bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The impact of chemotherapy-associated neutrophil/ lymphocyte counts on prognosis of adjuvant chemotherapy in colorectal cancer
Authors: Chu-Yuan Hong , Jing Peng , Yi-Sheng Wei , He-Ping Peng , Hui Yang , Chu-Xiong Zhao , Guo-Jian Liang , Guo-Qiang Wang 
Published: April 2013

Abstract

Background
Leukocytes play an important role in cancer development. However, the impact of chemotherapy-associated neutropenia/lymphopenia on the prognosis of adjuvant chemotherapy is unknown. Here, we aimed to explore the impact of chemotherapy-associated neutrophil/lymphocyte counts on prognosis of adjuvant chemotherapy in colorectal cancer (CRC) and the risk factors for developing neutropenia/lymphopenia which showed impact on the prognosis of CRC receiving adjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods
From February 2003 to January 2011, 243 stage II and III CRC patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy were enrolled in this retrospective study. The associations between neutrophil/ lymphocyte counts and disease free survival (DFS)/overall survival (OS) of CRC, and the risk factors for neutropenia/lymphopenia were investigated.

Results
No association of chemotherapy-associated neutrophil counts and CRC recurrence (AUC = 0.474, P = 0.534), death (AUC = 0.449, P = 0.249) was found by ROC analysis. However, the chemotherapy-associated lymphocyte counts could significantly affect CRC recurrence (AUC = 0.634, P = 0.001), or death(AUC = 0.607, P = 0.015), with a optimized cut-off of 0.66 × 109/L for recurrence, and 0.91 × 109/L for death, respectively. Kaplan–Meier method showed chemotherapy-associated lymphopenia <0.66 × 109/L was associated with shorter DFS (P < 0.0001), and chemotherapy-associated lymphopenia <0.91 × 109/L was associated with shorter OS (P = 0.003). Cox regression model showed chemotherapy-associated lymphopenia <0.66 × 109/L was the independent prognostic factor for DFS (HR, 3.521; 95%CI = 1.703-7.282), and chemotherapy-associated lymphopenia <0.91 × 109/L was the independent prognostic factor for OS (HR, 2.083; 95% CI = 1.103-3.936). Multivariate logistic regression showed the risk of developing chemotherapy-associated lymphopenia <0.66 × 109/L was found in those with pretreatment CEA ≥10 ng ml-1 (OR, 3.338; 95% CI = 1.523-7.315), and the risk of developing chemotherapy-associated lymphopenia <0.91 × 109/L was found in those with age >60 years (OR, 2.872; 95% CI = 1.344-6.136).

Conclusions
Chemotherapy-associated lymphopenia <0.66 × 109/L /0.91 × 109/L has a significant impact on the prognosis of CRC receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. Pretreatment CEA ≥10 ng ml-1 is the independent risk factor for developing lymphopenia <0.66 × 109/L, and age >60 years is the independent risk factor for developing lymphopenia <0.91 × 109/L during adjuvant chemotherapy of CRC.
Systemically administered liposome-encapsulated Ad-PEDF potentiates the anti-cancer effects in mouse lung metastasis melanoma
Authors: Shi Hua-shan , Yang Li-ping , Wei Wei , Su Xiao-qing , Li Xiao-peng , Li Meng , Luo Shun-tao , Zhang Hai-long , Lu Lian , Mao Yong-qiu , Kan Bing , Yang Li 
Published: April 2013

Abstract

Background
The use of adenoviral vector for gene therapy is still an important strategy for advanced cancers, however, the lack of the requisite coxsackie-adenovirus receptor in cancer cells and host immune response to adenovirus limit the application of adenoviral vector in vivo.

Method
We designed the antiangiogenic gene therapy with recombinant PEDF adenovirus (Ad-PEDF) encapsulated in cationic liposome (Ad-PEDF/Liposome), and investigated the anti-tumor efficacy of Ad-PEDF/Liposome complex on inhibition of tumor metastasis.

Results
We found that systemic administration of Ad-PEDF/liposome was well tolerated and resulted in marked suppression of tumor growth, and was more potent than uncoated Ad-PEDF to induce apoptosis in B16-F10 melanoma cells and inhibit murine pulmonary metastases in vivo. After Ad-luciferase was encapsulated with liposome, its distribution decreased in liver and increased in lung. The anti-Ad IgG level of Ad-PEDF/Liposome was significantly lower than Ad-PEDF used alone.

