Eric Miller Research Articles

Group relations organisations and conferences as a fractal of society: how group relations work in different countries has been shaped by national variables of history, economics, politics, culture, and geography

This article follows the Eric Miller memorial lecture given on 1 April 2023. Based on interviews with many group relations practitioners worldwide, the article explores how group relations organisations and conferences are shaped by national variables of history, economics, politics, culture, and geography. Links between current practices in organisations and the connection of those practices to background forces are suggested. The significance of the patrons of group relations work, geography, religion and spirituality, trauma, and origin stories for the development of organisations and conferences are examined. Some current worldwide system dynamics are explored. The author's identity as an American, White man, and its relevance to the research is considered.

Abstract 4741: NUDT21 regulates PIGN through APA mechanism to affect the progression of MDS and AML

Abstract Introduction: PIGN gene is crucial in regulating mitotic integrity to maintain chromosomal stability and prevent MDS leukemic transformation and progression. Alternative Polyadenylation (APA) regulation and 3' RNA cleavage are 2 known vital processes in cellular DNA damage response to maintain genomic stability. NUDT21 gene encodes protein that is one subunit of the cleavage factor Im complex required for 3' RNA cleavage and APA processing. Although PIGN gene has six potential polyadenylation sites, the exact role of NUDT21 product on PIGN expression regulation has not been illustrated before. Methods: At first, we analyzed NUDT21 gene expression profile in AML, MDS, and normal control specimens and to plot the relationship between NUDT21 gene expression status and patient survival length from 5 datasets. We also used correlation regression analysis method to predict the gene expression correlations between NUDT21 gene and PIGN gene. Then, we used Caspas9 technology and vector overexpression technology to knockout or overexpress PIGN in HEK293 cells; RNA interference to knockdown the NUDT21 gene in HEK293, HL60, K562, THP-1,SKM-1 and MUTZ-1 cells. MTT and CCK8 methods were used to evaluate cell proliferation. Meanwhile, cell cycle, apoptosis, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and GPI-anchored proteins (CD55, CD59, and CD235) expression profiles were evaluated by flowcytometry; Immunofluorescence experiment, RT-PCR were used to evaluate the impact of NUDT21 gene knockdown on PIGN expression. in vivo mice siRNA interference tests were conducted to verify the impact of NUDT21 knockdown on PIGN gene expression. RNA-Seq & Dapars analyses were conducted on mRNAs from 3 cell lines with various PIGN gene expression status to observe the effects of NUDT21 knockdown on PIGN 3'UTR processing. Results: NUDT21 expression increases in AML and high-risk MDS. NUDT21 expression level is negatively correlated with overall survival. NUDT21 knockdown decreases cell proliferation but increases cell differentiation via prolonging G1 phase, decreasing S phase, and increasing apoptosis. NUDT21 knockdown increases cell membrane GPI-anchoring proteins (CD55, CD59, and CD235) expressions; increases ROS and Caspas3 expressions but decreases CyclinD1 expression. NUDT21 knockout can increase PIGN expression, but PIGN expression status has no impact on NUDT21 expression. RT-PCR and WB results showed that NUDT21 knockdown can increase TP53 expression but decrease p21 expression. in vivo mice siRNA interference tests confirmed that NUDT21 knockdown increases PIGN gene expression. The RNA-Seq/Dapars analyses results showed that 3'UTR of PIGN transcript was significantly shortened and PIGN expression increased after NUDT21 knockdown. Conclusion: NUDT21 modulates PIGN gene expression through APA mechanism. PIGN polyadenylation may regulate cell proliferation status via modulating cell cycle and apoptosis. Citation Format: Jeffrey J. Pu, Fanggang Ren, Na Zhang, Shuo Li, Lan Zhang, Eric Miller, Guirong Wang, Hongwei Wang. NUDT21 regulates PIGN through APA mechanism to affect the progression of MDS and AML. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 4741.

Abstract 2513: Distinct cancer-intrinsic mechanisms mediate nerve recruitment/outgrowth versus perineural invasion

Abstract Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) features abundant perineural invasion (PNI). Intra-tumoral nerves play critical roles in cancer initiation, progression, recurrence, treatment-resistance, metastasis, and mortality for many malignancies but the diverse molecular mechanisms underlying tumor-nerve crosstalk remain largely unknown—hindering the development of therapies targeting this key pathological process. To address this gap, we performed whole transcriptome digital spatial profiling on twelve custom tissue microarrays (n=288 cores) derived from intratumorally-matched regions with and without PNI in primary PDAC specimens (n=31 patients) and independently measured gene expression from cancer cells, fibroblasts, and nerves. We undertook a differential gene expression analysis comparing malignant cells in PNI-present and -absent regions. We quantified the growth kinetics of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) sensory neurons cultured with exogenous candidate proteins, which validated that some candidates augment (e.g., Lgals1) and others inhibit (e.g., Sema3b) neurite outgrowth. Next, we mapped our previously discovered malignant cell programs onto the epithelial segments and observed a significant enrichment of the mesenchymal, basal-like, and neural-like progenitor (NRP) programs versus depletion of the classical program in PNI-present regions. To determine the effects of malignant subtype on nerve outgrowth, we engineered isogenic KrasG12D/+;Trp53FL/FL;Rosa26-dCas9-VPR (KP;dCas9-VPR) organoids to overexpress the master transcription factors (TFs) for each malignant subtype (e.g., Gata6 for classical, Glis3 for NRP). We then performed the DRG neuronal outgrowth assay using conditioned media from each subtype-specific organoid line versus an off-target control and observed that the classical line suppressed neurite outgrowth, the mesenchymal and basal-like lines were neutral, and the NRP line enhanced neurite outgrowth dynamics comparable to the Ngf positive control. Taken together, our findings suggest that the mechanisms underlying nerve recruitment/outgrowth and perineural invasion may be partly decoupled. To further test this hypothesis, we are performing transwell invasion assays comparing KP;dCas9-VPR cancer cell lines that overexpress each of the candidate PNI-associated genes and malignant subtype TFs. We anticipate that this study will transform our understanding of how cancer cells and the peripheral nervous system collaborate and guide prioritization for therapeutic intervention in the burgeoning cancer neuroscience field. Citation Format: William L. Hwang, Jennifer Su, Carina Shiau, Peter L. Wang, Jimmy A. Guo, Nicole A. Lester, Jaimie L. Barth, Hannah I. Hoffman, Prajan Divakar, Jason W. Reeves, Eric Miller, Joseph M. Beechem, Andrew J. Aguirre, Lei Zheng, David T. Ting, Mari Mino-Kenudson, Tyler Jacks. Distinct cancer-intrinsic mechanisms mediate nerve recruitment/outgrowth versus perineural invasion [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 2513.

