Women with atypical hyperplasia (AH) or lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) have a significantly increased risk of breast cancer, which can be substantially reduced with antiestrogen therapy for ...chemoprevention. However, antiestrogen therapy for breast cancer risk reduction remains underutilized. Improving knowledge about breast cancer risk and chemoprevention among high-risk patients and their healthcare providers may enhance informed decision-making about this critical breast cancer risk reduction strategy.
We are conducting a cluster randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of patient and provider decision support tools to improve informed choice about chemoprevention among women with AH or LCIS. We have cluster randomized 26 sites across the U.S. through the SWOG Cancer Research Network. A total of 415 patients and 200 healthcare providers are being recruited. They are assigned to standard educational materials alone or combined with the web-based decision support tools. Patient-reported and clinical outcomes are assessed at baseline, after a follow-up visit at 6 months, and yearly for 5 years. The primary outcome is chemoprevention informed choice after the follow-up visit. Secondary endpoints include other patient-reported outcomes, such as chemoprevention knowledge, decision conflict and regret, and self-reported chemoprevention usage. Barriers and facilitators to implementing decision support into clinic workflow are assessed through patient and provider interviews at baseline and mid-implementation.
With this hybrid effectiveness/implementation study, we seek to evaluate if a multi-level intervention effectively promotes informed decision-making about chemoprevention and provide valuable insights on how the intervention is implemented in U.S. clinical settings.
NCT04496739
The nuclear level density (NLD) is a fundamental measure of the complex structure of atomic nuclei at relatively high energies. Here, in this study, we present the first model-independent measurement ...of the absolute partial NLD for a short-lived nucleus. For this purpose we adapt the recently introduced “shape method” for β-decay experiments, providing the shape of the γ-ray strength function for exotic nuclei. In this work, we show that combining the shape method with the β-Oslo technique allows for the extraction of the NLD of the populated states without the need for theoretical input. This development opens the way for the extraction of experimental NLDs far from stability with major implications in astrophysical and other applications. We benchmark our approach using data for the stable 76Ge nucleus, finding excellent agreement with previous experimental results. In addition, we present new experimental data and determine the absolute partial level density for the short-lived 88Kr nucleus. Our results suggest a fivefold increase in the NLD for the case of 88Kr, compared to the recommended values from semimicroscopic Hartree-Fock Bogoliubov calculations recommended by the RIPL3 nuclear data library. However, our results are in good agreement with other semimicroscopic level density models. We demonstrate the impact of our method on the 87Kr(n, γ) neutron capture rate and show that our experimental uncertainties for NLDs fulfill the requirements needed for astrophysical calculations predicting r-process abundances.
This paper presents the β-decay feeding intensity distribution and Gamow-Teller transition strength distribution of 71,73Ni. These quantities were measured using the technique of total absorption ...spectroscopy at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory with the Summing NaI(Tl) detector. These measurements provide sensitive constraints to theoretical models used to predict β-decay properties far from stability for astrophysical applications. Specifically, for the astrophysical r process, the majority of the involved nuclei are not accessible by current facilities, and the nuclear input is mainly provided by theory. The present work reports on two neutron-rich nickel isotopes in the region where the weak r process is expected to be relevant in stellar nucleosynthesis. The experimental results are compared to two theoretical models, namely the shell model and the quasiparticle random-phase approximation, to help further refine theoretical calculations and aid in future r-process studies.
Highlights ► Male C57BL/6J mice were singly housed under four conditions for 32 days: standard, EE, run, or both. ► Novel toys and treats were rotated into the enrichment conditions every 4 days. ► ...Animals in the run group displayed increased neurogenesis and enhanced water maze performance. ► Mere interaction with a stimulating environment does not confer neurogenic or cognitive benefits.
New astronomical observations point to a nucleosynthesis picture that goes beyond what was accepted until recently. The intermediate “i” process was proposed as a plausible scenario to explain some ...of the unusual abundance patterns observed in metal-poor stars. The most important nuclear physics properties entering i-process calculations are the neutron-capture cross sections and they are almost exclusively not known experimentally. In this report we provide the first experimental constraints on the 139Ba(n,γ)140Ba reaction rate, which is the dominant source of uncertainty for the production of lanthanum, a key indicator of i-process conditions. This is an important step towards identifying the exact astrophysical site of stars carrying the i-process signature.
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