a Chladni plate? Here we show that the motion is sufficiently regular to be statistically modelled, predicted and controlled. By playing carefully selected musical notes, we can control the position of multiple objects simultaneously and independently using a single acoustic actuator. Our method allows independent trajectory following, pattern transformation and sorting of multiple miniature objects in a wide range of materials, including electronic components, water droplets loaded on solid carriers, plant seeds, candy balls and metal parts.

Nodal-line pairing with 1D-3D coupled Fermi surfaces: A model motivated by Cr-based superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wachtel, Gideon; Kim, Yong Baek

2016-09-01

Motivated by the recent discovery of a new family of chromium-based superconductors, we consider a two-band model, where a band of electrons dispersing only in one direction interacts with a band of electrons dispersing in all three directions. Strong 2 kf density fluctuations in the one-dimensional band induces attractive interactions between the three-dimensional electrons, which, in turn, makes the system superconducting. Solving the associated Eliashberg equations, we obtain a gap function which is peaked at the "poles" of the three-dimensional Fermi sphere, and decreases towards the "equator." When strong enough local repulsion is included, the gap actually changes sign around the equator and nodal rings are formed. These nodal rings manifest themselves in several experimentally observable quantities, some of which resemble unconventional observations in the newly discovered superconductors which motivated this work.

Programming and Isolation of Highly Pure Physiologically and Pharmacologically Functional Sinus-Nodal Bodies from Pluripotent Stem Cells

PubMed Central

Jung, Julia Jeannine; Husse, Britta; Rimmbach, Christian; Krebs, Stefan; Stieber, Juliane; Steinhoff, Gustav; Dendorfer, Andreas; Franz, Wolfgang-Michael; David, Robert

2014-01-01

Summary Therapeutic approaches for “sick sinus syndrome” rely on electrical pacemakers, which lack hormone responsiveness and bear hazards such as infection and battery failure. These issues may be overcome via “biological pacemakers” derived from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). Here, we show that forward programming of PSCs with the nodal cell inducer TBX3 plus an additional Myh6-promoter-based antibiotic selection leads to cardiomyocyte aggregates consisting of >80% physiologically and pharmacologically functional pacemaker cells. These induced sinoatrial bodies (iSABs) exhibited highly increased beating rates (300–400 bpm), coming close to those found in mouse hearts, and were able to robustly pace myocardium ex vivo. Our study introduces iSABs as highly pure, functional nodal tissue that is derived from PSCs and may be important for future cell therapies and drug testing in vitro. PMID:24936448

Outcomes of oral cavity cancer patients treated with surgery followed by postoperative intensity modulated radiation therapy.

PubMed

Quinlan-Davidson, Sean R; Mohamed, Abdallah S R; Myers, Jeffrey N; Gunn, Gary B; Johnson, Faye M; Skinner, Heath; Beadle, Beth M; Gillenwater, Ann M; Phan, Jack; Frank, Steven J; William, William N; Wong, Andrew J; Lai, Stephen Y; Fuller, Clifton D; Morrison, William H; Rosenthal, David I; Garden, Adam S

2017-09-01

Although treatment paradigms have not changed significantly, radiotherapy, surgery, and imaging techniques have improved, leading us to investigate oncologic and survival outcomes for oral cavity squamous cell cancer (OCSCC) patients treated with surgery followed by postoperative IMRT. Records of patients with pathological diagnosis of OCSCC treated between 2000 and 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients' demographic, disease, and treatment criteria were extracted. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival curves. Two hundred eighty-nine patients were analyzed. Median follow-up was 35months. Two hundred sixty-eight had neck dissections (93%), of which 66% had nodal involvement, and 51% of those positive dissections had extracapsular extension. Forty patients received induction chemotherapy and 107 received concurrent chemotherapy. Median dose to high risk clinical target volume was 60Gy/30 fractions. The 5-year locoregional control and overall survival rates were 76% and 57%, respectively. Tumors with >1.5cm depth of invasion had significantly higher risk of local failure compared with ≤1.5cm (p<0.001). In multivariate analysis, positive and no neck dissection (p=0.01), positive lymphovascular invasion (p=0.006) and >1.5cm depth of invasion (p=0.003) were independent predictors of poorer survival. Disease outcomes were consistent with historical data and did not appear compromised by the use of IMRT. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Outcomes of oral cavity cancer patients treated with surgery followed by postoperative intensity modulated radiation therapy

PubMed Central

Quinlan-Davidson, Sean R.; Mohamed, Abdallah S. R.; Myers, Jeffrey N.; Gunn, Gary B.; Johnson, Faye M.; Skinner, Heath; Beadle, Beth M; Gillenwater, Ann M.; Phan, Jack; Frank, Steven J.; William, William N.; Wong, Andrew J.; Lai, Stephen Y.; Fuller, Clifton D.; Morrison, William H.; Rosenthal, David I.; Garden, Adam S.

2018-01-01

Objectives Although treatment paradigms have not changed significantly, radiotherapy, surgery, and imaging techniques have improved, leading us to investigate oncologic and survival outcomes for oral cavity squamous cell cancer (OCSCC) patients treated with surgery followed by postoperative IMRT. Material and Methods Records of patients with pathological diagnosis of OCSCC treated between 2000–2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients’ demographic, disease, and treatment criteria were extracted. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival curves. Results Two hundred eighty-nine patients were analyzed. Median follow-up was 35 months. Two hundred sixty-eight had neck dissections (93%), of which 66% had nodal involvement, and 51% of those positive dissections had extracapsular extension. Forty patients received induction chemotherapy and 107 received concurrent chemotherapy. Median dose to high risk clinical target volume was 60 Gy/30 fractions. The 5-year locoregional control and overall survival rates were 76% and 57%, respectively. Tumors with >1.5 cm depth of invasion had significantly higher risk of local failure compared with ≤1.5 cm (p<0.001). In multivariate analysis, positive and no neck dissection (p=0.01), positive lymphovascular invasion (p=0.006) and >1.5 cm depth of invasion (p=0.003) were independent predictors of poorer survival. Conclusions Disease outcomes were consistent with historical data and did not appear compromised by the use of IMRT. PMID:28797467

Nodal quasiparticle dynamics in the heavy fermion superconductor CeCoIn₅ revealed by precision microwave spectroscopy.

PubMed

Truncik, C J S; Huttema, W A; Turner, P J; Ozcan, S; Murphy, N C; Carrière, P R; Thewalt, E; Morse, K J; Koenig, A J; Sarrao, J L; Broun, D M

2013-01-01

CeCoIn₅ is a heavy fermion superconductor with strong similarities to the high-Tc cuprates, including quasi-two-dimensionality, proximity to antiferromagnetism and probable d-wave pairing arising from a non-Fermi-liquid normal state. Experiments allowing detailed comparisons of their electronic properties are of particular interest, but in most cases are difficult to realize, due to their very different transition temperatures. Here we use low-temperature microwave spectroscopy to study the charge dynamics of the CeCoIn₅ superconducting state. The similarities to cuprates, in particular to ultra-clean YBa₂Cu₃O(y), are striking: the frequency and temperature dependence of the quasiparticle conductivity are instantly recognizable, a consequence of rapid suppression of quasiparticle scattering below T(c); and penetration-depth data, when properly treated, reveal a clean, linear temperature dependence of the quasiparticle contribution to superfluid density. The measurements also expose key differences, including prominent multiband effects and a temperature-dependent renormalization of the quasiparticle mass.

A phase II comparative study of gross tumor volume definition with or without PET/CT fusion in dosimetric planning for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC): primary analysis of Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 0515.

PubMed

Bradley, Jeffrey; Bae, Kyounghwa; Choi, Noah; Forster, Ken; Siegel, Barry A; Brunetti, Jacqueline; Purdy, James; Faria, Sergio; Vu, Toni; Thorstad, Wade; Choy, Hak

2012-01-01

Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 0515 is a Phase II prospective trial designed to quantify the impact of positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) compared with CT alone on radiation treatment plans (RTPs) and to determine the rate of elective nodal failure for PET/CT-derived volumes. Each enrolled patient underwent definitive radiation therapy for non-small-cell lung cancer (≥ 60 Gy) and had two RTP datasets generated: gross tumor volume (GTV) derived with CT alone and with PET/CT. Patients received treatment using the PET/CT-derived plan. The primary end point, the impact of PET/CT fusion on treatment plans was measured by differences of the following variables for each patient: GTV, number of involved nodes, nodal station, mean lung dose (MLD), volume of lung exceeding 20 Gy (V20), and mean esophageal dose (MED). Regional failure rate was a secondary end point. The nonparametric Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test was used with Bonferroni adjustment for an overall significance level of 0.05. RTOG 0515 accrued 52 patients, 47 of whom are evaluable. The follow-up time for all patients is 12.9 months (2.7-22.2). Tumor staging was as follows: II = 6%; IIIA = 40%; and IIIB = 54%. The GTV was statistically significantly smaller for PET/CT-derived volumes (98.7 vs. 86.2 mL; p < 0.0001). MLDs for PET/CT plans were slightly lower (19 vs. 17.8 Gy; p = 0.06). There was no significant difference in the number of involved nodes (2.1 vs. 2.4), V20 (32% vs. 30.8%), or MED (28.7 vs. 27.1 Gy). Nodal contours were altered by PET/CT for 51% of patients. One patient (2%) has developed an elective nodal failure. PET/CT-derived tumor volumes were smaller than those derived by CT alone. PET/CT changed nodal GTV contours in 51% of patients. The elective nodal failure rate for GTVs derived by PET/CT is quite low, supporting the RTOG standard of limiting the target volume to the primary tumor and involved nodes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An institutional approach to support the conduct and use of health policy and systems research: The Nodal Institute in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

PubMed

El-Jardali, Fadi; Saleh, Shadi; Khodor, Rawya; Abu Al Rub, Raeda; Arfa, Chokri; Ben Romdhane, Habiba; Hamadeh, Randah R

2015-10-01

The use of health policy and systems research (HPSR) to support decision making in health systems is limited in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). This is partly due to the lack of effective initiatives to strengthen regional HPSR capacities and promote its use in decision making. This paper offers a structured reflection on the establishment and core functioning of a HPSR Nodal Institute for the EMR with specific focus on the approach used to support the conduct and use of HPSR. It seeks to gain better understanding of the activities conducted by the Nodal Institute, the methods by which the Nodal Institute implemented these activities, and the outcomes of these activities. A multi-faceted approach was implemented by the Nodal Institute in collaboration with regional academic/research institutions, Sub-Nodes. The overall approach was a phased one that included the selection of Sub-Nodes, mapping of academic/research institutions in the EMR, stakeholders' meetings, and HPSR capacity building workshops, and culminated with a regional meeting. The mapping of academic/research institutions in the EMR resulted in the identification of 50 institutions, of which only 32 were engaged in HPSR. These institutions have the highest HPSR involvement in information/evidence (84%) and the lowest in human resources for health (34%). Their main HPSR focus areas included quality of healthcare services, patient safety, management of non-communicable diseases, and human resources for health. Regional HPSR challenges among these institutions were identified. The validation and ranking questionnaires resulted in the identification of country-specific HPSR priorities according to stakeholders in three countries. From these results, cross-cutting HPSR priorities among the countries related to primary healthcare, non-communicable diseases, human resources for health, as well as cross-cutting HPSR priorities among stakeholders and according to stakeholders of the countries, were extracted. The Nodal Institute in the EMR is a promising initiative to support the conduct and use of HPSR in health policies. The approach and findings reported in this paper allow for the development of opportunities towards the building of capacity for HPSR in the region and other countries and provide a roadmap for academic/research institutions interested in HPSR in the region.