Eric J. Miller memorial lecture—his legacy

In the group relations/Tavistock milieu Eric Miller comes as close to an icon as social scientists and psychoanalysts can tolerate ... most of you will know him from his prolific writing and might have learnt, through his books, about his life-long concern with the paradox of being a human. Those of us fortunate to have known him personally, would recognise his many humanly contradictions. A man of few spoken words, he had mastered the study of phenomena, and I believe touched people so deeply because of his ability to simply be with people without memory or desire in the fully Bionian sense. In this twentieth anniversary of his death, this memorial lecture is a memoir of Eric, as I remember him from the many teas in the Khaleelee–Miller conservatory, when I came for supervision meetings, from group relations conferences and—applying some poetic licence—from putting together pieces of others' memories of him as they were willing to share them and his field notes as preserved in the Tavistock Institute's archive at the Wellcome Library.

Web Exclusive. Annals On Call - Benefits of Sigmoidoscopy for Colon Cancer Screening.

Web ExclusivesDecember 2022Annals On Call - Benefits of Sigmoidoscopy for Colon Cancer ScreeningFREERobert M. Centor, MD and Colin P. West, MD, PhDRobert M. Centor, MDHuntsville Regional Medical Campus, University of Alabama Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama (R.M.C.)Search for more papers by this author and Colin P. West, MD, PhDMayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (C.P.W.)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/A21-0025 CME/MOC SectionsAboutVisual Abstract ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail In this episode of Annals On Call, Dr. Centor discusses the role of sigmoidoscopy in colorectal cancer screening with Dr. Colin West.Annals articles discussed include...15-Year Benefits of Sigmoidoscopy Screening on Colorectal Cancer Incidence and Mortality. A Pooled Analysis of Randomized Trials: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M22-0835About Annals On CallAnnals On Call focuses on a clinically influential article published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Dr. Robert Centor shares his own perspective on the material and interviews topic area experts to discuss, debate, and share diverse insights about patient care and health care delivery.For more information on Annals On Call and for more episodes, visit go.annals.org/OnCall. Comments0 CommentsSign In to Submit A Comment Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Huntsville Regional Medical Campus, University of Alabama Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama (R.M.C.)Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (C.P.W.)Disclosures: All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated. Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=A21-0025.Editors' Disclosures: Christine Laine, MD, MPH, Editor in Chief, reports that her spouse has stock options/holdings with Targeted Diagnostics and Therapeutics. Stephanie Chang, MD, MPH, Deputy Editor, reports employment with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, travel compensation from the Guidelines International Network, and participation in the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute methodology committee. Vineet Chopra, MD, MSc, Deputy Editor, reports grants received from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and royalties from UpToDate and Oxford University Press. Deborah Cotton, MD, MPH, MA, Deputy Editor, reports that she has no financial relationships or interests to disclose. Eliseo Guallar, MD, MPH, DrPH, Deputy Editor, Statistics, reports that he is employed at Johns Hopkins University. Christina C. Wee, MD, MPH, Deputy Editor, reports employment with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and consultancy with Boston Medical Center. Sankey V. Williams, MD, Deputy Editor, reports that he has no financial relationships or interests to disclose. Yu-Xiao Yang, MD, MSCE, Deputy Editor, reports employment with the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and consultancies with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the State of Colorado. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee Also15-Year Benefits of Sigmoidoscopy Screening on Colorectal Cancer Incidence and Mortality Frederik E. Juul , Amanda J. Cross , Robert E. Schoen , Carlo Senore , Paul Pinsky , Eric Miller , Nereo Segnan , Kate Wooldrage , Paulina Wieszczy-Szczepanik , Paola Armaroli , Kjetil K. Garborg , Hans-Olov Adami , Geir Hoff , Mette Kalager , Michael Bretthauer , Magnus Løberg , and Øyvind Holme Metrics Current IssueDecember 2022Volume 175, Issue 12Page: OC1 ePublished: 20 December 2022 Issue Published: December 2022 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2022 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.Loading ...

