Estimating dementia incidence in insured older Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in California: an application of inverse odds of selection weights.

Literature shows heterogeneous age-standardized dementia incidence rates across US Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI), but no estimates of population-representative dementia incidence exist due to lack of AANHPI longitudinal probability samples. We compared harmonized characteristics between AANHPI Kaiser Permanente Northern California members (KPNC cohort) and the target population of AANHPI 60+ with private or Medicare insurance using the California Health Interview Survey. We used stabilized inverse odds of selection weights (sIOSW) to estimate ethnicity-specific crude and age-standardized dementia incidence rates and cumulative risk by age 90 in the target population. Differences between the KPNC cohort and target population varied by ethnicity. sIOSW eliminated most differences in larger ethnic groups; some differences remained in smaller groups. Estimated crude dementia incidence rates using sIOSW (versus unweighted) were similar in Chinese, Filipinos, Pacific Islanders and Vietnamese, and higher in Japanese, Koreans, and South Asians. Unweighted and weighted age-standardized incidence rates differed for South Asians. Unweighted and weighted cumulative risk were similar for all groups. We estimated the first population-representative dementia incidence rates and cumulative risk in AANHPI ethnic groups. We encountered some estimation problems and weighted estimates were imprecise, highlighting challenges using weighting to extend inferences to target populations.

Heterogeneity in the effect of type 2 diabetes on dementia incidence in a diverse cohort of Asian American and non-Latino White older adults.

Dementia incidence is lower among Asian Americans than among Whites, despite higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes, a well-known dementia risk factor. Determinants of dementia, including type 2 diabetes, have rarely been studied in Asian Americans. We followed 4846 Chinese, 4129 Filipino, 2784 Japanese, 820 South Asian, and 123 360 non-Latino White members of a California-based integrated health-care delivery system from 2002 to 2020. We estimated dementia incidence rates by race/ethnicity and type 2 diabetes status, and we fitted Cox proportional hazards and Aalen additive hazards models for the effect of type 2 diabetes (assessed 5 years before baseline) on age of dementia diagnosis, controlling for sex/gender, educational attainment, nativity, height, race/ethnicity, and a race/ethnicity × diabetes interaction. Type 2 diabetes was associated with higher dementia incidence in Whites (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.46; 95% CI, 1.40-1.52). Compared with Whites, the estimated effect of diabetes was larger in South Asians (HR = 2.26; 95% CI, 1.48-3.44), slightly smaller in Chinese (HR = 1.32; 95% CI, 1.08-1.62) and Filipino (HR = 1.31; 95% CI, 1.08-1.60) individuals, and similar in Japanese individuals (HR = 1.44; 95% CI, 1.15-1.81). Heterogeneity in this association across Asian subgroups may be related to type 2 diabetes severity. Understanding this heterogeneity may inform prevention strategies to prevent dementia for all racial and ethnic groups.

Abortive reaction leads to selective adsorbate rotation.

Electron-induced dissociation of a fluorocarbon adsorbate CF3 (ad) at 4.6 K is shown by Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy (STM) to form directed energetic F-atom 'projectiles' on Cu(110). The outcome of a collision between these directed projectiles and stationary co-adsorbed allyl 'target' molecules was found through STM to give rotational excitation of the target allyl, clockwise or anti-clockwise, depending on the chosen collision geometry. Molecular dynamics computation linked the collisional excitation of the allyl target to an 'abortive chemical reaction', in which the approach of the F-projectile stretched an H-C bond lifting the allyl above the surface, facilitating isomerization from 'Across' to 'Along' a Cu row.

May Measurement Month 2021: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from the Philippines.

The Philippine Society of Hypertension (PSH) took part again in the annual May Measurement Month 2021 (MMM21) blood pressure (BP) campaign to raise awareness of hypertension. The MMM standard protocol designed by the MMM coordinating centre was used during screening. These included the collection of basic data on demography, lifestyle, and environmental factors. Standardized sitting BP measurements were taken three times, using automated BP apparatus and were either entered via MMM21 app, MMM@Home, and Google Forms or recorded on paper and transferred to Excel spreadsheets by PSH encoders. Hypertension was defined either as systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg or on antihypertensive medication. A total of 59 655 participated through opportunistic convenience sampling. After multiple imputation, a total of 26 813 (44.9%) participants were identified as having hypertension. Of these, 14 449 (53.9%) were aware and 12 978 (48.4%) were on antihypertensive medication. Of those who were treated, 5644 (43.5%) had controlled BP (<140/90 mmHg) and 7334 (56.5%) were uncontrolled. These latest local data showed that BP awareness is still low with BP control achieved in less than half of treated patients. Continued collaboration is needed to improve BP screening programmes in the country.

