Assessment of the functional and health-related needs of patients with metastatic breast cancer prior to initiation of cancer treatment.

Purpose: To identify needs of metastatic breast cancer patients prior to starting a new systemic treatment.

Methods: Fifty patients with newly diagnosed, recurrent, or progressive metastatic breast cancer completed an electronic survey which included patient-reported outcome measures of function (PROMIS Cancer Function Brief 3D profile), quality of life (FACT-G), exercise (Godin Leisure-Time exercise questionnaire), and diet (REAP-S); demographic information; and self-reported use of or referral to specific resources at the cancer center prior to beginning a new systemic oncologic treatment.

Results: Prior to starting a new treatment for metastatic breast cancer, patients reported mild functional impairment (PROMIS Cancer Function Brief 3D profile mean score:42.

Probing Out-Of-Plane Charge Transport in Organic Semiconductors Using Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy.

High contact resistance remains the primary obstacle that hinders further advancements of organic semiconductors (OSCs) in electronic circuits. While significant effort has been directed toward lowering the energy barrier at OSC/metal contact interfaces, approaches toward reducing another major contributor to overall contact resistance - the bulk resistance - have been limited to minimizing the thickness of OSC films. However, the out-of-plane conductivity of OSCs, a critical aspect of bulk resistance, has largely remained unaddressed.

Global Groundwater Carbon Mass Flux and the Myth of Atmospheric Weathering.

Our recent steady-state mass-balance modeling suggests that most global carbonic-acid weathering of silicate rocks occurs in the vadose zone of aquifer systems not on the surface by atmospheric CO. That is, the weathering solute flux is nearly equal to the total global continental riverine carbon flux, signifying little atmospheric weathering by carbonic acid. This finding challenges previous carbon models that utilize silicate weathering as a control of atmospheric CO levels.

Vimentin modulates regulatory T cell receptor-ligand interactions at distal pole complex, leading to dysregulated host response to viral pneumonia.

Forkhead box P3 (Foxp3) regulatory T cells (Tregs) resolve acute inflammation and repair the injured lung after viral pneumonia. Vimentin is a critical protein in the distal pole complex (DPC) of Tregs. This study reveals the inhibitory effect of vimentin on the suppressive and reparative capacity of Tregs.

Telephone Survey-Reported Perceptions of Telehealth Visits Among Black and Non-Black Patients Diagnosed With Cancer.

Purpose: Empirical evidence underscores both benefits of telehealth visits and persistent disparities in use for Black adults. Guided by the Technology Acceptance Model, we evaluated perceptions regarding telehealth visits among Black and Non-Black adults receiving cancer care from two academic health systems.

Methods: Between April 2022 and October 2023, a survey was conducted among adult patients treated for cancer in the past 3 years.