Abstract C052: Identifying mediators of perineural invasion in pancreatic cancer using spatial transcriptomics

Abstract Intratumoral nerves play important and versatile roles in cancer initiation, progression, recurrence, treatment-resistance, metastasis, morbidity, and mortality for many malignancies but the diverse molecular mechanisms underlying tumor-nerve crosstalk remain largely unknown. One of the differentiating hallmarks of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an exceptionally high frequency of perineural invasion (PNI), a histopathologic manifestation of tumor-nerve crosstalk whereby cancer cells recruit, migrate towards, and envelop or invade peripheral nerves. Evidence for some neurochemicals/neurotrophins involved in PNI have been uncovered, but most of the underlying work was limited by a lack of cell-type specificity, spatial context, and fragmented focus on individual pathways. To address these shortcomings, we set out to comprehensively identify cell-type specific genes spatially linked to PNI in patient tumors and then dissect the functional roles of these genes through live imaging of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) sensory neurons incubated in conditioned media from cancer cell organoids overexpressing candidate genes via CRISPR activation (CRISPRa). First, we performed whole transcriptome digital spatial profiling (NanoString GeoMx) on twelve custom tissue microarrays (n=288 cores) derived from intratumorally-matched malignant regions with and without PNI in primary resected PDAC specimens (n=31 patients). Differential gene expression (DE) analysis (FDR < 0.001) for PNI demonstrated that for malignant cells there were 271 enriched and 65 depleted genes, and for fibroblasts there were 16 enriched and 27 depleted genes. We further evaluated associations between PNI and expression of malignant subtypes previously identified from single-nucleus RNA-seq applied to 43 primary resected PDAC specimens. We found that malignant cells engaged in PNI were enriched in the mesenchymal, basaloid and neural-like progenitor (NRP) subtypes and depleted in the classical subtype. To test these associations functionally, we generated isogenic murine organoid lines (KrasG12D/+;Trp53FL/FL;R26-dCas9-VPR) overexpressing subtype-driving transcription factors and collected conditioned media. DRG sensory neurons demonstrate enhanced and suppressed growth kinetics when grown in NRP and classical conditioned media, respectively; mesenchymal and basal-like conditioned media do not appear to influence growth kinetics. These results suggest that while mesenchymal, basaloid, and NRP cells likely all play a role in cancer cell invasion of nerves, NRP cells may have an additional role in tumor-nerve tropism. Additional experiments exploring the functional effects of the top enriched and depleted genes from the DE analysis are ongoing. We anticipate that this study will provide a high-resolution understanding of critical intercellular interactions in the PDAC tumor microenvironment that facilitate PNI and tumor-nerve crosstalk more broadly to guide novel therapeutic strategies. Citation Format: William L. Hwang, Jennifer Su, Jimmy A. Guo, Carina Shiau, Jaimie L. Barth, Hannah I. Hoffman, Prajan Divakar, Jason W. Reeves, Eric Miller, Grissel Cervantes-Jaramillo, William Freed-Pastor, Vanessa Funes, Jennifer Y. Wo, Theodore S. Hong, Carlos Fernandez-del Castillo, Lei Zheng, Andrew J. Aguirre, David T. Ting, Mari Mino-Kenudson, Tyler Jacks. Identifying mediators of perineural invasion in pancreatic cancer using spatial transcriptomics [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer; 2022 Sep 13-16; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(22 Suppl):Abstract nr C052.

Abstract P2-07-13: High-dimensional, single-cell analysis and transcriptional profiling reveal novel correlatives of response to PARP inhibition plus PD-1 blockade in triple-negative breast cancer

Abstract Background: TOPACIO was a phase I/II study evaluating the PARP inhibitor (PARPi) niraparib in combination with the anti-PD-1 antibody pembrolizumab in patients with locally advanced and metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC, n=55) and ovarian cancer irrespective of BRCA mutation status. In the efficacy-evaluable population (n=47) the objective response rate (ORR) was 21% and disease control rate (DCR) 49%. Although activity was greater in patients with BRCA mutations (7/15, ORR=47% and 12/15, DCR=80%), durable clinical benefit was seen in patients with wild-type BRCA tumors (3/27, ORR=11% and 9/27, DCR=33%). In a limited cohort of 20 patients with durable clinical benefit, there were 8 BRCA wildtype patients, four of whom had mutations in genes associated with the homologous recombination repair and other DNA damage repair pathways. Pre-treatment tissues were collected and evaluated for tumor PD-L1 status. Patients with PD-L1 positive tumors (28/47, 60%) had a higher response rate (9/28, ORR=32%) than those with PD-L1 negative tumors (1/13, ORR=8%; 6 tumors had unknown PD-L1 status). It remains unstudied whether the tumor’s gene expression profile or immune status in baseline biospecimens is predictive of treatment response. In this study we conducted exploratory biomarker analyses to test the hypothesis that gene expression patterns and immune status are associated with treatment response. Methods: Transcriptional profiling of baseline samples was performed using the BC360 (n=41) and PanCancer IO360 (n=42) panels (Nanostring) and multigene signatures were used to measure tumor and immune activities as well as relative immune cell abundance. Transcriptional analysis was paired with high-dimensional, single-cell cyclic immunofluorescence (CyCIF) of samples that had adequate tissue for analysis (n=19) to characterize the composition and topology of the immune microenvironment at single-cell resolution. Results: Nanostring transcriptional analysis revealed that PAM50 genes stratified tumor samples into 4 subgroups with distinct histology as determined by CyCIF. Each subgroup was capable of responding to niraparib plus pembrolizumab. Multiple genes involved in WNT signaling (WNT5B, TANKS1, TANKS2, PARP4, and NET02) were associated with favorable clinical responses. Low neuropilin and tolloid-like protein 2 (NETO2) gene expression was strongly correlated with favorable progression free survival (PFS; R=-0.61, p=0.0008, Spearman’s correlation), suggesting it may be a predictive biomarker of therapeutic response. Nanostring gene expression signatures for tumor inflammation, apoptosis, and inflammatory chemokines also distinguished responders from non-responders (p<0.05). CyCIF analysis performed on whole tissue sections accounting for 2.97 million single cells revealed 43 distinct cell-states comprising the tumor microenvironment. PD1+CD4+ T cells were significantly correlated with extended PFS (R=0.65, p=0.006, Spearman’s correlation). However, PD1+CD4+ T cells were less abundant in patients who continue to respond to the therapy (2.7-fold reduced, p=0.004), suggesting two groups of responders. Conclusion: WNT signaling, NETO2 and PD1+CD4 T cells are candidate biomarkers for predicting response to niraparib plus pembrolizumab. Further studies are underway to characterize the biological underpinnings of these correlative findings. Citation Format: Jennifer L Guerriero, Gregory J Baker, Jia-Ren Lin, Yu-An Chen, Ricardo Pastorello, Tuulia Vallius, Janae Davis, Clarence Yapp, Sarah E Church, Eric Miller, Anniina Färkkilä, Shaveta Vinayak, Melinda L Telli, Giulia Fulci, Alan D'Andrea, Geoffrey I Shapiro, Sara M Tolaney, Sandro Santagata, Peter K Sorger, Elizabeth A Mittendorf. High-dimensional, single-cell analysis and transcriptional profiling reveal novel correlatives of response to PARP inhibition plus PD-1 blockade in triple-negative breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-07-13.