East is east or is it? Racialization of Asian, Middle Eastern, and Pacific Islander persons.

The conventional use of racial categories in health research naturalizes "race" in problematic ways that ignore how racial categories function in service of a White-dominated racial hierarchy. In many respects, racial labels are based on geographic designations. For instance, "Asians" are from Asia. Yet, this is not always a tenable proposition. For example, Afghanistan resides in South Asia, and shares a border with China and Pakistan. Yet, people from Afghanistan are not considered Asian, but Middle Eastern, by the US Census. Furthermore, people on the west side of the Island of New Guinea are considered Asian, whereas those on the eastern side are considered Pacific Islander. In this article, we discuss the complexity of the racial labels related to people originating from Oceania and Asia, and, more specifically, those groups commonly referred to as Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and Asian. We begin with considerations of the aggregation fallacy. Just as the ecological fallacy refers to erroneous inferences about individuals from group data, the aggregation fallacy refers to erroneous inferences about subgroups (eg, Hmong) from group data (ie, all Asian Americans), and how these inferences can contribute to stereotypes such as the "model minority." We also examine how group averages can be influenced merely by the composition of the subgroups, and how these, in turn, can be influenced by social policies. We provide a historical overview of some of the issues facing Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and Asian communities, and conclude with directions for future research.

Population-level contribution of interpersonal discrimination to psychological distress among Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults, and to Indigenous-non-Indigenous inequities: cross-sectional analysis of a community-controlled First Nations cohort study.

BACKGROUND: International and population-specific evidence identifies elevated psychological distress prevalence among those experiencing interpersonal discrimination. We aim to quantify the potential whole-of-population contribution of interpersonal discrimination to psychological distress prevalence and Indigenous-non-Indigenous gaps in Australia. METHODS: We did a cross-sectional analysis of data from Mayi Kuwayu: the National Study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing. Baseline surveys were completed between June 8, 2018, and Sept 28, 2022. We analysed responses from participants who were aged 18 years or older at survey completion, whose surveys were processed between Oct 1, 2018, and May 1, 2021. Sample weights were developed on the basis of national population benchmarks. We measured everyday discrimination using an eight-item measure modified from the Everyday Discrimination Scale and classified experiences as racial discrimination if participants attributed these experiences to their Indigeneity. Psychological distress was measured using a validated, modified Kessler-5 scale. Applying logistic regression, we calculated unadjusted odds ratios (ORs), to approximate incident rate ratios (IRRs), for high or very high psychological distress in relation to everyday discrimination and everyday racial discrimination across age-gender strata. Population attributable fractions (PAFs), under the hypothetical assumption that ORs represent causal relationships, were calculated using these ORs and population-level exposure prevalence. These PAFs were used to quantify the contribution of everyday racial discrimination to psychological distress gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous adults. FINDINGS: 9963 survey responses were eligible for inclusion in our study, of which we analysed 9951 (99·9%); 12 were excluded due to responders identifying as a gender other than man or woman (there were too few responses from this demographic to be included as a category in stratified tables or adjusted analyses). The overall prevalence of psychological distress was 48·3% (95% CI 47·0-49·6) in those experiencing everyday discrimination compared with 25·2% (23·8-26·6) in those experiencing no everyday discrimination (OR 2·77 [95% CI 2·52-3·04]) and psychological distress prevalence was 49·0% (95% CI 47·3-50·6) in those experiencing everyday racial discrimination and 31·8% (30·6-33·1) in those experiencing no everyday racial discrimination (OR 2·06 [95% CI 1·88-2·25]. Overall, 49·3% of the total psychological distress burden among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults could be attributable to everyday discrimination (39·4-58·8% across strata) and 27·1% to everyday racial discrimination. Everyday racial discrimination could explain 47·4% of the overall gap in psychological distress between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people (40·0-60·3% across strata). INTERPRETATION: Our findings show that interpersonal discrimination might contribute substantially to psychological distress among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults, and to inequities compared with non-Indigenous adults. Estimated PAFs include contributions from social and health disadvantage, reflecting contributions from structural racism. Although not providing strictly conclusive evidence of causality, this evidence is sufficient to indicate the psychological harm of interpersonal discrimination. Findings add weight to imperatives to combat discrimination and structural racism at its core. Urgent individual and policy action is required of non-Indigenous people and colonial structures, directed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. FUNDING: National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, Ian Potter Foundation, Australian Research Council, US National Institutes of Health, and Sierra Foundation.

