Hohlraum fields with monoenergetic proton radiography at OMEGA.

A more complete understanding of laser-driven hohlraum plasmas is critical for the continued development and improvement of ICF experiments. In these hohlraums, self-generated electric and magnetic fields can play an important role in modifying plasma properties such as heat transport; however, the strength and distribution of electromagnetic fields in such hohlraums remain largely uncertain. To explore this question, we conducted experiments at the OMEGA laser facility, using monoenergetic proton radiography to probe laser-driven vacuum hohlraums.

Analysis of Poly(ethylene terephthalate) degradation kinetics of evolved IsPETase variants using a surface crowding model.

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is a major plastic polymer utilized in the single-use and textile industries. The discovery of PET-degrading enzymes (PETases) has led to an increased interest in the biological recycling of PET in addition to mechanical recycling. IsPETase from Ideonella sakaiensis is a candidate catalyst, but little is understood about its structure-function relationships with regards to PET degradation.

Disparities in melanoma incidence and mortality in rural versus urban Michigan.

Introduction: We sought to identifying the possible existence of disparities between rural and urban residents of Michigan for the incidence by stage of disease and disease-specific mortality for cutaneous melanoma (CM).

Methods: Incidence rates for stage of disease and disease-specific mortality of cutaneous melanoma were calculated and controlled for gender, age, and area of residence from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2018, from data collected form the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Results: The incidence rates for CM were significantly higher in rural Michigan counties, from 2014-2018, for all patients, both age groups, both genders and all stages.

Increasing Access to Specialized Dermatology Care: A Retrospective Study Investigating Clinical Operation and Impact of a University-Affiliated Free Clinic.

Introduction: Our objective was to study the impact and clinical operation of an integrated model for free specialized dermatology care via collaboration between an academic institution and a nonprofit outpatient clinic through an analysis of patient demographics and care provided.

Methods: Hope@UMHS is a partnership between the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) and Hope Clinic (HC) which provides free specialty consultations to uninsured residents of Southeast Michigan. A retrospective chart review was completed for patients referred to the UMHS Dermatology clinic as part of the HOPE@UMHS collaboration from April 2012 through February 2020.

Mohs Surgery versus Standard Local Excision for Basal Cell Carcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, and Melanoma Skin Cancer.

Basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma represent the three most common skin cancers that occur on the face. The most common surgical treatments for facial skin cancers are Mohs' surgery and standard local excision. The effective utilization of either of these techniques is based on tumor and patient risk stratification incorporating known risk factors for occult invasion and local recurrence, combined with patient comorbidities, expectations, and desires.

CD26 Identifies a Subpopulation of Fibroblasts that Produce the Majority of Collagen during Wound Healing in Human Skin.

Fibroblasts produce collagens and other proteins that form the bulk of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in connective tissues. Emerging data point to functional heterogeneity of fibroblasts. However, the lack of subtype-specific markers hinders our understanding of the different roles of fibroblasts in ECM biology, wound healing, diseases, and aging.

Next-generation sequencing implicates oncogenic roles for p53 and JAK/STAT signaling in microcystic adnexal carcinomas.

Microcystic adnexal carcinoma is a locally aggressive sweat gland carcinoma characterized by its infiltrative growth and histopathologic overlap with benign adnexal tumors, often posing challenges to both diagnosis and management. Understanding the molecular underpinnings of microcystic adnexal carcinoma may allow for more accurate diagnosis and identify potential targetable oncogenic drivers. We characterized 18 microcystic adnexal carcinomas by targeted, multiplexed PCR-based DNA next-generation sequencing of the coding sequence of over 400 cancer-relevant genes.

Primary Cutaneous Umbilical Melanoma: The Michigan Experience.

Background: Primary cutaneous umbilical melanoma is rare. Thorough information regarding its characteristics and treatment, including use of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) staging, is difficult to obtain. The unique anatomy of the umbilicus adds to the complexity of diagnosing and treating melanoma at this site.

Protein kinase C-α is upregulated by IMP1 in melanoma and is linked to poor survival.