MP37-10 ANTERIOR RECTUS SHEATH VERSUS GIBSON APPROACH TO KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

You have accessJournal of UrologyRenal Transplantation & Vascular Surgery I (MP37)1 Sep 2021MP37-10 ANTERIOR RECTUS SHEATH VERSUS GIBSON APPROACH TO KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL Prithvi Murthy, Michele Fascelli, Madison Lyon, Eric Miller, Yi-Chia Lin, Michael Spinner, Venkatesh Krishnamurthi, Alvin Wee, David Goldfarb, Joseph Africa, and Mohamed Eltemamy Prithvi MurthyPrithvi Murthy More articles by this author , Michele FascelliMichele Fascelli More articles by this author , Madison LyonMadison Lyon More articles by this author , Eric MillerEric Miller More articles by this author , Yi-Chia LinYi-Chia Lin More articles by this author , Michael SpinnerMichael Spinner More articles by this author , Venkatesh KrishnamurthiVenkatesh Krishnamurthi More articles by this author , Alvin WeeAlvin Wee More articles by this author , David GoldfarbDavid Goldfarb More articles by this author , Joseph AfricaJoseph Africa More articles by this author , and Mohamed EltemamyMohamed Eltemamy More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000002046.10AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The anterior rectus sheath (ARS) approach to kidney transplantation (KT) involves a small paramedian incision to divide the ARS and medially retract the rectus body without cutting muscle, permitting iliac vasculature exposure and creation of a buried retroperitoneal pocket for the graft (Fig. 1). Retrospective literature demonstrated decreased wound related complications with ARS compared to the Gibson approach (GA). We present results from a randomized double blind controlled trial comparing ARS to GA. METHODS: Patients ≥age 18 without prior ipsilateral KT were enrolled. Surgeons randomized patients intraoperatively. Patients were blinded to randomization. Data collection/analysis was blinded. Student’s t-test, Chi square and the Mann-Whitney-U test were used to compare continuous, categorical, and ordinal non-normally distributed data, respectively. The primary endpoint was wound related complication differences. Post operative pain and narcotic use were secondary endpoints. Estimating a 35% incidence of wound complications, 72 patients per arm would achieve 80% power to detect a 20 point decrease in complications with a two sided α of 0.05. RESULTS: 75 patients were enrolled per arm. Table 1 displays demographic, peri-operative and wound data. Median follow up was 12.5 months. Operative time, benched kidney volumes, post-operative pain, length of stay and delayed graft function rates did not differ. The ARS group had smaller incisions (9.8 cm vs. 13.8 cm, p<0.01) and less inpatient oral morphine equivalent use (75.7 mg vs. 142.2 mg p=0.048). 7 (9%) patients in ARS and 5 (7%) in GA had wound complications. 2 patients in ARS and 4 in GA had a ≥ Clavien-Dindo (CD) IIIa wound complication. CD distribution did not differ between groups (p=0.43). CONCLUSIONS: The wound related complication rate did not differ between the ARS and GA groups and was lower than anticipated. Patients undergoing ARS have shorter incisions and require less inpatient narcotic use despite having similar subjective reporting of pain. Source of Funding: None © 2021 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 206Issue Supplement 3September 2021Page: e649-e650 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2021 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Prithvi Murthy More articles by this author Michele Fascelli More articles by this author Madison Lyon More articles by this author Eric Miller More articles by this author Yi-Chia Lin More articles by this author Michael Spinner More articles by this author Venkatesh Krishnamurthi More articles by this author Alvin Wee More articles by this author David Goldfarb More articles by this author Joseph Africa More articles by this author Mohamed Eltemamy More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Loading ...