Final Measurement of the

This Letter reports one of the most precise measurements to date of the antineutrino spectrum from a purely ^{235}U-fueled reactor, made with the final dataset from the PROSPECT-I detector at the High Flux Isotope Reactor. By extracting information from previously unused detector segments, this analysis effectively doubles the statistics of the previous PROSPECT measurement. The reconstructed energy spectrum is unfolded into antineutrino energy and compared with both the Huber-Mueller model and a spectrum from a commercial reactor burning multiple fuel isotopes. A local excess over the model is observed in the 5-7 MeV energy region. Comparison of the PROSPECT results with those from commercial reactors provides new constraints on the origin of this excess, disfavoring at 2.0 and 3.7 standard deviations the hypotheses that antineutrinos from ^{235}U are solely responsible and noncontributors to the excess observed at commercial reactors, respectively.

The Water Surrounding the Iceberg: Cultural Racism and Health Inequities.

Policy Points Cultural racism-or the widespread values that privilege and protect Whiteness and White social and economic power-permeates all levels of society, uplifts other dimensions of racism, and contributes to health inequities. Overt forms of racism, such as racial hate crimes, represent only the "tip of the iceberg," whereas structural and institutional racism represent its base. This paper advances cultural racism as the "water surrounding the iceberg," allowing it to float while obscuring its base. Considering the fundamental role of cultural racism is needed to advance health equity. CONTEXT: Cultural racism is a pervasive social toxin that surrounds all other dimensions of racism to produce and maintain racial health inequities. Yet, cultural racism has received relatively little attention in the public health literature. The purpose of this paper is to 1) provide public health researchers and policymakers with a clearer understanding of what cultural racism is, 2) provide an understanding of how it operates in conjunction with the other dimensions of racism to produce health inequities, and 3) offer directions for future research and interventions on cultural racism. METHODS: We conducted a nonsystematic, multidisciplinary review of theory and empirical evidence that conceptualizes, measures, and documents the consequences of cultural racism for social and health inequities. FINDINGS: Cultural racism can be defined as a culture of White supremacy, which values, protects, and normalizes Whiteness and White social and economic power. This ideological system operates at the level of our shared social consciousness and is expressed in the language, symbols, and media representations of dominant society. Cultural racism surrounds and bolsters structural, institutional, personally mediated, and internalized racism, undermining health through material, cognitive/affective, biologic, and behavioral mechanisms across the life course. CONCLUSIONS: More time, research, and funding is needed to advance measurement, elucidate mechanisms, and develop evidence-based policy interventions to reduce cultural racism and promote health equity.

Examining the relationship between intersectional discrimination and substance use disorders by race/ethnicity and gender.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aims to assess the relationship between substance use disorders (SUD) and intersectional discrimination, the intersection of racial/ethnic discrimination, and gender discrimination. Further, this study aims to determine if the relationship between SUD and discrimination varies by race/ethnicity and gender. METHOD: This cross-sectional study analyzes data from a diverse sample of American Indian, Asian, Black, Latinx, and White adult respondents (N = 34,547) from Wave 2 of the 2004-2005 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Multinomial logistic regression was used to test the association between intersectional discrimination and SUD. Intersectional discrimination was assessed using an interaction term between racial/ethnic discrimination and gender discrimination. Alcohol use disorders (AUD) only and alcohol plus drug use disorders (SUD) were assessed separately. Analyses were stratified by race/ethnicity and gender. RESULTS: Overall, intersectional discrimination was associated with increased predicted probabilities of SUD relative to those with no discrimination and was more often associated with SUD than AUD. Intersectional discrimination was associated with increased predicted probabilities of AUD and SUD among women, Black, Latinx, and White adults. Intersectional discrimination was associated with increased predicted probabilities of SUD but not AUD among men, American Indian, and Asian adults. CONCLUSIONS: Intersectional discrimination consistently elevated AUD and/or SUD across subgroups defined by gender or race/ethnicity; however, effects were variable across gender, race/ethnicity, and disorder. Findings demonstrate the negative health implications of intersectional discrimination for men and women and American Indian, Asian, Black, Latinx, and White adults. Study findings have implications for the development of policies and interventions that are centered around intersectionality. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Neighborhood disadvantage and dementia incidence in a cohort of Asian American and non-Latino White older adults in Northern California.