Conclusion
The present findings provide evidences of systematic administration of cationic liposome-encapsulated Ad-PEDF in pulmonary metastatic melanoma mice model, and show an encouraging therapeutic effect for further exploration and application of more complexes based on liposome-encapsulated adenovirus for more cancers.
Fixed point theorems for contractions in fuzzy normed spaces and intuitionistic fuzzy normed spaces
Authors: Zhu Jiang , Wang Yunjie , Zhu Cheng-Cheng 
Published: April 2013

Abstract
In this paper, we prove that some coupled fixed point theorems and coupled coincidence point theorems for contractions in fuzzy normed spaces and intuitionistic fuzzy normed spaces can be directly deduced from fixed point theorems for contractions in fuzzy normed spaces. We also prove that these results are equivalent.

MSC:47H10, 54A40, 54E50, 54H25.
Subthalamic deep brain stimulation improves smooth pursuit and saccade performance in patients with Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Nilsson Maria H , Patel Mitesh , Rehncrona Stig , Magnusson Måns , Fransson Per-Anders 
Published: April 2013

AbstractBackgroundDeep brain stimulation (DBS) in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) significantly reduces symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) such as bradykinesia, tremor and rigidity. It also reduces the need for anti-PD medication, and thereby potential side-effects ofL-Dopa. Although DBS in the STN is a highly effective therapeutic intervention in PD, its mechanism and effects on oculomotor eye movement control and particularly smooth pursuit eye movements have to date rarely been investigated. Furthermore, previous reports provide conflicting information. The aim was to investigate how DBS in STN affected oculomotor performance in persons with PD using novel analysis techniques.MethodsTwenty-five patients were eligible (22 males, 3 females) according to the clinical inclusion criteria: idiopathic PD responsive toL-Dopa and having had bilateral STN stimulation for at least one year to ensure stable DBS treatment. Fifteen patients were excluded due to the strict inclusion criteria applied to avoid interacting and confounding factors when determining the effects of DBS applied alone without PD medication. One patient declined participation. Nine PD patients (median age 63, range 59–69 years) were assessed after having their PD medications withdrawn overnight. They were examined with DBS ON and OFF, with the ON/OFF order individually randomized.ResultsDBS ON increased smooth pursuit velocity accuracy (p < 0.001) and smooth pursuit gain (p = 0.005), especially for faster smooth pursuits (p = 0.034). DBS ON generally increased saccade amplitude accuracy (p = 0.007) and tended to increase peak saccade velocity also (p = 0.087), specifically both saccade velocity and amplitude accuracy for the 20 and 40 degree saccades (p < 0.05). Smooth pursuit latency tended to be longer (p = 0.090) approaching normal with DBS ON. Saccade latency was unaffected.ConclusionsSTN stimulation from DBS alone significantly improved both smooth pursuit and saccade performance in patients with PD. The STN stimulation enhancement found for oculomotor performance suggests clear positive implications for patients’ ability to perform tasks that rely on visual motor control and visual feedback. The new oculomotor analysis methods provide a sensitive vehicle to detect subtle pathological modifications from PD and the functional enhancements produced by STN stimulation from DBS alone.
Myocardial protection against global ischemia with Krebs-Henseleit buffer-based cardioplegic solution
Authors: Minasian Sarkis M , Galagudza Michael M , Dmitriev Yuri V , Kurapeev Dmitry I , Vlasov Timur D 
Published: April 2013

Abstract

Background
The Krebs-Henseleit buffer is the best perfusion solution for isolated mammalian hearts. We hypothesized that a Krebs-Henseleit buffer-based cardioplegic solution might provide better myocardial protection than well-known crystalloid cardioplegic solutions because of its optimal electrolyte and glucose levels, presence of buffer systems, and mild hyperosmolarity.

Methods
Isolated Langendorff-perfused rat hearts were subjected to either global ischemia without cardioplegia (controls) or cardioplegic arrest for either 60 or 180 min, followed by 120 min of reperfusion. The modified Krebs-Henseleit buffer-based cardioplegic solution (mKHB) and St. Thomas’ Hospital solution No. 2 (STH2) were studied. During global ischemia, the temperatures of the heart and the cardioplegic solutions were maintained at either 37°C (60 min of ischemia) or 22°C (moderate hypothermia, 180 min of ischemia). Hemodynamic parameters were registered throughout the experiments. The infarct size was determined through histochemical examination.

Results
Cardioplegia with the mKHB solution at moderate hypothermia resulted in a minimal infarct size (5 ± 3%) compared to that in the controls and STH2 solution (35 ± 7% and 19 ± 9%, respectively; P < 0.001, for both groups vs. the mKHB group). In contrast to the control and STH2-treated hearts, no ischemic contracture was registered in the mKHB group during the 180-min global ischemia. At normothermia, the infarct sizes were 4 ± 3%, 72 ± 6%, and 70 ± 12% in the mKHB, controls, and STH2 groups, respectively (P < 0.0001). In addition, cardioplegia with mKHB at normothermia prevented ischemic contracture and improved the postischemic functional recovery of the left ventricle (P < 0.001, vs. STH2).