Theory Into Practice: Applying Managerial Accounting Tools To Solve A Real-World Dilemma

Many high school and college graduates that have excelled in their sport at either or both levels are not able to maintain their edge once they finish matriculating and/or enter the work force. The demands on their time coupled with the gradual deterioration of their fitness and athleticism that comes along with life beyond the academic setting reduces them to weekend warrior status. But the desire to be part of a winning team and pushing the limits of competition do not end there. In fact, many former athletes volunteer to take on leadership roles off the field that are connected to the sport that they excelled at in school. To some, those roles can be no more than administrative functions that fail to scratch the competitive itch of the former athlete. Eric Miller, an accomplished college soccer player and recent business school graduate had a different idea when he volunteered to take on the team manager role of a local youth sports team. Eric looked at this as an opportunity to apply what he learned in his business classes about strategy development and managerial accounting. Eric started his analysis by looking at the team’s financial situation. Eric then framed out what he believed to be the areas that he needed to address and is seeking your assistance in helping with his analysis so that he can meet his goal of creating the most value for his team.

PD71-09 QUANTITATIVE DIGITAL IMAGE ANALYSIS AND MACHINE LEARNING ACCURATELY CLASSIFIES PRIMARY PROSTATE TUMORS OF BONE METASTATIC DISEASE BASED ON HISTOMORPHOMETRIC FEATURES IN DIAGNOSTIC PROSTATE NEEDLE BIOPSIES

You have accessJournal of UrologyProstate Cancer: Markers III1 Apr 2017PD71-09 QUANTITATIVE DIGITAL IMAGE ANALYSIS AND MACHINE LEARNING ACCURATELY CLASSIFIES PRIMARY PROSTATE TUMORS OF BONE METASTATIC DISEASE BASED ON HISTOMORPHOMETRIC FEATURES IN DIAGNOSTIC PROSTATE NEEDLE BIOPSIES Eric Miller, Hootan Salemi, Sergey Klimov, Michael Lewis, Isla Garraway, Beatrice Knudsen, and Arkadiusz Gertych Eric MillerEric Miller More articles by this author , Hootan SalemiHootan Salemi More articles by this author , Sergey KlimovSergey Klimov More articles by this author , Michael LewisMichael Lewis More articles by this author , Isla GarrawayIsla Garraway More articles by this author , Beatrice KnudsenBeatrice Knudsen More articles by this author , and Arkadiusz GertychArkadiusz Gertych More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2017.02.3176AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Prostate cancer (PC) with de novo bone metastases (M1) has a 5-year survival of 28%. Pathological features of primary M1 tumors are generally indistinguishable from those of high-grade localized (M0) cases, however 5-year survival for M0 PC is nearly 100%. Digital image analysis is an evolving ″OMICS″ platform for biomarker development that can be applied to diagnostic histopathology. We hypothesize that novel software analysis tools and machine learning can systematically interrogate digitized prostate needle biopsy (PNBX) slides to extract histomorphometric features that identify discrepant architecture and nuclear texture of M0 and M1 tumors. Herein, algorithms that measure these features were developed in a training set of digital images and then validated in an independent patient cohort. METHODS We created a biorepository of diagnostic PNBX specimens from 2150 PC patients from the Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System between 2000 and 2016. The biorepository was mined to create a matched cohort of M0 (n=44) and M1 (n=61) cases. Slides were digitized at 40X magnification and two pathologists annotated all cancer foci. ~30 image tiles were obtained from each case (n=2857) and 88 features were extracted. Segmentation based fractal texture descriptors (SFTA), Gabor (GF), grey level run length (GLRL), and nuclear texture (CP) features were used to train a classifier to distinguish M0 from M1 tiles. RESULTS After conversion of M0 and M1 image tiles to digital nuclear masks, training features were used to classify nuclear texture or tissue architecture. The majority vote from nuclear classification was transferred to the tile level and the majority classification of tiles was used to classify each case. For tissue architecture, 45 STFA and 60 Gabor features classified M1 and M0 cases with an accuracy of 71.8% and 80%, respectively. For nuclear features, 44 GLRL and 8 CP classified M0 versus M1 cases with an accuracy of 63% and 75.4%, respectively. A classifier trained with a combined 88 features achieved 86% accuracy in distinguishing M1 from M0 cases. CONCLUSIONS We applied digital imaging technology and machine learning to extract 88 novel features that accurately differentiate high-grade M0 from M1 PC. The quantification of tissue architecture and nuclear morphology provides an orthogonal approach for biomarker development, which can be applied to prognostication and potential treatment decisions in patients with high-risk localized or metastatic PC. © 2017FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 197Issue 4SApril 2017Page: e1358-e1359 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2017MetricsAuthor Information Eric Miller More articles by this author Hootan Salemi More articles by this author Sergey Klimov More articles by this author Michael Lewis More articles by this author Isla Garraway More articles by this author Beatrice Knudsen More articles by this author Arkadiusz Gertych More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

Using BIBFRAME and Library Linked Data to Solve Real Problems: An Interview with Eric Miller of Zepheira

ABSTRACTIn 2011 the Library of Congress commissioned the development of the next generation of machine-readable cataloging. The result of that effort was the Bibliographic Framework Initiative (BIBFRAME), which employed linked data and Semantic Web technologies to provide the basis for the future of bibliographic description. Some people are optimistic about the potential of BIBFRAME, others view BIBFRAME as an interesting experiment with an element of uncertainty as to its practical application, and still others are less optimistic about its prospects. To get a clearer picture of BIBFRAME and its true potential, we contacted Eric Miller, a founding father of Semantic Web technologies, a member of the original BIBFRAME team and president of Zepheira, a company that helps libraries increase their visibility on the open web. This column is a conversation with Eric in which we discuss the past, present and future of BIBFRAME and library linked data, including some success stories.