Patterns of practice of regional nodal irradiation in breast cancer: results of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) NOdal Radiotherapy (NORA) survey.

PubMed

Belkacemi, Y; Kaidar-Person, O; Poortmans, P; Ozsahin, M; Valli, M-C; Russell, N; Kunkler, I; Hermans, J; Kuten, A; van Tienhoven, G; Westenberg, H

2015-03-01

Predicting outcome of breast cancer (BC) patients based on sentinel lymph node (SLN) status without axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) is an area of uncertainty. It influences the decision-making for regional nodal irradiation (RNI). The aim of the NORA (NOdal RAdiotherapy) survey was to examine the patterns of RNI. A web-questionnaire, including several clinical scenarios, was distributed to 88 EORTC-affiliated centers. Responses were received between July 2013 and January 2014. A total of 84 responses were analyzed. While three-dimensional (3D) radiotherapy (RT) planning is carried out in 81 (96%) centers, nodal areas are delineated in only 51 (61%) centers. Only 14 (17%) centers routinely link internal mammary chain (IMC) and supraclavicular node (SCN) RT indications. In patients undergoing total mastectomy (TM) with ALND, SCN-RT is recommend by 5 (6%), 53 (63%) and 51 (61%) centers for patients with pN0(i+), pN(mi) and pN1, respectively. Extra-capsular extension (ECE) is the main factor influencing decision-making RNI after breast conserving surgery (BCS) and TM. After primary systemic therapy (PST), 49 (58%) centers take into account nodal fibrotic changes in ypN0 patients for RNI indications. In ypN0 patients with inner/central tumors, 23 (27%) centers indicate SCN-RT and IMC-RT. In ypN1 patients, SCN-RT is delivered by less than half of the centers in patients with ypN(i+) and ypN(mi). Twenty-one (25%) of the centers recommend ALN-RT in patients with ypN(mi) or 1-2N+ after ALND. Seventy-five (90%) centers state that age is not considered a limiting factor for RNI. The NORA survey is unique in evaluating the impact of SLNB/ALND status on adjuvant RNI decision-making and volumes after BCS/TM with or without PST. ALN-RT is often indicated in pN1 patients, particularly in the case of ECE. Besides the ongoing NSABP-B51/RTOG and ALLIANCE trials, NORA could help to design future specific RNI trials in the SLNB era without ALND in patients receiving or not PST. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Mathematical Formalism for Designing Wide-Field X-Ray Telescopes: Mirror Nodal Positions and Detector Tilts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elsner, R. F.; O'Dell, S. L.; Ramsey, B. D.; Weisskopf, M. C.

2011-01-01

We provide a mathematical formalism for optimizing the mirror nodal positions along the optical axis and the tilt of a commonly employed detector configuration at the focus of a x-ray telescope consisting of nested mirror shells with known mirror surface prescriptions. We adopt the spatial resolution averaged over the field-of-view as the figure of merit M. A more complete description appears in our paper in these proceedings.

Evaluation of cervical lymph nodes in head and neck cancer with CT and MRI: tips, traps, and a systematic approach.

PubMed

Hoang, Jenny K; Vanka, Jyotsna; Ludwig, Benjamin J; Glastonbury, Christine M

2013-01-01

In this article, we present a 4-step approach to evaluating lymph nodes in the setting of head and neck squamous cell and thyroid carcinoma and highlight important tips and traps. The presence and extent of nodal metastases in head and neck cancer has a great impact on treatment and prognosis. Pretreatment CT and MRI of the neck are commonly performed to evaluate for nodal metastases.

Rehabilitation R&D Progress Reports 1996, Volume 34, May 1997

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-05-01

Arlington, VA 22230 PURPOSE!—Atrioventricular (AV) nodal alternans is a pathological cardiac condition characterized by a beat - to- beat alternation...regime where the AV nodal conduc- tion time alternated on a beat -to- beat basis. After using additive white noise to learn the dynamics of the underly... binaurally accord- ing to the NAL-R prescriptive formula. These groups will be followed over a period of 6 months and tested at monthly intervals. At each

Theoretical and Experimental Evidence for a Nodal Energy Gap in MgB2

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-02-17

1   Theoretical and Experimental Evidence for a Nodal Energy Gap in MgB2 Y. Dan Agassia and Daniel E. Oatesb aConsultant, Jerusalem, Israel bMIT...surface impedance and intermodulation distortion in high-quality thin films. We briefly review experimental evidence in support of our hypothesis and...demonstrates, this experimental evidence agrees with the l = 6 hypothesis, while inconsistent with s-wave symmetry. To give the l = 6 hypothesis a

Laminated Composite Shell Element Using Absolute Nodal Coordinate Formulation and Its Application to ANCF Tire Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-24

Paramsothy Jayakumar US Army TARDEC 6501 E. 11 Mile Road Warren, MI 48397-5000 Hiroyuki Sugiyama Department of Mechanical and Industrial...Part 2: Development of a Physical Tyre Model", Vehicle System Dynamics, vol. 50, pp. 339-356. [4] Sugiyama, H., Yamashita, H. and Jayakumar , P., 2014... Jayakumar , P. and Sugiyama, H., "Continuum Mechanics Based Bi-Linear Shear Deformable Shell Element using Absolute Nodal Coordinate Formulation", ASME

The Role of Cerl2 in the Establishment of Left-Right Asymmetries during Axis Formation and Heart Development

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The formation of the asymmetric left-right (LR) body axis is one of the fundamental aspects of vertebrate embryonic development, and one still raising passionate discussions among scientists. Although the conserved role of nodal is unquestionable in this process, several of the details around this signaling cascade are still unanswered. To further understand this mechanism, we have been studying Cerberus-like 2 (Cerl2), an inhibitor of Nodal, and its role in the generation of asymmetries in the early vertebrate embryo. The absence of Cerl2 results in a wide spectrum of malformations commonly known as heterotaxia, which comprises defects in either global organ position (e.g., situs inversus totalis), reversed orientation of at least one organ (e.g., situs ambiguus), and mirror images of usually asymmetric paired organs (e.g., left or right isomerisms of the lungs). Moreover, these laterality defects are frequently associated with congenital heart diseases (e.g., transposition of the great arteries, or atrioventricular septal defects). Here, reviewing the knowledge on the establishment of LR asymmetry in mouse embryos, the emerging conclusion is that as necessary as is the activation of the Nodal signaling cascade, the tight control that Cerl2-mediates on Nodal signaling is equally important, and that generates a further regionalized LR genetic program in the proper time and space. PMID:29367552

A diagnosis model for early Tourette syndrome children based on brain structural network characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Hongwei; Liu, Yue; Wang, Jieqiong; Zhang, Jishui; Peng, Yun; He, Huiguang

2016-03-01

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a childhood-onset neurobehavioral disorder characterized by the presence of multiple motor and vocal tics. Tic generation has been linked to disturbed networks of brain areas involved in planning, controlling and execution of action. The aim of our work is to select topological characteristics of structural network which were most efficient for estimating the classification models to identify early TS children. Here we employed the diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and deterministic tractography to construct the structural networks of 44 TS children and 48 age and gender matched healthy children. We calculated four different connection matrices (fiber number, mean FA, averaged fiber length weighted and binary matrices) and then applied graph theoretical methods to extract the regional nodal characteristics of structural network. For each weighted or binary network, nodal degree, nodal efficiency and nodal betweenness were selected as features. Support Vector Machine Recursive Feature Extraction (SVM-RFE) algorithm was used to estimate the best feature subset for classification. The accuracy of 88.26% evaluated by a nested cross validation was achieved on combing best feature subset of each network characteristic. The identified discriminative brain nodes mostly located in the basal ganglia and frontal cortico-cortical networks involved in TS children which was associated with tic severity. Our study holds promise for early identification and predicting prognosis of TS children.

[Alterations of brain network efficiency in patients with post-concussion syndrome].

PubMed

Peng, Nan; Qian, Ruobing; Fu, Xianming; Li, Shunli; Kang, Zhiqiang; Lin, Bin; Ji, Xuebing; Wei, Xiangpin; Niu, Chaoshi; Wang, Yehan

2015-07-07

To discuss the alterations of brain network efficiency in patients with post-concussion syndrome. A total of 23 patients from Anhui Provincial Hospital in the period from 2013/6 to 2014/3 who have had the concussion for 3 months were enrolled and 23 volunteers paired in sex, age and education were also enrolled as healthy controls. Comparisons of selective attention of both groups were conducted using Stroop Word-Color Test. The data of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in both groups were collected and the data were dealt with Network Construction which is a part of GRETNA software to obtain the Matrix of brain network. Network analysis was used to obtain Global and Nodal efficiency, then independent t-test was used for statistical analyses of the value of Global and Nodal efficiency. The difference in Global efficiency of two groups in every threshold value had no statistical significance. Compared with healthy controls, the Nodal efficiencies in patients with post-concussion syndrome were significantly different in the brain regions as below: left orbital middle frontal gyrus, left posterior cingulate, left lingual, left thalamus, left superior temporal gyrus, right anterior cingulate, right posterior cingulate, right supramarginalgyrus. Compared with healthy controls, there is no significant changes of Globe efficiency in patients with post-concussion syndrome, and the brain function deficits in these patients may be caused by changes of Nodal efficiency in their brain network.

Disrupted topological organization in whole-brain functional networks of heroin-dependent individuals: a resting-state FMRI study.

PubMed

Jiang, Guihua; Wen, Xue; Qiu, Yingwei; Zhang, Ruibin; Wang, Junjing; Li, Meng; Ma, Xiaofen; Tian, Junzhang; Huang, Ruiwang

2013-01-01

Neuroimaging studies have shown that heroin addiction is related to abnormalities in widespread local regions and in the functional connectivity of the brain. However, little is known about whether heroin addiction changes the topological organization of whole-brain functional networks. Seventeen heroin-dependent individuals (HDIs) and 15 age-, gender-matched normal controls (NCs) were enrolled, and the resting-state functional magnetic resonance images (RS-fMRI) were acquired from these subjects. We constructed the brain functional networks of HDIs and NCs, and compared the between-group differences in network topological properties using graph theory method. We found that the HDIs showed decreases in the normalized clustering coefficient and in small-worldness compared to the NCs. Furthermore, the HDIs exhibited significantly decreased nodal centralities primarily in regions of cognitive control network, including the bilateral middle cingulate gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus, and right precuneus, but significantly increased nodal centralities primarily in the left hippocampus. The between-group differences in nodal centralities were not corrected by multiple comparisons suggesting these should be considered as an exploratory analysis. Moreover, nodal centralities in the left hippocampus were positively correlated with the duration of heroin addiction. Overall, our results indicated that disruptions occur in the whole-brain functional networks of HDIs, findings which may be helpful in further understanding the mechanisms underlying heroin addiction.