INTRODUCTION: Some evidence suggests that neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with dementia-related outcomes. However, prior research is predominantly among non-Latino Whites. METHODS: We evaluated the association between neighborhood disadvantage (Area Deprivation Index [ADI]) and dementia incidence in Asian American (n = 18,103) and non-Latino White (n = 149,385) members of a Northern California integrated health care delivery system aged 60 to 89 at baseline. Race/ethnicity-specific Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for individual-level age, sex, socioeconomic measures, and block group population density estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for dementia. RESULTS: Among non-Latino Whites, ADI was associated with dementia incidence (most vs. least disadvantaged ADI quintile HR = 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02-1.15). Among Asian Americans, associations were close to null (e.g., most vs. least disadvantaged ADI quintile HR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.85-1.21). DISCUSSION: ADI was associated with dementia incidence among non-Latino Whites but not Asian Americans. Understanding the potentially different mechanisms driving dementia incidence in these groups could inform dementia prevention efforts.

Evaluation of phosphorus runoff from sandy soils under conservation tillage with surface broadcasted recovered phosphates.

Potential new sources of phosphorus (P) fertilizer are the recovered P from livestock wastewater through chemical precipitation and the ash from combusting animal manures. Although most of the research on P losses from conservation tillage include high water-soluble P compounds from commercial fertilizer sources, information on the use of non-conventional, low water-soluble, recycled P sources is scarce. Particularly for sandy soils of the United States (US) Southeastern Coastal Plain region, research driven information on P loss into the environment is needed to determine recommendations for a direct use of new recycled P sources as crop P fertilizers. The objective of this study is to investigate the potential P runoff from sandy soils under conservation tillage, fertilized with recovered P from liquid swine manure and turkey litter ash in comparison with commercial P fertilizer triple superphosphate (TSP). The field study included two typical sandy soils of the US Southeastern Coastal Plain region, the Noboco and Norfolk. Simulated rain corresponding to the annual 30-min rainfall in the study site (Florence County, South Carolina) was applied to plots treated with recovered P from liquid swine manure, turkey litter ash, and TSP, including a control with no P added. The runoff was monitored and sampled every 5 min during the test and composite soil samples were collected from the top (0-15 cm) and subsurface (15-30 cm) soil layers in each plot. Laboratory analyses were conducted to quantify both total P (TP) and soluble reactive P (SRP) in runoff samples, and the soil test P in the soil layers. Two-way analyses of variances show significant treatment effects on both TP and SRP runoff. The quantities of SRP runoff from plots treated with the recovered P from swine manure and turkey litter ash represent respectively 1% and 7-8% of SRP runoff from plots treated with TSP. Hence, the use of the recovered P materials as crop P fertilizers through surface broadcast application present less environmental risks compared to commercial TSP.

Experimental Search for Neutron to Mirror Neutron Oscillations as an Explanation of the Neutron Lifetime Anomaly.

An unexplained >4σ discrepancy persists between "beam" and "bottle" measurements of the neutron lifetime. A new model proposed that conversions of neutrons n into mirror neutrons n^{'}, part of a dark mirror sector, can increase the apparent neutron lifetime by 1% via a small mass splitting Δm between n and n^{'} inside the 4.6 T magnetic field of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Beam Lifetime experiment. A search for neutron conversions in a 6.6 T magnetic field was performed at the Spallation Neutron Source which excludes this explanation for the neutron lifetime discrepancy.