ZnCdSe-Sensitized WO3 and TiO2 based Photoelectrodes: A Comparative Study

After about four decades since Honda and Fujishima’s electrochemical photolysis report using TiO2(1), intensive research is still ongoing to identify efficient and cost effective semiconductor materials to be integrated in a photoelectrochemicalsystem. The ultimate goal is to have such a design that can simultaneously drive, both the hydrogen evolution and water oxidation reactions. Among all candidate materials, inexpensive metal oxides have been the primary choice due to their stability and excellent corrosion resistance.(2) However, the major drawback is their poor optical absorption that restrains solar-to-hydrogen efficiency to only few percent (3). The best research strategy is to focus on a thermodynamically stable system with appropriate absorption properties and then attempt to improve its absorption, transport and catalytic properties. A stable tungsten based material with appropriate band edge alignment was chosen and the change in its band gap in the presence of a transition metal dopant was theoretically calculated. Based on the preliminary calculations, an optimal concentration of dopant was chosen and the material was synthesized via spray deposition. Surface morphology of the films (before and after sensitization) was examined using scanning electron microscope.Composition of substrate and oxidation state of elements was analyzed using X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Absorption characteristics were determined using UV-Visible spectroscopy. Photoelectrochemical measurements (photocurrent/ photovoltage versus time and I-V characteristics) were undertaken to depict the photoconversion efficiency of designed photoanodes. The correlation of morphological changes with photoelectrochemical response of doped-oxide nanostructures will be discussed. Stability studies of the oxide films, conducted using ICP-OES, will also be presented. Our results show that the bandgap can be altered significantly by using different dopants. Furthermore, for a given dopant, the synthesis parameters such as composition, film thickness, temperature, and dopant concentration play a significant role in determining the final characteristics. Acknowledgements: This work was funded by Department of Energy under contract DE-FC36-06-GO86066. Dr. David Peterson and Dr. Eric Miller act as the program manager and the technical manager, respectively.

Women’s Rights on the Right: The History and Stakes of Modern Pro-Life Feminism

Recently, pro-life advocates have popularized claims that abortion harms rather than helps women. The best known of these arguments are the womanprotective arguments—contentions, such as those endorsed in Gonzales v. Carhart, justifying abortion restrictions on the basis of the physical or psychological harms supposedly produced by the procedure. Woman-protective claims, however, represent only one part of a much larger strategy that this Article calls pro-life feminism. The Article follows pro-life activists’ use of the term “feminist” or “feminism.” As the Article makes clear, activists on competing sides of the abortion issue have contested the meaning of “true” feminism. Taking sides in this struggle has obscured the influence and complexity of ideas that abortion opponents identify with pro-life feminism. These are the lost nuances that the Article seeks to recapture. For legal scholars, social movement activists, and historians, there is a good deal at stake in better understanding the pro-life feminist law reform movement. In the wake of the 2006 decision in Carhart and Justice Ginsburg’s dissent in that opinion endorsing equality-based claims, liberals on the Supreme Court may become willing to openly support equality-based arguments for abortion rights. Pro-life feminists have promoted an important counterargument to equality-based justifications for abortion rights: pro-life feminism helps to paint abortion opponents as pro-woman and amenable to the needs of women who pursue higher education or professional careers. The Article also identifies potential common ground among self-identified feminists with different positions on abortion. Both pro-choice and pro-life scholars have written extensively on how to present their arguments as forwarding (or at least not undermining) women’s equal citizenship. However, previous work has not fully captured the complexity or diversity of the pro-life † Assistant Professor of Law at Florida State University College of Law. I would like to thank Miriam Cherry, Kelly Dineen, Joel Goldstein, Eric Miller, Elizabeth Pendo, and Anders Walker for their help with earlier versions of this draft. MAIN ZIEGLER (DO NOT DELETE) 7/12/2013 7:47 AM WOMEN’S RIGHTS ON THE RIGHT 233 feminist movement. Public discussion of pro-life feminism has primarily involved a bitter struggle about who properly counts as a feminist. Lost in this dialogue has been a meaningful consideration of legal issues on which opposing activists might agree: contraception, equal pay for equal work, or state support for parental leave. If we no longer view pro-life feminism as monolithic, we can identify areas of agreement between some of those on opposing sides of the abortion question. INTRODUCTION 233 I. A TRULY LIBERATED WOMANHOOD: PRO-LIFE FEMINISM IN THE 1970S ...... 237 A. Women’s Rights and Feminists for Life 237 B. Rights for Women in the Antiabortion Mainstream 239 C. Beyond Abortion: The Influence of American Citizens Concerned for Life 240 D. The Decline of Pro-Life Feminism 246 II. MAMA GRIZZLIES, AUTHENTIC FEMINISTS, AND SMART GIRLS: THE PROLIFE FEMINIST DIVIDE 252 III. PRO-LIFE FEMINISM IN CONTEXT 263 CONCLUSION 268

2127 THE INCIDENCE OF DELAYED GRAFT FUNCTION IN SHIPPED LIVE DONOR KIDNEYS AND COMPARISON TO AN AGE MATCHED COHORT OF NON-SHIPPED KIDNEYS