Surface and 3D Quantum Hall Effects from Engineering of Exceptional Points in Nodal-Line Semimetals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molina, Rafael A.; González, José

2018-04-01

We show that, under a strong magnetic field, a 3D nodal-line semimetal is driven into a topological insulating phase in which the electronic transport takes place at the surface of the material. When the magnetic field is perpendicular to the nodal ring, the surface states of the semimetal are transmuted into Landau states which correspond to exceptional points, i.e., branch points in the spectrum of a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian which arise upon the extension to complex values of the momentum. The complex structure of the spectrum then allows us to express the number of zero-energy flat bands in terms of a new topological invariant counting the number of exceptional points. When the magnetic field is parallel to the nodal ring, we find that the bulk states are built from the pairing of surfacelike evanescent waves, giving rise to a 3D quantum Hall effect with a flat level of Landau states residing in parallel 2D slices of the 3D material. The Hall conductance is quantized in either case in units of e2/h , leading in the 3D Hall effect to a number of channels growing linearly with the section of the surface and opening the possibility to observe a macroscopic chiral current at the surface of the material.

Plasticity in nodal root elongation through the hardpan triggered by rewatering during soil moisture fluctuation stress in rice.

PubMed

Suralta, Roel Rodriguez; Niones, Jonathan Manito; Kano-Nakata, Mana; Thi Tran, Thiem; Mitsuya, Shiro; Yamauchi, Akira

2018-03-12

Rainfed lowland (RFL) rice fields have hardpans and experience soil moisture fluctuations (SMF) stress, which influence root system development. Here, we clarify the expression and timing of the plasticity in nodal root elongation through the hardpan under SMF and its contribution to shoot growth using a shallow-rooting IR64 and its deep-rooting introgression line, YTH304. Under SMF, soil moisture content had negative relationship with soil penetration resistance, regardless of hardpan bulk densities. YTH304 had greater root system below the hardpan than IR64 in hardpan with 1.50 but not in 1.70 g cm -3 bulk density (BD). YTH304 had greater plasticity in nodal root elongation through the hardpan than IR64 under SMF, which was clearly expressed during rewatering. YTH304 also had greater soil water uptake below the hardpan during drought and greater shoot growth than IR64. The results imply that deep root system development during SMF was due to the plasticity in nodal root elongation through the hardpan expressed during rewatering rather than during drought periods. This is against the long standing belief that active root elongation through the hardpan happens during drought. This also implies a need to revisit current root screening methods to identify rice lines with good hardpan penetration ability.

Effect of Resting-State fNIRS Scanning Duration on Functional Brain Connectivity and Graph Theory Metrics of Brain Network.

PubMed

Geng, Shujie; Liu, Xiangyu; Biswal, Bharat B; Niu, Haijing

2017-01-01

As an emerging brain imaging technique, functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) has attracted widespread attention for advancing resting-state functional connectivity (FC) and graph theoretical analyses of brain networks. However, it remains largely unknown how the duration of the fNIRS signal scanning is related to stable and reproducible functional brain network features. To answer this question, we collected resting-state fNIRS signals (10-min duration, two runs) from 18 participants and then truncated the hemodynamic time series into 30-s time bins that ranged from 1 to 10 min. Measures of nodal efficiency, nodal betweenness, network local efficiency, global efficiency, and clustering coefficient were computed for each subject at each fNIRS signal acquisition duration. Analyses of the stability and between-run reproducibility were performed to identify optimal time length for each measure. We found that the FC, nodal efficiency and nodal betweenness stabilized and were reproducible after 1 min of fNIRS signal acquisition, whereas network clustering coefficient, local and global efficiencies stabilized after 1 min and were reproducible after 5 min of fNIRS signal acquisition for only local and global efficiencies. These quantitative results provide direct evidence regarding the choice of the resting-state fNIRS scanning duration for functional brain connectivity and topological metric stability of brain network connectivity.

Ringin' the water bell: dynamic modes of curved fluid sheets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolinski, John; Aharoni, Hillel; Fineberg, Jay; Sharon, Eran

2015-11-01

A water bell is formed by fluid flowing in a thin, coherent sheet in the shape of a bell. Experimentally, a water bell is created via the impact of a cylindrical jet on a flat surface. Its shape is set by the splash angle (the separation angle) of the resulting cylindrically symmetric water sheet. The separation angle is altered by adjusting the height of a lip surrounding the impact point, as in a water sprinkler. We drive the lip's height sinusoidally, altering the separation angle, and ringin' the water bell. This forcing generates disturbances on the steady-state water bell that propagate forward and backward in the fluid's reference frame at well-defined velocities, and interact, resulting in the emergence of an interference pattern unique to each steady-state geometry. We analytically model these dynamics by linearizing the amplitude of the bell's response about the underlying curved geometry. This simple model predicts the nodal structure over a wide range of steady-state water bell configurations and driving frequencies. Due to the curved water bell geometry, the nodal structure is quite complex; nevertheless, the predicted nodal structure agrees extremely well with the experimental data. When we drive the bell beyond perturbative separation angles, the nodal locations surprisingly persist, despite the strikingly altered underlying water bell shape. At extreme driving amplitudes the water sheet assumes a rich variety of tortuous, non-convex shapes; nevertheless, the fluid sheet remains intact.

Incidence of isolated nodal failure in non-small cell lung cancer patients included in a prospective study of the value of PET-CT.

PubMed

Kolodziejczyk, Milena; Bujko, Krzysztof; Michalski, Wojciech; Kepka, Lucyna

2012-07-01

Elective nodal irradiation (ENI) is not recommended in PET-CT-based radiotherapy for NSCLC despite a low level of evidence to support such guidelines. The aim of this investigation is to find out whether omitting ENI is safe. Sixty-seven patients treated within a frame of a previously published prospective trial of the value of PET-CT were included in the analysis. Seventeen (25%) patients received ENI due to higher initial nodal involvement and in the remaining 50 patients (75%) with N0-N1 or single N2 disease ENI was omitted. Isolated nodal failure (INF) was recorded if relapse occurred in the initially uninvolved regional lymph node without previous or simultaneous local recurrence regardless of the status of distant metastases. With a median follow-up of 32 months, the estimated 3-year overall survival was 42%, local progression-free interval was 55%, and distant metastases-free interval was 62%. Three patients developed INF; all had ENI omitted from treatment, giving a final result of three INFs in 50 (6%) patients treated without ENI. In this group of patients, the 3-year cause-specific cumulative incidence of INF was 6.4% (95% confidence interval: 0-17%). The omission of ENI appears to be not as safe as suggested by current recommendations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lymphovascular Invasion Increases the Risk of Nodal and Distant Recurrence in Node-Negative Stage I-IIA Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

PubMed

Sung, Soo Yoon; Kwak, Yoo-Kang; Lee, Sea-Won; Jo, In Young; Park, Jae Kil; Kim, Kyung Soo; Lee, Kyo Young; Kim, Yeon-Sil

2018-05-30

Despite complete surgical resection, 30-40% of patients with stage I-IIA non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have recurrences. We aimed to elucidate the effect of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) on the prognosis and patterns of recurrence in patients with pathologically confirmed T1-2N0 NSCLC. We evaluated 381 patients who underwent complete resection and were diagnosed with pathologic T1-2N0 NSCLC between March 2000 and January 2012. Local recurrence, nodal recurrence, and distant metastasis were defined and analyzed. LVI was present in 72 patients (18.9%). The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) for all patients was 69.9%. Patients with LVI showed a significant decrease in 5-year DFS (47.3 vs. 74.4%, p < 0.001). LVI was a significant prognostic predictor in multivariate analysis (p = 0.003). The patients with LVI showed a significantly increased 5-year cumulative incidence of nodal recurrence (22.5 vs. 8.7%, p < 0.001) and distant metastasis (30.4 vs. 14.9%, p = 0.004). However, no difference was shown between the two groups in the 5-year cumulative incidence of local recurrence (p = 0.416). LVI is a negative prognostic factor in patients with stage I-IIA NSCLC. The presence of LVI significantly increases the risk of nodal and distant recurrence. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Rectal cancer staging: focus on the prognostic significance of the findings described by high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Abstract High-resolution (HR) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become an indispensable tool for multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) addressing rectal cancer. It provides anatomic information for surgical planning and allows patients to be stratified into different groups according to the risk of local and distant recurrence. One of the objectives of the MDT is the preoperative identification of high-risk patients who will benefit from neoadjuvant treatment. For this reason, the correct evaluation of the circumferential resection margin (CRM), the depth of tumor spread beyond the muscularis propria, extramural vascular invasion and nodal status is of the utmost importance. Low rectal tumors represent a special challenge for the MDT, because decisions seek a balance between oncologic safety, in the pursuit of free resection margins, and the patient’s quality of life, in order to preserve sphincter function. At present, the exchange of information between the different specialties involved in dealing with patients with rectal cancer can rank the contribution of colleagues, auditing their work and incorporating knowledge that will lead to a better understanding of the pathology. Thus, beyond the anatomic description of the images, the radiologist’s role in the MDT makes it necessary to know the prognostic value of the findings that we describe, in terms of recurrence and survival, because these findings affect decision making and, therefore, the patients’ life. In this review, the usefulness of HR MRI in the initial staging of rectal cancer and in the evaluation of neoadjuvant treatment, with a focus on the prognostic value of the findings, is described as well as the contribution of HR MRI in assessing patients with suspected or confirmed recurrence of rectal cancer. PMID:23876415

Rectal cancer staging: focus on the prognostic significance of the findings described by high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Dieguez, Adriana

2013-07-22

High-resolution (HR) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become an indispensable tool for multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) addressing rectal cancer. It provides anatomic information for surgical planning and allows patients to be stratified into different groups according to the risk of local and distant recurrence. One of the objectives of the MDT is the preoperative identification of high-risk patients who will benefit from neoadjuvant treatment. For this reason, the correct evaluation of the circumferential resection margin (CRM), the depth of tumor spread beyond the muscularis propria, extramural vascular invasion and nodal status is of the utmost importance. Low rectal tumors represent a special challenge for the MDT, because decisions seek a balance between oncologic safety, in the pursuit of free resection margins, and the patient's quality of life, in order to preserve sphincter function. At present, the exchange of information between the different specialties involved in dealing with patients with rectal cancer can rank the contribution of colleagues, auditing their work and incorporating knowledge that will lead to a better understanding of the pathology. Thus, beyond the anatomic description of the images, the radiologist's role in the MDT makes it necessary to know the prognostic value of the findings that we describe, in terms of recurrence and survival, because these findings affect decision making and, therefore, the patients' life. In this review, the usefulness of HR MRI in the initial staging of rectal cancer and in the evaluation of neoadjuvant treatment, with a focus on the prognostic value of the findings, is described as well as the contribution of HR MRI in assessing patients with suspected or confirmed recurrence of rectal cancer.