Joint Determination of Reactor Antineutrino Spectra from

A joint determination of the reactor antineutrino spectra resulting from the fission of ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu has been carried out by the Daya Bay and PROSPECT Collaborations. This Letter reports the level of consistency of ^{235}U spectrum measurements from the two experiments and presents new results from a joint analysis of both data sets. The measurements are found to be consistent. The combined analysis reduces the degeneracy between the dominant ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu isotopes and improves the uncertainty of the ^{235}U spectral shape to about 3%. The ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu antineutrino energy spectra are unfolded from the jointly deconvolved reactor spectra using the Wiener-SVD unfolding method, providing a data-based reference for other reactor antineutrino experiments and other applications. This is the first measurement of the ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu spectra based on the combination of experiments at low- and highly enriched uranium reactors.

Joint Measurement of the

The PROSPECT and STEREO collaborations present a combined measurement of the pure ^{235}U antineutrino spectrum, without site specific corrections or detector-dependent effects. The spectral measurements of the two highest precision experiments at research reactors are found to be compatible with χ^{2}/ndf=24.1/21, allowing a joint unfolding of the prompt energy measurements into antineutrino energy. This ν[over ¯]_{e} energy spectrum is provided to the community, and an excess of events relative to the Huber model is found in the 5-6 MeV region. When a Gaussian bump is fitted to the excess, the data-model χ^{2} value is improved, corresponding to a 2.4σ significance.

Stimulus-Responsive Nanoconjugates Derived from Phytoglycogen Nanoparticles.

Plant-derived phytoglycogen nanoparticles (PhG NPs) have the advantages of size uniformity, dispersibility in water, excellent lubrication properties, and lack of cytotoxicity; however, their chemical functionalization may lead to loss of NP structural integrity. Here, we report a straightforward approach to the generation of PhG NP conjugates with biologically active molecules. Hydrogen bonding of bovine serum albumin with electroneutral PhG NPs endows them with additional ligand binding affinity and enables the electrostatically governed attachment of methotrexate (MTX), a therapeutic agent commonly used in the treatment of cancer and arthritis diseases, to the protein-capped NPs. We showed stimuli-responsive release of MTX from the PhG-based nanoconjugates under physiological cues such as temperature and ionic strength. The results of this study stimulate future exploration of biomedical applications of nanoconjugates of PhG NPs.

The association between Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, health access, and mental health: the role of discrimination, medical mistrust, and stigma.

OBJECTIVE: There are approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US, including 1.3 million young adults who are eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. It is unclear how DACA influences engagement in healthcare or depressive symptoms, and the role of discrimination, medical mistrust, and stigma in healthcare settings. This study assesses the association of DACA on undocumented young adults' engagement with health care and depressive symptoms. DESIGN: We conducted an internet-based survey examining the health-related experiences of undocumented Latino and Asians and Pacific Islander (API) young adults in California (n = 218) between June and August 2017. Multivariable logistic regressions were conducted to assess the influence of DACA, discrimination, medical mistrust, and stigma on healthcare engagement and depressive symptoms. RESULTS: Approximately 78% of respondents had a gap in healthcare, and about 31% reported high levels of depressive symptoms. Controlling for demographic characteristics, compared to those without DACA, DACA-recipients had lower odds of reporting gaps in healthcare engagement (aOR = 0.270, p < 0.05) and depressive symptoms (aOR = 0.115, p < 0.01). Those facing discrimination, medical mistrust, and stigma in healthcare settings were less likely to have a healthcare visit and more likely to have higher depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: DACA is a potential strategy to improve healthcare access and address the mental health of undocumented populations. In particular, issues of discrimination, stigma by healthcare providers, and medical mistrust need to be addressed.