You have accessJournal of UrologyTransplantation & Vascular Surgery: Renal Transplantation, Renal Vascular Surgery1 Apr 20132127 THE INCIDENCE OF DELAYED GRAFT FUNCTION IN SHIPPED LIVE DONOR KIDNEYS AND COMPARISON TO AN AGE MATCHED COHORT OF NON-SHIPPED KIDNEYS Eric Miller, Eric Treat, Albin Gritsch, Suzanne McGuire, Gerald Lipshutz, and Jeffrey Veale Eric MillerEric Miller Los Angeles, CA More articles by this author , Eric TreatEric Treat Los Angeles, CA More articles by this author , Albin GritschAlbin Gritsch Los Angeles, CA More articles by this author , Suzanne McGuireSuzanne McGuire Los Angeles, CA More articles by this author , Gerald LipshutzGerald Lipshutz Los Angeles, CA More articles by this author , and Jeffrey VealeJeffrey Veale Los Angeles, CA More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2013.02.2036AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES The great disparity between kidney transplant candidates and actual transplant recipients necessitates imaginative, safe and resourceful ways to provide organs to those in need. To help overcome this gap, in 2008, our institution transplanted its first shipped kidney from a living donor. This allowed for the living donor and matched recipient to undergo their procedures in a more familiar environment. With prolonged cold ischemia times (CIT) and the potential for decreased graft function, the outcome of this practice requires an in-depth analysis. The objective of this study is to examine the incidence of delayed graft function in the shipped kidney cohort and then compare these findings to the outcomes of non-shipped kidneys, both from living donors. METHODS Prospective cohort clinical study reporting immediate and intermediate outcomes for shipped living donor kidney transplants, as well as for age matched non-shipped living donor kidney transplants. RESULTS At our institution, 25-shipped kidneys have been transported using OPO networks and commercial airlines. The median shipping distance was 1,862 miles. The shipped kidneys were subsequently transplanted with a mean CIT of 11.8 ± 2.7 hours. In the shipped kidney cohort, the incidence of delayed graft function was 4.0%, coinciding well with the reported national rate for living donor transplants of 4.0% (U.S. OPTN, 2010). The incidence of delayed graft function in the matched non-shipped kidney cohort was 0%. The overall graft function for the shipped kidney cohort is currently 100%. In the immediate post-operative period, the mean rate of creatinine decrease for the shipped kidney cohort was 0.0298 mg/dL/hour, comparable to a rate of 0.0388 mg/dL/hour in the non-shipped kidney cohort. CONCLUSIONS Shipped kidneys from living donors appear to be similar to non-shipped kidneys in regards to delayed graft function and despite prolonged CIT. Early indicators of graft function, such as the mean rate of creatinine decrease, are similar when compared between shipped kidneys and an age matched cohort of non-shipped kidneys. Utilization of commercial airlines and OPO networks has proven to be cost effective and safe. © 2013 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 189Issue 4SApril 2013Page: e871 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2013 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Eric Miller Los Angeles, CA More articles by this author Eric Treat Los Angeles, CA More articles by this author Albin Gritsch Los Angeles, CA More articles by this author Suzanne McGuire Los Angeles, CA More articles by this author Gerald Lipshutz Los Angeles, CA More articles by this author Jeffrey Veale Los Angeles, CA More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

Mojo 2.0: Connectome Annotation Tool

Mojo 2.0: Connectome Annotation Tool

Confessing History: Explorations in Christian Faith and the Historian's Vocation. Edited by John Fea, Jay Green, and Eric Miller. Notre Dame, Ind.: University of Notre Dame Press, 2010. xi + 354 pp. $35.00 Paper.

(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.)Douglas Sweeney speaks for authors of Confessing History when he writes, During mid-twentieth century, Christian scholars had to work hard to earn respect of secular colleagues. We devoted a great deal of energy to impressing them with our work. We sought to acquire places of honor at academic banquet. But now that we have done this, a different agenda may be in order (308). Contributors to this volume articulate such an agenda for field of history.Their predecessors answered question What does it mean to be a Christian historian? by focusing on historical research. Scholars in this cohort--notably George Marsden, Ronald Wells, and Mark Noll--often hailed from Reformed backgrounds and brought a Reformed intellectual agenda to bear on their work: they wrestled with role of a Christian in informing scholarship. The Marsden settlement, referred to throughout volume, concluded that Christian historians' background faith commitments should shape their understanding of past, but that humility demands they eschew claims to pinpoint God's specific interventions or purposes in history. Rather, historians should limit their explanations to observable cultural forces (3-4). This consensus had effect of making Christian historical scholarship acceptable within academy; it thus advanced church's mission to world by bringing Christian perspectives and concerns into dialogue with those of secular historians.The new, emerging consensus represented by contributors to Confessing History sees mission of Christian historian as more expansive. Many authors build on Marsden settlement and a few critique it, but all articulate fresh ways that a historian's faith can inform her work. In large part they do this by replacing organizing principle of worldview with that of an emphasis of Lilly Foundation, whose funds partially underwrote this volume. Conceiving of historian's work as a vocation, or calling, leads authors to ask not only how a historian's faith should interact with his scholarship, but also how it ought to inform a much wider range of concerns (xi-xiii). Among these are teaching, relationships with colleagues, and work outside academy such as service to local church and involvement in public history.Approximately half essays in volume explore these expanded locations for intersection of faith and practice of history. Essays by Lendol Calder, Robert Tracy McKenzie, Jay Green, and Douglas Sweeney spin out implications that Christian imperative to love holds for historian. They conclude that it takes intentional, thoughtful effort to translate historical knowledge into effective service to students, colleagues, local church, and general public, and that each of these groups ought to have a claim on historian's heart. Calder, John Fea, Tal Howard, and Christopher Shannon consider in particular detail teaching aspect of historian's vocation. Shannon, most radical voice, declares that the proper site for return of God to history is classroom, not publishing house (180). He, Fea, and Howard argue that Christian history professors must not stop at recounting events of past for students, or even at helping students understand sympathetically a culture foreign to theirs. …