Doping dependence of low-energy quasiparticle excitations in superconducting Bi2212

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

The doping-dependent evolution of the d-wave superconducting state is studied from the perspective of the angle-resolved photoemission spectra of a high-Tc cuprate, Bi2Sr2CaCu2 O8+δ (Bi2212). The anisotropic evolution of the energy gap for Bogoliubov quasiparticles is parametrized by critical temperature and superfluid density. The renormalization of nodal quasiparticles is evaluated in terms of mass enhancement spectra. These quantities shed light on the strong coupling nature of electron pairing and the impact of forward elastic or inelastic scatterings. We suggest that the quasiparticle excitations in the superconducting cuprates are profoundly affected by doping-dependent screening. PMID:24314035

Suggestions for Lymph Node Classification of UICC/AJCC Staging System: A Retrospective Study Based on 1197 Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients Treated With Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy

PubMed Central

Guo, Qiaojuan; Pan, Jianji; Zong, Jingfeng; Zheng, Wei; Zhang, Chun; Tang, Linbo; Chen, Bijuan; Cui, Xiaofei; Xiao, Youping; Chen, Yunbin; Lin, Shaojun

2015-01-01

Abstract This article provides suggestions for N classification of Union for International Cancer Control/American Joint Committee on Cancer (UICC/AJCC) staging system of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), purely based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) era. A total of 1197 nonmetastatic NPC patients treated with IMRT were enrolled, and all were scanned by MRI at nasopharynx and neck before treatment. MRI-based nodal variables including level, laterality, maximal axial diameter (MAD), extracapsular spread (ECS), and necrosis were analyzed as potential prognostic factors. Modifications of N classification were then proposed and verified. Only nodal level and laterality were considered to be significant variables affecting the treatment outcome. N classification was thus proposed accordingly: N0, no regional lymph node (LN) metastasis; N1, retropharyngeal LNs involvement (regardless of laterality), and/or unilateral levels I, II, III, and/or Va involvement; N2, bilateral levels I, II, III, and/or Va involvement; and N3, levels IV, Vb, and Vc involvement. This proposal showed significant predicting value in multivariate analysis. N3 patients indicated relatively inferior overall survival (OS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) than N2 patients; however, the difference showed no statistical significance (P = 0.673 and 0.265 for OS and DMFS, respectively), and this was considered to be correlated with the small sample sizes of N3 patients (79 patients, 6.6%). Nodal level and laterality, but not MAD, ECS, and necrosis, were considered to be significant predicting factors for NPC. The proposed N classification was proved to be powerfully predictive in our cohort; however, treatment outcome of the proposed N2 and N3 patients could not differ significantly from each other. This insignificance may be because of the small sample sizes of N3 patients. Our results are based on a single-center data, to develop a new N classification that is universally acceptable; further verification by data from multicenter is warranted. PMID:25997052

PROGRESS TOWARDS NEXT GENERATION, WAVEFORM BASED THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODELS AND METRICS TO IMPROVE NUCLEAR EXPLOSION MONITORING IN THE MIDDLE EAST

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Savage, B; Peter, D; Covellone, B

2009-07-02

Efforts to update current wave speed models of the Middle East require a thoroughly tested database of sources and recordings. Recordings of seismic waves traversing the region from Tibet to the Red Sea will be the principal metric in guiding improvements to the current wave speed model. Precise characterizations of the earthquakes, specifically depths and faulting mechanisms, are essential to avoid mapping source errors into the refined wave speed model. Errors associated with the source are manifested in amplitude and phase changes. Source depths and paths near nodal planes are particularly error prone as small changes may severely affect themore » resulting wavefield. Once sources are quantified, regions requiring refinement will be highlighted using adjoint tomography methods based on spectral element simulations [Komatitsch and Tromp (1999)]. An initial database of 250 regional Middle Eastern events from 1990-2007, was inverted for depth and focal mechanism using teleseismic arrivals [Kikuchi and Kanamori (1982)] and regional surface and body waves [Zhao and Helmberger (1994)]. From this initial database, we reinterpreted a large, well recorded subset of 201 events through a direct comparison between data and synthetics based upon a centroid moment tensor inversion [Liu et al. (2004)]. Evaluation was done using both a 1D reference model [Dziewonski and Anderson (1981)] at periods greater than 80 seconds and a 3D model [Kustowski et al. (2008)] at periods of 25 seconds and longer. The final source reinterpretations will be within the 3D model, as this is the initial starting point for the adjoint tomography. Transitioning from a 1D to 3D wave speed model shows dramatic improvements when comparisons are done at shorter periods, (25 s). Synthetics from the 1D model were created through mode summations while those from the 3D simulations were created using the spectral element method. To further assess errors in source depth and focal mechanism, comparisons between the three methods were made. These comparisons help to identify problematic stations and sources which may bias the final solution. Estimates of standard errors were generated for each event's source depth and focal mechanism to identify poorly constrained events. A final, well characterized set of sources and stations will be then used to iteratively improve the wave speed model of the Middle East. After a few iterations during the adjoint inversion process, the sources will be reexamined and relocated to further reduce mapping of source errors into structural features. Finally, efforts continue in developing the infrastructure required to 'quickly' generate event kernels at the n-th iteration and invert for a new, (n+1)-th, wave speed model of the Middle East. While development of the infrastructure proceeds, initial tests using a limited number of events shows the 3D model, while showing vast improvement compared to the 1D model, still requires substantial modifications. Employing our new, full source set and iterating the adjoint inversions at successively shorter periods will lead to significant changes and refined wave speed structures of the Middle East.« less

Lymph node density vs. the American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM nodal staging system in node-positive bladder cancer in patients undergoing extended or super-extended pelvic lymphadenectomy.

PubMed

Lee, Donghyun; Yoo, Sangjun; You, Dalsan; Hong, Bumsik; Cho, Yong Mee; Hong, Jun Hyuk; Kim, Choung-Soo; Ahn, Hanjonh; Ro, Jae Y; Jeong, In Gab

2017-04-01

We compared the prognostic value of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM nodal staging system with that of lymph node (LN) density in patients with LN-positive bladder cancer who received extended or super-extended pelvic lymphadenectomy. Of the 1,018 patients, who underwent radical cystectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy between February 2005 and August 2014, 110 patients with LN metastases with extended (n = 68) or super-extended (n = 42) pelvic lymphadenectomy were included. All patients were staged using the 2002 (sixth edition) and 2010 (seventh edition) AJCC TNM staging systems. The association of several variables with recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) was evaluated. The median number of total LNs removed was 29 (6-118) and the median LN density was 12.5% (1.6%-100%). RFS and OS were not significantly different between the 2002 (pN1-pM1) and 2010 (pN1-N3) AJCC TNM nodal staging systems (sixth edition: P = 0.512 and P = 0.519; seventh edition: P = 0.676 and P = 0.671, respectively). The 2-year RFS and OS rates according to the LN density quartiles were 58.5% and 76.9% in Q1, 39.1% and 70.8% in Q2, 28.8% and 50.1% in Q3, and 12.7% and 20.8% in Q4 (P = 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis adjusted for the 2010 AJCC TNM staging system showed that LN density was associated with a decreased OS (HR = 1.024; 95% CI: 1.010-1.039; P = 0.001). The nodal staging system (2002 or 2010) was not associated with the RFS and OS. LN density shows a better prognostic value than the AJCC TNM nodal staging system in patients with LN-positive bladder cancer receiving extended or super-extended pelvic lymphadenectomy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PITX2 and NODAL expression during axis formation in the early rabbit embryo.

PubMed

Plöger, Ruben; Viebahn, Christoph

2018-04-26

Attaining molecular and morphological axial polarity during gastrulation is a fundamental early requirement for normal development of the embryo. In mammals, the first morphological sign of the anterior-posterior axis appears anteriorly in the form of the anterior marginal crescent (or anterior visceral endoderm) while in the avian the first such sign is the Koller's sickle at the posterior pole of the embryonic disc. Despite this inverse mode of axis formation many genes and molecular pathways involved in various steps of this process seem to be evolutionary conserved amongst amniotes, the nodal gene being a well-known example with its functional involvement prior and during gastrulation. The pitx2 gene, however, is a new candidate described in the chick as an early marker for anterior-posterior polarity and as regulator of axis formation including twinning. To find out whether pitx2 has retained its inductive and early marker function during the evolution of mammals, this study analyzes pitx2 and nodal expression at parallel stages during formation of the anterior-posterior polarity in the early rabbit embryo using whole-mount in situ hybridization and serial light-microscopical sections. At a late pre-gastrulation stage a localized reduction of nodal expression presages the position of the anterior pole of the embryonic disc and thus serves as the earliest molecular marker of anterior-posterior polarity known so far. pitx2 is expressed in a polarized manner in the anterior marginal crescent and in the posterior half of the embryonic disc during further development only while nodal expression in the anterior segment of the posterior pitx2 expression domain helps to define the so-called anterior streak domain (ASD), a novel progenitor region of the anterior half of the primitive streak. The expression patterns of both genes thus serve as signs of a conserved involvement in early axis formation in amniotes and, possibly, in twinning in mammals as well. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Is there a benefit to adjuvant radiation in stage III penile cancer after lymph node dissection? Findings from the National Cancer Database.

PubMed

Winters, Brian R; Kearns, James T; Holt, Sarah K; Mossanen, Matthew; Lin, Daniel W; Wright, Jonathan L

2018-03-01

The role of adjuvant radiation in advanced penile cancer (PC) is unknown. We used the National Cancer Database (NCDB) to determine factors associated with receiving adjuvant radiation (aXRT) and their influence on prognosis in men who underwent inguinal lymph node dissection (ILND) for stage III disease. We queried the NCDB from 1998-2012 for all men with PC who had pathologic nodal status and aXRT data available. Clinical and pathologic variables associated with aXRT were examined using chi-square testing. Logistic regression evaluated the odds of receiving aXRT while multivariate Cox regression analysis evaluated the influence of aXRT on overall survival (OS). A total of 589 patients underwent ILND for stage III PC with 23% (N = 136) receiving aXRT. Mean age was 61.8 ±13.7 years. Factors associated with receiving aXRT included higher pathologic nodal stage (MV OR 1.85, 95% CI: 1.13-3.05), while greater distance of travel (MV OR 0.48, 95% CI: 0.25-0.92), and treatment in an academic setting (MV OR 0.53, 95% CI: 0.35-0.81) were inversely associated with receiving aXRT. On Cox regression analysis, aXRT improved OS (combined HR 0.58, 95% CI: 0.39-0.86), which appeared to have been driven by higher nodal burden (N2: HR 0.53, 95% CI: 0.32-0.88; N1: HR 1.36, 95% CI: 0.60-3.09). Determinants of aXRT delivery in stage III PC appear to be related to the proximity to community cancer centers and greater nodal burden. We find evidence of a survival benefit with the use of aXRT, particularly in those with higher nodal stage. Multi-institutional studies are needed to confirm these findings and improve treatment algorithms for high-stage PC. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preoperative axillary lymph node evaluation in breast cancer patients by breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Can breast MRI exclude advanced nodal disease?

