Publications by authors named "ARMSTRONG W"

Article Synopsis
  • The study compares the definitions of high-volume disease (HVD) and low-volume disease (LVD) in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) patients using both conventional imaging (CI) and prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET imaging, highlighting the need for more accurate definitions for treatment decisions.
  • Researchers analyzed data from 67 mHSPC patients across five international sites who had both PSMA PET and CI scans within a specific timeframe, assessing how many were classified as HVD or LVD based on each imaging method.
  • Results showed a significant discrepancy in classification: 25.4% of patients were identified as HVD using CI, while 40.3% were identified as HVD using
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Importance: The phase 3 randomized EMBARK trial evaluated enzalutamide with or without leuprolide in high-risk nonmetastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. Eligibility relied on conventional imaging, which underdetects metastatic disease compared with prostate-specific membrane antigen-positron emission tomography (PSMA-PET).

Objective: To describe the staging information obtained by PSMA-PET/computed tomography (PSMA-PET/CT) in a patient cohort eligible for the EMBARK trial.

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Purpose: To determine how smoking intensity impacts the prognosis of patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal cancer treated by chemoradiation.

Methods And Materials: The medical records of 32 patients with histologically proven squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx and a prior smoking history were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy to a median dose of 70 Gy (range 63 to 72 Gy) with concurrent cisplatin.

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  • Measuring deeply virtual Compton scattering (DVCS) on the neutron is essential for understanding the nucleon's structure through generalized parton distributions (GPDs).
  • Neutron targets help complement data obtained from polarized protons, particularly in determining the poorly understood GPD E, which is crucial for analyzing quark contributions to nucleon spin.
  • The experiment utilized a longitudinally polarized electron beam at Jefferson Lab and the CLAS12 detector to measure DVCS on the neutron for the first time, providing new insights into quark-flavor separation of relevant Compton form factors.
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Background: Previous studies have implicated hippocampal abnormalities in the neuropathology of psychosis spectrum disorders. Reduced hippocampal volume has been reported across all illness stages, and this atrophy has been hypothesized to be the result of glutamatergic excess. To test this hypothesis, we measured hippocampal subfield volumes and hippocampal glutamate levels in antipsychotic naïve first episode psychosis patients (FEP) and the progression of volume decline and changes in glutamate levels over a 16-week antipsychotic drug (APD) trial.

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For prostate cancer patients who experience biochemical progression during androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PSMA PET/CT) has not been prospectively compared to planar bone scan plus CT. This was a single-arm, head-to-head, prospective phase II trial (NCT04928820) designed to enroll 102 men with prostate cancer who experienced biochemical progression (rising prostate-specific antigen [PSA] ≥ 1 ng/mL) during ADT. All patients received 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT and 99mTc-MDP planar bone scans.

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Recent studies have demonstrated promising results of fibroblast activation protein (FAP) inhibitor (FAPI) PET in prognosticating and monitoring interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). As a first step toward successful translation, our primary aim was to validate the FAPI PET uptake through immunohistochemistry in patients with advanced ILD who underwent lung transplantation after a FAPI PET scan. This is a preliminary analysis of a single-center, open-label, single-arm, prospective exploratory biodistribution study of Ga-FAPI-46 PET imaging in patients with ILD (NCT05365802).

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Purpose: To report a single-institutional experience with hypofractionated radiation therapy alone for human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal cancer.

Methods And Materials: A total of 101 consecutive patients were treated by radiation therapy alone using a regimen of 66 Gy in 30 fractions (60 patients) or 70 Gy in 33 fractions (41 patients) for newly diagnosed p16-positive squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx. Sixty-seven patients (67%) were never smokers.

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  • The US "Ending the HIV Epidemic" initiative targets four counties in the Atlanta area to significantly decrease HIV cases by 2030, necessitating a closer look at local resources and needs related to HIV services.
  • A mixed-methods study was conducted using 2021 data to identify disparities in HIV prevalence and service distribution, including an online survey of local health stakeholders to measure service availability and organizational readiness.
  • The results highlighted significant racial and geographic inequities, particularly in HIV testing and PrEP access, with several counties not prioritized by the initiative reporting high unmet needs for various HIV-related services.
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Purpose: To characterize the relationship between Decipher genomic classifier scores and prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT)-based metastatic spread.

Materials And Methods: We identified patients from four institutions who underwent PSMA PET/CT scans pretreatment for primary staging or postradical prostatectomy (RP) for suspected recurrence and had Decipher transcriptomic data available from biopsy or RP specimens. PSMA PET/CT-based patterns of spread were classified as localized (miT + N0M0) or nonlocalized (miN1M0 or miM1a-c).