Advanced imaging use and payment trends in a large pediatric accountable care organization.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric imaging use and payment trends in accountable care organizations (ACOs) are seldom studied but are important for health policy decisions and resource allocation. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate patterns of advanced imaging use and associated payments over a 7-year period at a large ACO in the USA serving a Medicaid population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed paid claims data from 2011 through 2017 from an ACO, analyzing the MRI, CT and US use trends and payments from emergency department (ED) and outpatient encounters. We defined "utilization rate" as the number of advanced imaging procedures per 100 enrolled children per calendar year. Average yearly utilization and payments trends were analyzed using Pearson correlation. RESULTS: Across 7 years, 186,552 advanced imaging procedures were performed. The average overall utilization rate was 6.99 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.9-7.1). In the ED this was 2.7 (95% CI: 2.6-2.8) and in outpatients 4.3 (95% CI: 4.2-4.3). The overall utilization rate grew by 0.7% yearly (P=0.077), with US growing the most at 4.0% annually (P=0.0005), especially in the ED in the US, where it grew 10.8% annually (P=0.000019). The overall payments were stable from 2011 to 2017, with outpatient MRI seeing the largest payment decrease at 1.8% (P=0.24) and ED US showing the most growth at 3.3% (P=0.00016). Head CT and abdominal US were the two most common procedures. CONCLUSION: Over the study period, advanced imaging utilization at this large pediatric ACO serving the Medicaid population increased, especially with US use in the ED. Overall payments related to advanced imaging remained stable over this period.

The role of nativity in heterogeneous dementia incidence in a large cohort of three Asian American groups and white older adults in California.

INTRODUCTION: Literature shows lower dementia incidence in Asian American groups versus whites, varying by Asian ethnicity. One hypothesized driver is nativity differences (eg, healthy immigrant effect). METHODS: We followed a cohort of 6243 Chinese, 4879 Filipino, 3256 Japanese, and 141,158 white Kaiser Permanente Northern California members for incident dementia (2002 to 2020), estimating age-adjusted dementia incidence rates by ethnicity and nativity, and hazard ratios (HR) for nativity on dementia incidence using ethnicity-stratified age- and sex-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: Dementia incidence appeared higher in foreign- versus US-born Filipinos (HR, 95% confidence interval: 1.39, 1.02 to 1.89); differences were small in Japanese (1.07, 0.88 to 1.30) and Chinese (1.07, 0.92 to 1.24). No nativity differences were observed among whites (1.00, 0.95 to 1.04). DISCUSSION: Nativity does not explain lower dementia incidence in Asian Americans versus whites, but may contribute to heterogeneity across Asian ethnicities. Future research should explore differential impacts of social and cardiometabolic factors.

Anti-leukemia effect associated with down-regulated CD47 and up-regulated calreticulin by stimulated macrophages in co-culture.

CD47 is over-expressed in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and functions as an inhibitory signal, suppressing phagocytosis by binding to signal regulatory protein α (SIRPα) on the surface of macrophages. Inhibition of CD47 restores the immune surveillance of AML cells. However, the inhibition of CD47 in AML by activated macrophages and the subsequent effects on different immune response parameters are not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate the use of a distinct co-culture method to inhibit CD47 and therefore eliminate AML cells by macrophages in vitro. Human chemically induced THP-1 macrophages were activated using different concentrations of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and co-culturing with three AML cancer cell lines (HL-60, NB4, and THP-1), respectively, as well as normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). CD47 inhibition was observed in and selective to AML but not observed in normal PBMC. Additionally, calreticulin (CRT) levels were elevated in the same cell lines simultaneously, after co-culturing with activated human macrophages, but not elevated in normal cells. We also show that the activated macrophages secreted high levels of cytokines, including IL-12p70, IL-6, and TNF-α, consistent with the elimination of AML by macrophages. Our study reveals the potential of this model for screening new drugs against AML and the possibility of using human macrophages in AML treatment in the future.

Chemical Composition and Strain at Interfaces between Different Morphologies in Block Copolymer Thin Films.

Transitional composition between two thin-film morphologies of the block copolymer, polystyrene-block-poly(tert-butyl acrylate) (PS-b-PtBuA), was investigated using near-field infrared spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy mechanical measurements. These techniques allowed block identification with nanoscale spatial resolution and elucidated the material's sub-surface composition. PS was found to form coronae around the PtBuA block in spherical valleys on flat areas of the film, and coronae of PtBuA surrounding the PS lamellae were observed at the edge of the polymer film, where parallel lamellae are formed. Furthermore, we found that the peak position and width varied by location, which may be a result of block composition, chain tension, or substrate interaction.