PubMed

Hyun, Su Jeong; Kim, Eun-Kyung; Moon, Hee Jung; Yoon, Jung Hyun; Kim, Min Jung

2016-11-01

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in preoperative evaluation of axillary lymph node metastasis (ALNM) in breast cancer patients and to assess whether breast MRI can be used to exclude advanced nodal disease. A total of 425 patients were included in this study and breast MRI findings were retrospectively reviewed. The diagnostic performance of breast MRI for diagnosis of ALNM was evaluated in all patients, patients with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), and those without NAC (no-NAC). We evaluated whether negative MRI findings (cN0) can exclude advanced nodal disease (pN2-pN3) using the negative predictive value (NPV) in each group. The sensitivity and NPV of breast MRI in evaluation of ALNM was 51.3 % (60/117) and 83.3 % (284/341), respectively. For cN0 cases on MRI, pN2-pN3 manifested in 1.8 % (6/341) of the overall patients, 0.4 % (1/257) of the no-NAC group, and 6 % (5/84) of the NAC group. The NPV of negative MRI findings for exclusion of pN2-pN3 was higher for the no-NAC group than for the NAC group (99.6 % vs. 94.0 %, p = 0.039). Negative MRI findings (cN0) can exclude the presence of advanced nodal disease with an NPV of 99.6 % in the no-NAC group. • Breast MRI can be used to exclude advanced nodal disease (pN2-3). • Negative MRI allows breast cancer patients to avoid unnecessary axillary surgery (98.2 %). • Negative MRI findings exclude 99.6 % of pN2-pN3 in the no-NAC group. • Negative MRI findings exclude 96.0 % of pN2-pN3 in the NAC group.

The role of elective nodal irradiation for esthesioneuroblastoma patients with clinically negative neck.

PubMed

Jiang, Wen; Mohamed, Abdallah S R; Fuller, Clifton David; Kim, Betty Y S; Tang, Chad; Gunn, G Brandon; Hanna, Ehab Y; Frank, Steven J; Su, Shirley Y; Diaz, Eduardo; Kupferman, Michael E; Beadle, Beth M; Morrison, William H; Skinner, Heath; Lai, Stephen Y; El-Naggar, Adel K; DeMonte, Franco; Rosenthal, David I; Garden, Adam S; Phan, Jack

2016-01-01

Although adjuvant radiation to the tumor bed has been reported to improve the clinic outcomes of esthesioneuroblastoma (ENB) patients, the role of elective neck irradiation (ENI) in clinically node-negative (N0) patients remains controversial. Here, we evaluated the effects of ENI on neck nodal relapse risk in ENB patients treated with radiation therapy as a component of multimodality treatment. Seventy-one N0 ENB patients irradiated at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center between 1970 and 2013 were identified. ENI was performed on 22 of these patients (31%). Survival analysis was performed with focus on comparative outcomes of those patients who did and did not receive ENI. The median follow-up time for our cohort is 80.8 months (range, 6-350 months). Among N0 patients, 13 (18.3%) developed neck nodal relapses, with a median time to progression of 62.5 months. None of these 13 patients received prophylactic neck irradiation. ENI was associated with significantly improved regional nodal control at 5 years (regional control rate of 100% for ENI vs 82%, P < .001), but not overall survival or disease-free survival. Eleven patients without ENI developed isolated neck recurrences. All had further treatment for their neck disease, including neck dissection (n = 10), radiation (n = 10), or chemotherapy (n = 5). Six of these 11 patients (54.5%) demonstrated no evidence of further recurrence with a median follow-up of 55.5 months. ENI significantly reduces the risk of cervical nodal recurrence in ENB patients with clinically N0 neck, but this did not translate to a survival benefit. Multimodality treatment for isolated neck recurrence provides a reasonable salvage rate. The greatest benefit for ENI appeared to be among younger patients who presented with Kadish C disease. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Radiation Oncology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The role of elective-nodal irradiation for esthesioneuroblastoma patients with clinically negative neck

PubMed Central

Jiang, Wen; Mohamed, Abdallah Sherif; Fuller, Clifton David; Kim, Betty Y.S.; Tang, Chad; Gunn, G. Brandon; Hanna, Ehab Y.; Frank, Steven J.; Su, Shirley Y.; Diaz, Eduardo; Kupferman, Michael E.; Beadle, Beth M.; Morrison, William H.; Skinner, Heath; Lai, Stephen Y.; El-Naggar, Adel K.; DeMonte, Franco; Rosenthal, David I.; Garden, Adam S.; Phan, Jack

2017-01-01

Purpose Although adjuvant radiation to the tumor bed has been reported to improve the clinic outcomes of esthesioneuroblastoma (ENB) patients, the role of elective neck irradiation (ENI) in clinically node negative (N0) patients remains controversial. Here, we evaluated the effects of ENI on neck nodal relapse risk in ENB patients treated with radiotherapy as a component of multi-modality treatment. Methods and Materials Seventy-one N0 ENB patients irradiated at XXXXXXXXX between 1970 and 2013 were identified. ENI was performed on 22 of these patients (31%). Survival analysis was performed with focus on comparative outcomes of those patients who did and did not receive ENI. Results The median follow up time for our cohort is 80.8 months (range 6 – 350 month). Among N0 patients, 13 (18.3%) developed neck nodal relapses, with a median time to progression of 62.5 months. None of these 13 patients received prophylactic neck irradiation. ENI was associated with significantly improved regional nodal control at 5-year (regional control rate of 100% for ENI vs 82%, p < 0.001), but not overall survival or disease-free survival. Eleven patients without ENI developed isolated neck recurrences. All had further treatment for their neck disease, including neck dissection (n=10), radiation (n=10), or chemotherapy (n=5). Six of these 11 patients (54.5%) demonstrated no evidence of further recurrence with a median follow up of 55.5 month. Conclusion ENI significantly reduces the risk of cervical nodal recurrence in ENB patients with clinically N0 neck but this did not translate to a survival benefit. Multimodality treatment for isolated neck recurrence provides a reasonable salvage rate. The greatest benefit for ENI appeared to be among younger patients who presented with Kadish C disease. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings. PMID:26979544

Three-dimensional conformal radiation for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with involved-field irradiation may deliver considerable doses of incidental nodal irradiation

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background To quantify the incidental irradiation dose to esophageal lymph node stations when irradiating T1-4N0M0 thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients with a dose of 60 Gy/30f. Methods Thirty-nine patients with medically inoperable T1–4N0M0 thoracic ESCC were treated with three-dimensional conformal radiation (3DCRT) with involved-field radiation (IFI). The conformal clinical target volume (CTV) was re-created using a 3-cm margin in the proximal and distal direction beyond the barium esophagogram, endoscopic examination and CT scan defined the gross tumor volume (GTV) and a 0.5-cm margin in the lateral and anteroposterior directions of the CT scan-defined GTV. The PTV encompassed 1-cm proximal and distal margins and 0.5-cm radial margin based on the CTV. Nodal regions were delineated using the Japanese Society for Esophageal Diseases (JSED) guidelines and an EORTC-ROG expert opinion. The equivalent uniform dose (EUD) and other dosimetric parameters were calculated for each nodal station. Nodal regions with a metastasis rate greater than 5% were considered a high-risk lymph node subgroup. Results Under a 60 Gy dosage, the median Dmean and EUD was greater than 40 Gy in most high-risk nodal regions except for regions of 104, 106tb-R in upper-thoracic ESCC and 101, 104-R, 105, 106rec-L, 2, 3&7 in middle-thoracic ESCC and 107, 3&7 in lower-thoracic ESCC. In the regions with an EUD less than 40Gy, most incidental irradiation doses were significantly associated with esophageal tumor length and location. Conclusions Lymph node stations near ESCC receive considerable incidental irradiation doses with involved-field irradiation that may contribute to the elimination of subclinical lesions. PMID:23186308

Crustal seismicity associated to rpid surface uplift at Laguna del Maule Volcanic Complex, Southern Volcanic Zone of the Andes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardona, Carlos; Tassara, Andrés; Gil-Cruz, Fernando; Lara, Luis; Morales, Sergio; Kohler, Paulina; Franco, Luis

2018-03-01

Laguna del Maule Volcanic Complex (LMVC, Southern Andes of Chile) has been experiencing large rates (ca. 30 cm/yr) of surface uplift as detected since 2008 by satellite geodetic measurements. Previous works have modeled the source of this deformation as an inflating rectangular sub-horizontal sill underlying LMVC at 5 km depth, which is supposedly related to an active process of magmatic replenishment of a shallow silicic reservoir. However little is known about the tectonic context on which this activity is taking place, particularly its relation with crustal seismicity that could help understanding and monitoring the current deformation process. Here we present the first detailed characterization of the seismic activity taking place at LMVC and integrate it with structural data acquired in the field in order to illuminate the possible connection between the ongoing process of surface uplift and the activation of crustal faults. Our main finding is the recognition of repetitive volcano-tectonic (VT) seismic swarms that occur periodically between 2011 and 2014 near the SW corner of the sill modeled by InSAR studies. A cross-correlation analysis of the waveforms recorded for these VT events allows identifying three different seismic families. Families F1 and F3 share some common features in the stacked waveform and its locations, which markedly differ from those of family F2. Swarms belonging to this later family are more energetic and its energy was increasing since 2011 to a peak in January 2013, which coincide with maximum vertical velocities detected by local GPS stations. This points to a common process relating both phenomena. The location of VT seismic swarms roughly coincides with the intersection of a NE-SW lineament with a WNW-ESE lineament. The former shows clear field evidences of dextral strike-slip that are fully consistent with one nodal plane of focal mechanism for well-recorded F2 events. The conjugate nodal plane of these focal mechanisms could coincide with the WNW-ESE lineament, for which our field reconnaissance suggests a dominant normal motion. Events belonging to families F1 and F3 are also dominantly strike-slip but with some mixture with thrust and normal components. Our results, in conjunction with results of previous authors, suggest a complex mechanical interaction between the arrangement of crustal faults forming the structural framework on which the magmatic plumbing system of LMVC is emplaced and the inflating source at depth.

Effect of nifedipine on atrioventricular conduction as compared with verapamil. Intracardiac electrophysiological study.

PubMed Central

Rowland, E; Evans, T; Krikler, D

1979-01-01

Intravenous nifedipine, a powerful calcium antagonist, had no obvious effect on atrioventricular conduction when administered to 11 patients during routine intracardiac electrophysiological studies. Verapamil on the other hand showed potent antiarrhythmic properties, depressing atrioventricular nodal conduction. Nifedipine thus appears safe in patients with angina pectoris who have disorders of atrioventricular nodal conduction, and in those receiving beta-adrenergic blocking drugs. There appear to be differential effects on the slow inward channels of cardiac cells with different 'calcium antagonists'. PMID:486272

A Nodal Domain Integration Model of Two-Dimensional Heat and Soil-Water Flow Coupled by Soil-Water Phase Change.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-06-01

WORK UNIT ELEMENT NO. NO NO ACCESSION NO I I ICWIS 31711 11 TITLE (Include Security Classification) A Nodal Domain Integration Model of Two...t.5% Unclassified."- .-,,. PREFACE This report was prepared by Ted Hromadka, Director of Water Re- sources, Williamson and Schmid. The work was...performed for CRREL under Contract 84-M-1691 and was funded by the Directorate of Civil Works , Office of the Chief of Engineers, under Civil Works Order No

Three dimensional flow computations in a turbine scroll

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamed, A.; Ghantous, C. A.