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  • * They identify significant problems such as a workforce shortage in HIV care, especially in rural areas, and the presence of coexisting health issues like other STIs and substance use disorders.
  • * Comprehensive strategies proposed include expanding Medicaid, increasing the healthcare workforce, reducing stigma, and implementing policy reforms to enhance HIV prevention and treatment efforts.
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The use of long-acting injectable cabotegravir/rilpivirine (LAI-CAB/RPV) as maintenance therapy for persons with HIV (PWH), which may improve treatment access and outcomes, though real-world data on uptake are limited, was studied at two Ryan White clinics in Atlanta, Georgia. Among PWH referred from 4/1/2021 to 9/15/2022 to switch to LAI-CAB/RPV, characteristics were ascertained at time of referral; and disposition (initiated; ineligible; uninterested; pending) was recorded as of 9/15/2022. Among patients initiated on CAB/RPV, we assessed the drug procurement process and clinical outcomes through 6/1/2023.

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Purpose: DOTATATE PET/CT (DOTATATE) is superior to conventional imaging in detecting metastasis for gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs). However, limited availability, high-cost, and additive radiation exposure necessitate guidelines for its use. This study seeks to investigate the relationship between clinical characteristics and metastasis on DOTATATE.

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Understanding how water ligands regulate the conformational changes and functionality of the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) in photosystem II (PSII) throughout the catalytic cycle of oxygen evolution remains a highly intriguing and unresolved challenge. In this study, we investigate the effect of water insertion (WI) on the redox state of the OEC by using the molecular dynamics (MD) and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) hybrid methods. We find that water binding significantly reduces the free energy change for proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) from Mn to Y, underscoring the important regulatory role of water binding, which is essential for enabling the OEC redox-leveling mechanism along the catalytic cycle.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examined the effectiveness of re-irradiation compared to systemic therapy for patients with recurrent head and neck cancer who couldn’t undergo surgery.
  • Re-irradiation showed significantly better survival rates (32% vs. 11% over 2 years) and lower progression rates compared to systemic therapy, but it also resulted in higher toxicity rates (53% vs. 28%).
  • The findings suggest that while re-irradiation can improve outcomes for certain patients, it carries a substantial risk of severe side effects, which must be carefully weighed in treatment decisions.
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Human connectome studies have provided abundant data consistent with the hypothesis that functional dysconnectivity is predominant in psychosis spectrum disorders. Converging lines of evidence also suggest an interaction between dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) cortical glutamate with higher-order functional brain networks (FC) such as the default mode (DMN), dorsal attention (DAN), and executive control networks (ECN) in healthy controls (HC) and this mechanism may be impaired in psychosis. Data from 70 antipsychotic-medication naïve first-episode psychosis (FEP) and 52 HC were analyzed.

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A method using O microsensors enables detailed quantification of respiratory O consumption and diffusive resistance to O of individual root cell layers.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study assessed the impact of prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography (PSMA-PET) on the biochemical recurrence-free survival (BRFS) rate in patients undergoing salvage radiotherapy (SRT) after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer.
  • - A total of 193 patients were randomized into two groups: one receiving SRT based on standard imaging (control group) and the other receiving PSMA-PET before SRT planning (investigational group), with 178 patient treatment plans analyzed.
  • - Results revealed that PSMA-PET significantly influenced treatment plans, with major management changes occurring in 45% of patients in the PSMA-PET arm compared to 22% in the control arm, highlighting its potential to
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Background: Intrinsic brain network connectivity is already altered in first-episode psychosis (FEP), but the longitudinal trajectories of network connectivity, especially in response to antipsychotic treatment, remain poorly understood. The goal of this study was to investigate how antipsychotic medications affect higher-order intrinsic brain network connectivity in FEP.

Methods: Data from 87 antipsychotic medication-naïve patients with FEP and 87 healthy control participants were used.

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Purpose: For patients without pathologic evidence of cervical disease after neck dissection for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma involving the parotid region, inclusion of the ipsilateral cervical neck in the postparotidectomy radiation volume is routinely performed. We report our experience with selective avoidance of the ipsilateral neck for patients undergoing postoperative radiation to the parotid bed.

Methods And Materials: From January 2014 to December 2023, a total of 30 consecutive patients underwent postoperative radiation after parotidectomy for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma involving the parotid area.

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Lu-labeled prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) radioligand therapy effectively treats metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Patients requiring treatment, and consequently the number of theranostic centers, are expected to increase significantly after Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency approval. This requires standardization or harmonization among theranostic centers.

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The elimination of synapses during circuit remodeling is critical for brain maturation; however, the molecular mechanisms directing synapse elimination and its timing remain elusive. We show that the transcriptional regulator DVE-1, which shares homology with special AT-rich sequence-binding (SATB) family members previously implicated in human neurodevelopmental disorders, directs the elimination of juvenile synaptic inputs onto remodeling C. elegans GABAergic neurons.

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Article Synopsis
  • Exercise echocardiography is vital for evaluating the right ventricle and pulmonary circulation, but there's a need for clearer understanding of normal ranges and disease-specific variations.
  • The study involved 2,228 participants including healthy individuals, athletes, and patients with different heart and lung conditions, who underwent echocardiography at rest and during exercise.
  • Key findings indicate that certain measurements can predict increased mortality risk, highlighting significant differences in responses to exercise between healthy subjects and various patient groups.
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