The oncofetal mRNA-binding protein, IMP1 or insulin-like growth factor-2 mRNA-binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1), promotes the overexpression of several oncogenic proteins by binding to and stabilizing their mRNAs. IMP1 is frequently overexpressed in melanoma and is associated with a poor prognosis, but the full spectrum of IMP1 target transcripts remains unknown. Here, we report the identification of protein kinase C-α (PKCα), as a novel molecular target of IMP1.

Guidelines of care for the management of primary cutaneous melanoma.

The incidence of primary cutaneous melanoma continues to increase each year. Melanoma accounts for the majority of skin cancer-related deaths, but treatment is usually curative following early detection of disease. In this American Academy of Dermatology clinical practice guideline, updated treatment recommendations are provided for patients with primary cutaneous melanoma (American Joint Committee on Cancer stages 0-IIC and pathologic stage III by virtue of a positive sentinel lymph node biopsy).

Activation of cancer-associated fibroblasts is required for tumor neovascularization in a murine model of melanoma.

Metastatic melanoma is highly fatal. Within the tumor microenvironment, the role of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in melanoma metastasis and progression is relatively understudied. The matricellular protein CCN2 (formerly termed connective tissue growth factor, CTGF) is overexpressed, in a fashion independent of BRAF mutational status, by CAFs in melanoma.

Association of Skin Examination Behaviors and Thinner Nodular vs Superficial Spreading Melanoma at Diagnosis.

Importance: Early melanoma detection strategies include skin self-examination (SSE), physician skin examination (PSE), and promotion of patient knowledge about skin cancer.

Objective: To investigate the association of SSE, PSE, and patient attitudes with the detection of thinner superficial spreading melanoma (SSM) and nodular melanoma (NM), the latter of which tends to elude early detection.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cross-sectional, questionnaire-based, multicenter study identified patients with newly diagnosed cutaneous melanoma at 4 referral hospital centers in the United States, Greece, and Hungary.

Subungual atypical lentiginous melanocytic proliferations in children and adolescents: A clinicopathologic study.

Background: Most subungual melanocytic lesions in children are benign, but some are difficult to classify due to prominent lentiginous growth and high-grade cytologic atypia.

Objective: To characterize the clinicopathologic features of these rare lesions.

Methods: Subungual atypical lentiginous melanocytic proliferations from patients <20 years of age were collected for clinical and histopathologic review.

Oncogenic Role of THOR, a Conserved Cancer/Testis Long Non-coding RNA.

Large-scale transcriptome sequencing efforts have vastly expanded the catalog of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) with varying evolutionary conservation, lineage expression, and cancer specificity. Here, we functionally characterize a novel ultraconserved lncRNA, THOR (ENSG00000226856), which exhibits expression exclusively in testis and a broad range of human cancers. THOR knockdown and overexpression in multiple cell lines and animal models alters cell or tumor growth supporting an oncogenic role.

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

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.

The natural history of thin melanoma and the utility of sentinel lymph node biopsy.

Background And Objectives: Current literature may overestimate the risk of nodal metastasis from thin melanoma due to reporting of data only from lesions treated with SLNB. Our objective was to define the natural history of thin melanoma, assessing the likelihood of nodal disease, in order to guide selection for SLNB.

Methods: Retrospective review.

Total versus superficial parotidectomy for stage III melanoma.

Background: The primary purpose of this study was to describe the parotid recurrence rates after superficial and total parotidectomy.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed on patients with cutaneous melanoma metastatic to the parotid gland who underwent parotidectomy from 1998 through 2014. Primary outcome was parotid bed recurrence.

Transcriptional dissection of melanoma identifies a high-risk subtype underlying TP53 family genes and epigenome deregulation.

Background: Melanoma is a heterogeneous malignancy. We set out to identify the molecular underpinnings of high-risk melanomas, those that are likely to progress rapidly, metastasize, and result in poor outcomes.

Methods: We examined transcriptome changes from benign states to early-, intermediate-, and late-stage tumors using a set of 78 treatment-naive melanocytic tumors consisting of primary melanomas of the skin and benign melanocytic lesions.