1982-01-01

The compressible three dimensional inviscid flow in the scroll and vaneless nozzle of radial inflow turbines is analyzed. A FORTRAN computer program for the numerical solution of this complex flow field using the finite element method is presented. The program input consists of the mass flow rate and stagnation conditions at the scroll inlet and of the finite element discretization parameters and nodal coordinates. The output includes the pressure, Mach number and velocity magnitude and direction at all the nodal points.

Rotating charged black holes accelerated by an electric field

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bicak, Jiri; Kofron, David; Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, Albert Einstein Institute, Am Muehlenberg 1, D-14476 Golm

The Ernst method of removing nodal singularities from the charged C-metric representing a uniformly accelerated black hole with mass m, charge q and acceleration A by 'adding' an electric field E is generalized. Utilizing the new form of the C-metric found recently, Ernst's simple 'equilibrium condition' mA=qE valid for small accelerations is generalized for arbitrary A. The nodal singularity is removed also in the case of accelerating and rotating charged black holes, and the corresponding equilibrium condition is determined.

Development of a Robust and Cost-Effective Friction Stir Welding Process for Use in Advanced Military Vehicles

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

aluminum alloys, as well 81 as aluminum matrix composites can be readily FSWed; 82 (j) due to lower attendant temperatures, the residual stres - 83 ses... role of the precipitation hardening mechanism in heat- 372treatable alloys is concerned, the following main observations 373can be made. Typically in...stirring/mixing 470(which plays a critical role in weld quality/joint-strength) is 471increased. 472Nodal Velocity Field. The distribution of nodal

Flooding Hazard Maps of Different Land Uses in Subsidence Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Yongjun; Chang, Hsiangkuan; Tan, Yihchi

2017-04-01

This study aims on flooding hazard maps of different land uses in the subsidence area of southern Taiwan. Those areas are low-lying due to subsidence resulting from over pumping ground water for aquaculture. As a result, the flooding due to storm surges and extreme rainfall are frequent in this area and are expected more frequently in the future. The main land uses there include: residence, fruit trees, and aquaculture. The hazard maps of the three land uses are investigated. The factors affecting hazards of different land uses are listed below. As for residence, flooding depth, duration of flooding, and rising rate of water surface level are factors affecting its degree of hazard. High flooding depth, long duration of flooding, and fast rising rate of water surface make residents harder to evacuate. As for fruit trees, flooding depth and duration of flooding affects its hazard most due to the root hypoxia. As for aquaculture, flooding depth affects its hazard most because the high flooding depth may cause the fish flush out the fishing ponds. An overland flow model is used for simulations of hydraulic parameters for factors such as flooding depth, rising rate of water surface level and duration of flooding. As above-mentioned factors, the hazard maps of different land uses can be made and high hazardous are can also be delineated in the subsidence areas.

Dirac Magnon Nodal Loops in Quasi-2D Quantum Magnets.

PubMed

Owerre, S A

2017-07-31

In this report, we propose a new concept of one-dimensional (1D) closed lines of Dirac magnon nodes in two-dimensional (2D) momentum space of quasi-2D quantum magnetic systems. They are termed "2D Dirac magnon nodal-line loops". We utilize the bilayer honeycomb ferromagnets with intralayer coupling J and interlayer coupling J L , which is realizable in the honeycomb chromium compounds CrX 3 (X ≡ Br, Cl, and I). However, our results can also exist in other layered quasi-2D quantum magnetic systems. Here, we show that the magnon bands of the bilayer honeycomb ferromagnets overlap for J L  ≠ 0 and form 1D closed lines of Dirac magnon nodes in 2D momentum space. The 2D Dirac magnon nodal-line loops are topologically protected by inversion and time-reversal symmetry. Furthermore, we show that they are robust against weak Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction Δ DM  < J L and possess chiral magnon edge modes.

Study of flow over object problems by a nodal discontinuous Galerkin-lattice Boltzmann method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Jie; Shen, Meng; Liu, Chen

2018-04-01

The flow over object problems are studied by a nodal discontinuous Galerkin-lattice Boltzmann method (NDG-LBM) in this work. Different from the standard lattice Boltzmann method, the current method applies the nodal discontinuous Galerkin method into the streaming process in LBM to solve the resultant pure convection equation, in which the spatial discretization is completed on unstructured grids and the low-storage explicit Runge-Kutta scheme is used for time marching. The present method then overcomes the disadvantage of standard LBM for depending on the uniform meshes. Moreover, the collision process in the LBM is completed by using the multiple-relaxation-time scheme. After the validation of the NDG-LBM by simulating the lid-driven cavity flow, the simulations of flows over a fixed circular cylinder, a stationary airfoil and rotating-stationary cylinders are performed. Good agreement of present results with previous results is achieved, which indicates that the current NDG-LBM is accurate and effective for flow over object problems.

Long-time stability effects of quadrature and artificial viscosity on nodal discontinuous Galerkin methods for gas dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durant, Bradford; Hackl, Jason; Balachandar, Sivaramakrishnan

2017-11-01

Nodal discontinuous Galerkin schemes present an attractive approach to robust high-order solution of the equations of fluid mechanics, but remain accompanied by subtle challenges in their consistent stabilization. The effect of quadrature choices (full mass matrix vs spectral elements), over-integration to manage aliasing errors, and explicit artificial viscosity on the numerical solution of a steady homentropic vortex are assessed over a wide range of resolutions and polynomial orders using quadrilateral elements. In both stagnant and advected vortices in periodic and non-periodic domains the need arises for explicit stabilization beyond the numerical surface fluxes of discontinuous Galerkin spectral elements. Artificial viscosity via the entropy viscosity method is assessed as a stabilizing mechanism. It is shown that the regularity of the artificial viscosity field is essential to its use for long-time stabilization of small-scale features in nodal discontinuous Galerkin solutions of the Euler equations of gas dynamics. Supported by the Department of Energy Predictive Science Academic Alliance Program Contract DE-NA0002378.

Immunocompromised patients with metastatic cutaneous nodal squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: Poor outcome unrelated to the index lesion.

PubMed

Lam, Johnson K S; Sundaresan, Puma; Gebski, Val; Veness, Michael J

2018-05-01

Immunocompromised patients with metastatic cutaneous nodal head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have worse outcomes compared to the immunocompetent. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of the primary cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), nodal pathology, and outcome between these 2 groups. Analysis of a prospective database was performed. A 2:1 pooled analysis selected 46 immunocompetent patients matched with 23 immunocompromised patients. Overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. No significant difference was found in the primary tumor characteristics between the 2 groups. In the immunocompromised group, RFS (hazard ratio [HR] 2.70; P = .01) and OS (HR 2.32; P = .04) were significantly worse. Extracapsular spread was present in 100% of the immunocompromised patients. No significant difference was identified in the primary cutaneous SCC between the immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. Immunosuppression predicted worse outcome. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Suppressing Ionic Terms with Number-Counting Jastrow Factors in Real Space

DOE PAGES

Goetz, Brett Van Der; Neuscamman, Eric

2017-04-06

Here, we demonstrate that four-body real-space Jastrow factors are, with the right type of Jastrow basis function, capable of performing successful wave function stenciling to remove unwanted ionic terms from an overabundant Fermionic reference without unduly modifying the remaining components. In addition to greatly improving size consistency (restoring it exactly in the case of a geminal power), real-space wave function stenciling is, unlike its Hilbert-space predecessors, immediately compatible with diffusion Monte Carlo, allowing it to be used in the pursuit of compact, strongly correlated trial functions with reliable nodal surfaces. Furthermore, we demonstrate the efficacy of this approach in themore » context of a double bond dissociation by using it to extract a qualitatively correct nodal surface despite being paired with a restricted Slater determinant, that, due to ionic term errors, produces a ground state with a qualitatively incorrect nodal surface when used in the absence of the Jastrow.« less

Suppressing Ionic Terms with Number-Counting Jastrow Factors in Real Space

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goetz, Brett Van Der; Neuscamman, Eric

Here, we demonstrate that four-body real-space Jastrow factors are, with the right type of Jastrow basis function, capable of performing successful wave function stenciling to remove unwanted ionic terms from an overabundant Fermionic reference without unduly modifying the remaining components. In addition to greatly improving size consistency (restoring it exactly in the case of a geminal power), real-space wave function stenciling is, unlike its Hilbert-space predecessors, immediately compatible with diffusion Monte Carlo, allowing it to be used in the pursuit of compact, strongly correlated trial functions with reliable nodal surfaces. Furthermore, we demonstrate the efficacy of this approach in themore » context of a double bond dissociation by using it to extract a qualitatively correct nodal surface despite being paired with a restricted Slater determinant, that, due to ionic term errors, produces a ground state with a qualitatively incorrect nodal surface when used in the absence of the Jastrow.« less

Symmetry-enforced stability of interacting Weyl and Dirac semimetals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlström, Johan; Bergholtz, Emil J.

2018-04-01

The nodal and effectively relativistic dispersion featuring in a range of novel materials including two-dimensional graphene and three-dimensional Dirac and Weyl semimetals has attracted enormous interest during the past decade. Here, by studying the structure and symmetry of the diagrammatic expansion, we show that these nodal touching points are in fact perturbatively stable to all orders with respect to generic two-body interactions. For effective low-energy theories relevant for single and multilayer graphene, type-I and type-II Weyl and Dirac semimetals, as well as Weyl points with higher topological charge, this stability is shown to be a direct consequence of a spatial symmetry that anticommutes with the effective Hamiltonian while leaving the interaction invariant. A more refined argument is applied to the honeycomb lattice model of graphene showing that its Dirac points are also perturbatively stable to all orders. We also give examples of nodal Hamiltonians that acquire a gap from interactions as a consequence of symmetries different from those of Weyl and Dirac materials.

Observation of topological nodal fermion semimetal phase in ZrSiS

DOE PAGES

Neupane, Madhab; Belopolski, Ilya; Hosen, M. Mofazzel; ...

2016-05-11

We present that unveiling new topological phases of matter is one of the current objectives in condensed matter physics. Recent experimental discoveries of Dirac and Weyl semimetals prompt the search for other exotic phases of matter. Here we present a systematic angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy study of ZrSiS, a prime topological nodal semimetal candidate. Our wider Brillouin zone (BZ) mapping shows multiple Fermi surface pockets such as the diamond-shaped Fermi surface, elliptical-shaped Fermi surface, and a small electron pocket encircling at the zone center (Γ) point, the M point, and the X point of the BZ, respectively. We experimentally establish themore » spinless nodal fermion semimetal phase in ZrSiS, which is supported by our first-principles calculations. Our findings evidence that the ZrSiS-type of material family is a new platform on which to explore exotic states of quantum matter; these materials are expected to provide an avenue for engineering two-dimensional topological insulator systems.« less

Selective phonon damping in topological semimetals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordon, Jacob S.; Kee, Hae-Young

2018-05-01

Topological semimetals are characterized by their intriguing Fermi surfaces (FSs) such as Weyl and Dirac points, or nodal FS, and their associated surface states. Among them, topological crystalline semimetals, in the presence of strong spin-orbit coupling, possess a nodal FS protected by nonsymmorphic lattice symmetries. In particular, it was theoretically proposed that SrIrO3 exhibits a bulk nodal ring due to glide symmetries, as well as flat two-dimensional surface states related to chiral and mirror symmetries. However, due to the semimetallic nature of the bulk, direct observation of these surface states is difficult. Here we study the effect of flat-surface states on phonon modes for SrIrO3 side surfaces. We show that mirror odd optical surface phonon modes are damped at the zone center, as a result of coupling to the surface states with different mirror parities, while even modes are unaffected. This observation could be used to infer their existence, and experimental techniques for such measurements are also discussed.