Linked Data and Libraries

Eric Miller described what the concept of linked data is, practical applications for linked data space, and how libraries can contribute to linked data efforts. He defined linked data as the next phase of the World Wide Web. Whereas the Web made it possible to link and connect documents, linked data are leveraging the Web to connect data regardless of where those data reside. Miller suggested new opportunities for libraries to assist organizations with their information needs and to weave knowledge workers, library users, and librarians together in a new enterprise.

Hope in a Scattering Time: A Life of Christopher Lasch. By Eric Miller. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010. xx, 394 pp. $32.00, ISBN 978-0-8028-1769-3.)

For many young historians and graduate students in the 1960s and 1970s, Christopher Lasch was a role model. Carrying on the tradition established in the postwar years by Richard Hofstadter, David Riesman, and C. Wright Mills, Lasch was not just a scholar but a public intellectual, using his field (history) to shape current debates about the direction of American society. In books such as The New Radicalism in America (1965), Haven in a Heartless World (1977), and The Culture of Narcissism (1979), Lasch became a best-selling and widely quoted author whose influence was enhanced by his articles and reviews that appeared regularly in the New York Times and the New York Review of Books. In short, Lasch was that rare species among professors, a superstar whose reputation transcended the academic world. For the most part, Eric Miller has provided the biography that Lasch deserves. Miller has done all the required work: he has carefully summarized Lasch's books and articles, read and reproduced much of Lasch's voluminous correspondence with his students and peers, and explored Lasch's close relationships with his parents and children. He traces Lasch's evolution from a man of the Left to a cultural conservative, though one who always regarded himself as a dissenter from reigning orthodoxies. The result is a thorough, if somewhat dutiful, study of Lasch's career and a knowledgeable appraisal of Lasch's importance as a writer and teacher. If Miller's book makes Lasch seem less lively than lugubrious, this may reveal more about Lasch's ideas and personality than it does about any shortcomings Miller has as a biographer.

Seeing the Connections, Making the Links: The Dynamics of Accompaniment in Our Interconnected World: Eric Miller Memorial Lecture, 20 March 2010

The lecture is based on a case study of the Grubb Institute's work over fourteen years with a voluntary community organisation in the middle of Ireland, which set out to ‘create enterprise and employment opportunities, and measures leading to these, in consultation with the community and statutory agencies’. The lecture presents the dynamics involved in working with the interconnectedness of people and communities in moving from dependence to autonomy. The work focuses on the principle of ‘ordinary plenty’ in each participant, and how to understand what is present already in the community and to make the links which enable significant collaborations to release resources to create new possibilities. The lecture draws parallels between this development process and the artistic creative process exemplified by the sculptor Andy Goldsworthy. The application of group relations, psychodynamics, and systemic thinking is brought alive in the day-to-day work of two projects with young people. The experience and dynamics of accompaniment are explored in several ways: accompanying the organisation in its ‘yearning’; the difference between technical and adaptive change; finding the right distance between the consultant and client participants; feeling the connectedness in oneself with the community and the participants; and the meaning of leadership in the accompaniment process.

Bacteriophage T4 and its relatives

Bacteriophage T4 and its relatives (A series of critical reviews) Jim Karam & Eric Miller In the coming months Virology Journal will publish a number of authoritative reviews about the biochemistry, structural biology and genomics of the bacteriophage T4 and the T4-related phages. Phage T4 is one of the most extensively investigated viruses and has been the central focus of several monographs and reviews over the last 25 years. Its popularity among experimental biologists is related to the ease with which this phage and some of its relatives can be propagated in widely available nonpathogenic laboratory strains of Escherichia coli and the diversity of experimental approaches that can be used to analyze its DNA genome and the RNA and protein products it encodes. The T4 biological system is amenable to investigation by genetic, phylogenetic, biochemical, biophysical, structural, computational and other tools. Advances in T4 science have paralleled advances in Molecular Biology since the birth of this interdisciplinary field around the middle of the 20 Century [1,2]. Such seminal discoveries as the chemical nature of the gene, the existence of messenger RNA, how the genetic code is read, how genes determine protein structure, how DNA is replicated by multicomponent protein machines and many other findings that have become integral to our current understanding of basic molecular mechanism in biology have typically involved important contributions from the T4 and T4-related experimental systems. The last monograph to comprehensively review all aspects of the molecular biosciences of the T4 virus was published in 1994 [3]. Since that time, the field of Molecular Biology has undergone considerable transformation, particularly as a consequence of advancements in the methods for sequencing microbial and eukaryotic genomes and using DNA sequence data for novel experimental designs that have yielded numerous rewards in resolving biological mysteries and stimulating the growth of biotechnology. The review series to be published in Virology Journal will emphasize advances and seminal discoveries in four major areas of T4 research: Genomics, Gene Expression, DNA Replication and Phage Morphogenesis.