Topologically nontrivial electronic states in CaSn3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Sunny; Juneja, Rinkle; Shinde, Ravindra; Singh, Abhishek K.

2017-06-01

Based on the first-principles calculations, we theoretically propose topologically non-trivial states in a recently experimentally discovered superconducting material CaSn3. When the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is ignored, the material is a host to three-dimensional topological nodal-line semimetal states. Drumhead like surface states protected by the coexistence of time-reversal and mirror symmetry emerge within the two-dimensional regions of the surface Brillouin zone connecting the nodal lines. When SOC is included, unexpectedly, each nodal line evolves into two Weyl nodes (W1 and W2) in this centrosymmetric material. Berry curvature calculations show that these nodes occur in a pair and act as either a source or a sink of Berry flux. This material also has unique surface states in the form of Fermi arcs, which unlike other known Weyl semimetals forms closed loops of surface states on the Fermi surface. Our theoretical realization of topologically non-trivial states in a superconducting material paves the way towards unraveling the interconnection between topological physics and superconductivity.

Dynamic characteristics of two new vibration modes of the disk-shell shaped gear

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Litang; Qiu, Shijung; Gao, Xiangqung

1992-10-01

Two new vibration modes of the disk-shell-shaped big medium gears placed on three separate medium shafts of a turboprop engine have been found. They have the same nodal diameters as the conventional ones, but their frequencies are higher. The tooth ring vibrates both radially and axially and has greater deflection than the gear hub. The resonance of these two new nodal diameter modes is much more dangerous than that of the conventional nodal diameter modes. Moreover, they occur nearly at the upper and the lower bounds of the gear operating speed range. A special detuning method is developed for removing the resonance of these two new modes out of the upper and the lower bounds, respectively, and the effectiveness of the damping rings in this case has been researched. The vibration responses measured on the reductor casing have been then reduced to a quite low level after the damping rings were applied to the three big medium gears.

Concomitant Wolff-Parkinson-White and Atrioventricular Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia: Which Pathway to Ablate?

PubMed

Sarsam, Sinan; Sidiqi, Ibrahim; Shah, Dipak; Zughaib, Marcel

2015-12-11

Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) is the most common form of supraventricular tachycardia. In contrast, Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) pattern consists of an accessory pathway, which may result in the development of ventricular arrhythmias. Frequent tachycardia caused by AVNRT and accessory pathways may play a role in left ventricular systolic dysfunction. A 54-year-old man presented with palpitations and acute decompensated congestive heart failure. His baseline EKG showed Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) pattern. While hospitalized, he had an episode of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT). He underwent radiofrequency catheter ablation for AVNRT, and his accessory pathway was also ablated even though its conduction was found to be weak. He was clinically doing well on follow-up visit, with resolution of his heart failure symptoms and normalization of left ventricular function on echocardiography. This case raises the question whether the accessory pathway plays a role in the development of systolic dysfunction, and if there is any role for ablation in patients with asymptomatic WPW pattern.

Positive and negative affective processing exhibit dissociable functional hubs during the viewing of affective pictures.

PubMed

Zhang, Wenhai; Li, Hong; Pan, Xiaohong

2015-02-01

Recent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies using graph theory metrics have revealed that the functional network of the human brain possesses small-world characteristics and comprises several functional hub regions. However, it is unclear how the affective functional network is organized in the brain during the processing of affective information. In this study, the fMRI data were collected from 25 healthy college students as they viewed a total of 81 positive, neutral, and negative pictures. The results indicated that affective functional networks exhibit weaker small-worldness properties with higher local efficiency, implying that local connections increase during viewing affective pictures. Moreover, positive and negative emotional processing exhibit dissociable functional hubs, emerging mainly in task-positive regions. These functional hubs, which are the centers of information processing, have nodal betweenness centrality values that are at least 1.5 times larger than the average betweenness centrality of the network. Positive affect scores correlated with the betweenness values of the right orbital frontal cortex (OFC) and the right putamen in the positive emotional network; negative affect scores correlated with the betweenness values of the left OFC and the left amygdala in the negative emotional network. The local efficiencies in the left superior and inferior parietal lobe correlated with subsequent arousal ratings of positive and negative pictures, respectively. These observations provide important evidence for the organizational principles of the human brain functional connectome during the processing of affective information. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Clinicopathological parameters, recurrence, locoregional and distant metastasis in 115 T1-T2 oral squamous cell carcinoma patients

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

The incidence of oral squamous cell carcinoma remains high. Oral and oro-pharyngeal carcinomas are the sixth most common cancer in the world. Several clinicopathological parameters have been implicated in prognosis, recurrence and survival, following oral squamous cell carcinoma. In this retrospective analysis, clinicopathological parameters of 115 T1/T2 OSCC were studied and compared to recurrence and death from tumour-related causes. The study protocol was approved by the Joint UCL/UCLH committees of the ethics for human research. The patients' data was entered onto proformas, which were validated and checked by interval sampling. The fields included a range of clinical, operative and histopathological variables related to the status of the surgical margins. Data collection also included recurrence, cause of death, date of death and last clinic review. Causes of death were collated in 4 categories (1) death from locoregional spread, (2) death from distant metastasis, (3) death from bronchopulmonary pneumonia, and (4) death from any non-tumour event that lead to cardiorespiratory failure. The patients' population comprised 65 males and 50 females. Their mean age at the 1st diagnosis of OSCC was 61.7 years. Two-thirds of the patients were Caucasians. Primary sites were mainly identified in the tongue, floor of mouth (FOM), buccal mucosa and alveolus. Most of the identified OSCCs were low-risk (T1N0 and T2N0). All patients underwent primary resection ± neck dissection and reconstruction when necessary. Twenty-two patients needed adjuvant radiotherapy. Pathological analysis revealed that half of the patients had moderately differentiated OSCC. pTNM slightly differed from the cTNM and showed that 70.4% of the patients had low-risk OSCC. Tumour clearance was ultimately achieved in 107 patients. Follow-up resulted in a 3-year survival of 74.8% and a 5-year survival of 72.2%. Recurrence was identified in 23 males and 20 females. The mean age of 1st diagnosis of the recurrence group was 59.53 years. Most common oral sites included the lateral border of tongue and floor of mouth. Recurrence was associated with clinical N-stage disease. The surgical margins in this group was evaluated and found that 17 had non-cohesive invasion, 30 had dysplasia at margin, 21 had vascular invasion, 9 had nerve invasion and 3 had bony invasion. Severe dysplasia was present in 37 patients. Tumour clearance was achieved in only 8 patients. The mean depth of tumour invasion in the recurrence group was 7.6 mm. An interesting finding was that 5/11 patients who died of distant metastasis had their primary disease in the tongue. Nodal disease comparison showed that 8/10 patients who died of locoregional metastasis and 8/11 patients who died from distant metastasis had clinical nodal involvement. Comparing this to pathological nodal disease (pTNM) showed that 10/10 patients and 10/11 patients who died from locoregional and distant metastasis, respectively, had nodal disease. All patients who died from locoregional and distant metastasis were shown to have recurrence after the primary tumour resection. Squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity has a poor overall prognosis with a high tendency to recur at the primary site and extend to involve the cervical lymph nodes. Several clinicopathological parameters can be employed to assess outcome, recurrence and overall survival. PMID:20406474

Utility of PET-CT in detecting nodal metastasis in cN0 early stage oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma.

PubMed

Zhang, Han; Seikaly, Hadi; Biron, Vincent L; Jeffery, Caroline C

2018-05-01

Management of the clinically node-negative neck (cN0) in patients with early stage oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) is challenging. Accurate imaging alternatives to elective neck dissections would help reduce surgical morbidity. While pooled studies suggest that imaging modalities have similar accuracy in predicting occult nodal disease, no study has examined the utility of PET-CT in this specific population of low-volume, clinically T1 and T2 OCSCC patients. A retrospective review of patients in the Alberta Cancer Registry who were diagnosed with cT1 or T2N0M0 OCSCC who underwent elective unilateral or bilateral neck dissections was performed. Pre-operative PET-CT and CT necks were reviewed for number of radiographically suspicious lymph nodes. Surgical pathology reports were reviewed to obtain the total number of nodes sampled and number of malignant nodes. Between 2009 and 2013, 148 patients were diagnosed with cT1 or T2N0M0 OCSCC. Of these, 96 patients underwent elective neck dissections. All patients underwent preoperative CT of the neck with 32 patients having undergone additional preoperative PET-CT. Based on finally surgical pathology, the overall rate of occult metastasis was 13.5% (13/96). The overall sensitivity and specificity of PET-CT in this cohort was 21.4% and 98.4%, respectively with a negative predictive value of 99.1%. Although sensitivity improved in patients with tumors ≥2 cm and depth ≥4 mm, specificity remained unchanged. In patients with cT1 and T2N0 OCSCC, PET-CT has high negative predictive value. These patients can be considered for treatment with single modality surgical resection and elective neck dissection. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preoperative 18F-FDG-PET/CT imaging and sentinel node biopsy in the detection of regional lymph node metastases in malignant melanoma.

PubMed

Singh, Baljinder; Ezziddin, Samer; Palmedo, Holger; Reinhardt, Michael; Strunk, Holger; Tüting, Thomas; Biersack, Hans-Jürgen; Ahmadzadehfar, Hojjat

2008-10-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of preoperative 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography scanning, preoperative lymphoscintigraphy (LS), and sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with malignant melanoma. Fifty-two patients (36 men: 16 women; mean age 55.0+/-13.0 years; median age 61 years; range 17-76 years) with malignant melanoma were selected. According to the latest version of the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system, the disease in the study patients was initially classified as either stage I or II. The other primary tumor characteristics were mean Breslow depth=2.87 mm and median=2 mm; range 1-12.0 mm and Clarks levels III-V. None of the study patients had clinical or radiological evidence of regional lymph node metastatic disease. At least one sentinel node was identified in all patients. Preoperative LS detected a total of 111 sentinel lymph nodes (average 2.13 sentinel lymph node per patient) and demonstrated a single nodal draining basin in 38 (73%) patients and multiple (2-3 draining basins) in the remaining 14 (27%) patients. Fourteen out of the 52 patients (27%) had at least one involved sentinel node. Positron emission tomography was true positive in two patients with a sentinel node greater than 1 cm and false positive in two other patients. In this study, the detection of sentinel lymph node by LS and gamma probe had a sensitivity of 100%. In contrast, 18F-FDG-PET imaging demonstrated very low sensitivity (14.3%; 95% CI, 2.5 to 44%) and positive predictive value (50%; 95% CI, 9 to 90%) for localizing the subclinical nodal metastases. The specificity, net present value, and diagnostic accuracy were 94.7, 75, and 73%, respectively. Preoperative fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging is not able to substitute LS/sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients at stage I or II.

Characterization of active faulting beneath the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cassidy, J.F.; Rogers, Gary C.; Waldhauser, F.

2000-01-01

Southwestern British Columbia and northwestern Washington State are subject to megathrust earthquakes, deep intraslab events, and earthquakes in the continental crust. Of the three types of earthquakes, the most poorly understood are the crustal events. Despite a high level of seismicity, there is no obvious correlation between the historical crustal earthquakes and the mapped surface faults of the region. On 24 June 1997, a ML = 4.6 earthquake occurred 3-4 km beneath the Strait of Georgia, 30 km to the west of Vancouver, British Columbia. This well-recorded earthquake was preceded by 11 days by a felt foreshock (ML = 3.4) and was followed by numerous small aftershocks. This earthquake sequence occurred in one of the few regions of persistent shallow seismic activity in southwestern British Columbia, thus providing an ideal opportunity to attempt to characterize an active near-surface fault. We have computed focal mechanisms and utilized a waveform cross-correlation and joint hypocentral determination routine to obtain accurate relative hypocenters of the mainshock, foreshock, and 53 small aftershocks in an attempt to image the active fault and the extent of rupture associated with this earthquake sequence. Both P-nodal and CMT focal mechanisms show thrust faulting for the mainshock and the foreshock. The relocated hypocenters delineate a north-dipping plane at 2-4 km depth, dipping at 53??, in good agreement with the focal mechanism nodal plane dipping to the north at 47??. The rupture area is estimated to be a 1.3-km-diameter circular area, comparable to that estimated using a Brune rupture model with the estimated seismic moment of 3.17 ?? 1015 N m and the stress drop of 45 bars. The temporal sequence indicates a downdip migration of the seismicity along the fault plane. The results of this study provide the first unambiguous evidence for the orientation and sense of motion for active faulting in the Georgia Strait area of British Columbia.

A Web-based nomogram predicting para-aortic nodal metastasis in incompletely staged patients with endometrial cancer: a Korean Multicenter Study.

PubMed

Kang, Sokbom; Lee, Jong-Min; Lee, Jae-Kwan; Kim, Jae-Weon; Cho, Chi-Heum; Kim, Seok-Mo; Park, Sang-Yoon; Park, Chan-Yong; Kim, Ki-Tae

2014-03-01

The purpose of this study is to develop a Web-based nomogram for predicting the individualized risk of para-aortic nodal metastasis in incompletely staged patients with endometrial cancer. From 8 institutions, the medical records of 397 patients who underwent pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy as a surgical staging procedure were retrospectively reviewed. A multivariate logistic regression model was created and internally validated by rigorous bootstrap resampling methods. Finally, the model was transformed into a user-friendly Web-based nomogram (http://http://www.kgog.org/nomogram/empa001.html). The rate of para-aortic nodal metastasis was 14.4% (57/397 patients). Using a stepwise variable selection, 4 variables including deep myometrial invasion, non-endometrioid subtype, lymphovascular space invasion, and log-transformed CA-125 levels were finally adopted. After 1000 repetitions of bootstrapping, all of these 4 variables retained a significant association with para-aortic nodal metastasis in the multivariate analysis-deep myometrial invasion (P = 0.001), non-endometrioid histologic subtype (P = 0.034), lymphovascular space invasion (P = 0.003), and log-transformed serum CA-125 levels (P = 0.004). The model showed good discrimination (C statistics = 0.87; 95% confidence interval, 0.82-0.92) and accurate calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow P = 0.74). This nomogram showed good performance in predicting para-aortic metastasis in patients with endometrial cancer. The tool may be useful in determining the extent of lymphadenectomy after incomplete surgery.

Correlation of Various Biomarkers with Axillary Nodal Metastases: Can a Panel of Such Biomarkers Guide Selective Use of Axillary Surgery in T1 Breast Cancer?

PubMed

Dass, Tufale A; Rakesh, Sharma; Prakash, K Patil; Singh, Chandraveer

2015-12-01

To evaluate the correlation of various clinic-pathological variables with axillary nodal involvement in T1 breast cancer & to identify a sub-group of T1 cancers, on the basis of observed variables, with a low risk of axillary nodal metastases. Clinico-pathological variables observed included tumor size, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), histological grade of tumor, tumor palpability, estrogen/progesterone (ER/PR) & her2/neu receptors, age, family history, histological type of tumor, axillary nodal metastases for 100 patients without clinically palpable nodes who underwent axillary lymph node dissection in Bombay Hospital & Medical Research Center from March, 2009. Data compiled was analyzed by univariate & multivariate analysis. All the variables viz. tumor size, LVI, histological grade, tumor palpability & ER/PR/Her2 receptor profile, which were found to be significantly associated with axillary lymph node involvement (ALNI) on univariate analysis were also found to be independent predictors of ALNI on multivariate analysis. Age of the patient, family history & histological type of tumor were not significantly correlated with ALNI. None of the 12 patients with tumor biomarker profile of T1a-b tumors without LVI & with histological grade I, had ALNI. The risk of ALNI can be predicted by using various tumor biomarker variables. Based on the predicted risk of ALNI, the management strategy for axilla can be individualized. The omission of operative axillary staging may be considered in patients with low predictive risk of ALNI.

The value of histological grading of biopsy and resection specimens in early stage oral squamous cell carcinomas.

PubMed

Dik, Eric A; Ipenburg, Norbertus A; Kessler, Peter A; van Es, Robert J J; Willems, Stefan M

2018-04-05

In oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) the differentiation grade of the tumor is determined on the biopsy and the resection specimen. The relation between tumor grade, nodal metastasis and survival is debatable. The aims of this study were to determine the correlation between differentiation grade of the biopsy and the resection specimen. Furthermore, we wanted to correlate tumor differentiation grade with nodal stage and survival. One-hundred and forty-five patients with OSCC staged as T1-2, N0 of the tongue, floor of mouth or cheek with primary resection of the tumor were examined. Biopsy and resection specimen were histologically re-assessed with regard to differentiation grade, as well as infiltrative, peri-neural and vascular invasive growth. This study showed a poor correlation between differentiation grade in the incisional biopsy and the resection specimen of the same tumor. No significant relation between differentiation grade of the resection specimen and nodal involvement, as well as overall and disease-specific survival was found. In early OSCC the differentiation grade determined by biopsy is of little predictive value for the grading of the resection specimen. Poor differentiation grade could not be related to the presence of nodal metastasis or survival and seems not to have any prognostic value concerning outcome. Treatment planning must be related to these findings. Copyright © 2018 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long-term outcome of ultrasound-guided percutaneous ethanol ablation of selected "recurrent" neck nodal metastases in 25 patients with TNM stages III or IVA papillary thyroid carcinoma previously treated by surgery and 131I therapy.

PubMed

Hay, Ian D; Lee, Robert A; Davidge-Pitts, Caroline; Reading, Carl C; Charboneau, J William

2013-12-01

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous ethanol ablation (UPEA) of neck nodal metastases (NNM) has rarely been reported in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients with advanced localized disease. We ablated 25 PTC patients with stage III or IVA disease (mean age 58 years) who had "recurrent" NNM after surgery and 131I therapy. Diagnosis of 37 selected NNM was proven by ultrasound-guided biopsy. UPEA was usually performed in 2 outpatient sessions. After UPEA, 35 of 37 NNM (95%) decreased in size. None had significant Doppler flow. Seventeen (46%) disappeared on rescanning. Serum thyroglobulin fell in 19 of 22 (86%) without thyroglobulin autoantibodies. None of the UPEA-treated NNM, followed on average for 5.4 years, required further intervention. Six patients (24%) subsequently developed 18 "new" recurrences. Of the 18, 15 (83%) were managed successfully by UPEA rather than operation. None of the 25 patients developed permanent hoarseness or have died from PTC. At our institution, where patients undergoing nodal dissections are charged $35-45,000, each outpatient UPEA procedure saves health providers approximately $38,400. Our 25 ablated patients, by avoiding 40 further neck reexplorations, on average, saved $61,440 in charges. UPEA for NNM in advanced localized PTC has proved safe and effective. It is also considerably less expensive than the conventional operative alternative of nodal dissection. Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Computer Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of the Atrioventricular Node

PubMed Central

Li, Jue; Greener, Ian D.; Inada, Shin; Nikolski, Vladimir P.; Yamamoto, Mitsuru; Hancox, Jules C.; Zhang, Henggui; Billeter, Rudi; Efimov, Igor R.; Dobrzynski, Halina; Boyett, Mark R.

2009-01-01

Because of its complexity, the atrioventricular node (AVN), remains 1 of the least understood regions of the heart. The aim of the study was to construct a detailed anatomic model of the AVN and relate it to AVN function. The electric activity of a rabbit AVN preparation was imaged using voltage-dependent dye. The preparation was then fixed and sectioned. Sixty-five sections at 60- to 340-μm intervals were stained for histology and immunolabeled for neurofilament (marker of nodal tissue) and connexin43 (gap junction protein). This revealed multiple structures within and around the AVN, including transitional tissue, inferior nodal extension, penetrating bundle, His bundle, atrial and ventricular muscle, central fibrous body, tendon of Todaro, and valves. A 3D anatomically detailed mathematical model (≈13 million element array) of the AVN and surrounding atrium and ventricle, incorporating all cell types, was constructed. Comparison of the model with electric activity recorded in experiments suggests that the inferior nodal extension forms the slow pathway, whereas the transitional tissue forms the fast pathway into the AVN. In addition, it suggests the pacemaker activity of the atrioventricular junction originates in the inferior nodal extension. Computer simulation of the propagation of the action potential through the anatomic model shows how, because of the complex structure of the AVN, reentry (slow-fast and fast-slow) can occur. In summary, a mathematical model of the anatomy of the AVN has been generated that allows AVN conduction to be explored. PMID:18309098

Discretisation Schemes for Level Sets of Planar Gaussian Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beliaev, D.; Muirhead, S.

2018-01-01

Smooth random Gaussian functions play an important role in mathematical physics, a main example being the random plane wave model conjectured by Berry to give a universal description of high-energy eigenfunctions of the Laplacian on generic compact manifolds. Our work is motivated by questions about the geometry of such random functions, in particular relating to the structure of their nodal and level sets. We study four discretisation schemes that extract information about level sets of planar Gaussian fields. Each scheme recovers information up to a different level of precision, and each requires a maximum mesh-size in order to be valid with high probability. The first two schemes are generalisations and enhancements of similar schemes that have appeared in the literature (Beffara and Gayet in Publ Math IHES, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10240-017-0093-0; Mischaikow and Wanner in Ann Appl Probab 17:980-1018, 2007); these give complete topological information about the level sets on either a local or global scale. As an application, we improve the results in Beffara and Gayet (2017) on Russo-Seymour-Welsh estimates for the nodal set of positively-correlated planar Gaussian fields. The third and fourth schemes are, to the best of our knowledge, completely new. The third scheme is specific to the nodal set of the random plane wave, and provides global topological information about the nodal set up to `visible ambiguities'. The fourth scheme gives a way to approximate the mean number of excursion domains of planar Gaussian fields.