Conclusions
The data suggest that the Krebs-Henseleit buffer-based cardioplegic might be superior to the standard crystalloid solution (STH2).
Expression and prognostic value of VEGFR-2, PDGFR-β, and c-Met in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Chu Jie Sheng , Ge Fei Jiao , Zhang Bo , Wang Yan , Silvestris Nicola , Liu Lie Jun , Zhao Chuan Hua , Lin Li , Brunetti Anna Elisabetta , Fu Ya Li , Wang Jun , Paradiso Angelo , Xu Jian Ming 
Published: April 2013

Abstract

Background
We explore the clinical and prognostic significance of expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-2, platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR)-β, and c-Met in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods
The expression of VEGFR-2, PDGFR-β, and c-Met were determined by immunohistochemical examination of the tissues of 93 HCC patients. The relationships of these markers with clinicopathological factors and prognosis were then analyzed.

Results
High expression of VEGFR-2, PDGFR-β, and c-Met was found in 86%, 19.4%, and 80.6% of patients, respectively. Expression of VEGFR-2 correlated with gender (P = 0.044), hepatitis B surface antigen positivity (P = 0.024), degree of tumor differentiation (P = 0.023), and hepatic cirrhosis (P = 0.026). Expression of PDGFR-β correlated with alpha-fetoprotein level (P = 0.029), tumor size (P = 0.033), and hepatic cirrhosis (P = 0.023). No significant correlations were identified between expression of c-Met and clinicopathological factors. Expression of PDGFR-β correlated with overall survival (P = 0.046) and expression of c-Met correlated with progression-free survival (P = 0.01).

Conclusions
We found that in patients with HCC, high expression of VEGFR-2 correlates with chronic hepatitis B virus infection and hepatic cirrhosis. High expression of PDGFR-β is a predictor of poor prognosis. High expression of C-Met may predict therapeutic effectiveness of sorafenib in HCC patients.
Change in product selectivity during the production of glyceric acid from glycerol by Gluconobacter strains in the presence of methanol
Authors: Sato Shun , Morita Naoki , Kitamoto Dai , Yakushi Toshiharu , Matsushita Kazunobu , Habe Hiroshi 
Published: April 2013

AbstractTo enhance the value-added use of methanol-containing raw glycerol derived from biodiesel fuel production, the effect of methanol supplementation on glyceric acid (GA) production byGluconobacterspp. was investigated. We first conducted fed-batch fermentation withGluconobacter frateuriiNBRC103465 using raw glycerol as a feeding solution. GA productivity decreased with increasing dihydroxyacetone (DHA) formation when the raw glycerol contained methanol. The results of this experiment and comparative experiments using a synthetic solution modeled after the raw glycerol indicate that the presence of methanol caused a change in the concentrations of GA and DHA, two glycerol derivatives produced during fermentation. OtherGluconobacterspp. also decreased GA production in the presence of 1% (v/v) methanol. In addition, purified membrane-bound alcohol dehydrogenase (mADH) fromGluconobacter oxydans, which is a key enzyme in GA production, showed a decrease in dehydrogenase activity toward glycerol as the methanol concentration increased. These results strongly suggest that the observed decrease in GA production byGluconobacterspp. resulted from the methanol-induced inhibition of mADH-mediated glycerol oxidation.
Effect of storage parameters on stability of Jatropha-derived biodiesel
Authors: Mazumdar Purabi , Borugadda Venu Babu , Goud Vaibhav V , Sahoo Lingaraj 
Published: April 2013

Abstract

Jatropha curcas L. seeds as a raw material for biodiesel production is a rapidly growing interest over the world because of its high oil content, ecological adaptability, and excellent fuel properties. Though there is an increase in productivity of biodiesel, showing solution for future energy insecurity, there still remains some concern for commercialization due to its susceptibility to degradation during long storage. The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of temperature and ambient condition on Jatropha biodiesel storage. An experiment was conducted for a period of 12 months, where Jatropha biodiesel stored in three groups at different temperatures (4°C, 25°C, and 35°C) and environmental conditions (exposed in dark, light, and air). At regular intervals, the samples were taken out to analyze acid value, density, kinematic viscosity, and thermogravimetric profile to monitor the quality of biodiesel. Analysis showed that acid value, density, kinematic viscosity, and the onset temperature of volatilization and distillation increases with the increase in storage time of biodiesel samples. However, Jatropha biodiesel stored at 35°C, in contact with ambient air and light showed highest degradation compared to those which were stored at 25°C and 4°C. Among all the parameters studied, high temperature and air exposure are the two most potent parameters which accelerate the degradation process. Along with that, light exposure had mild but significant effect on Jatropha biodiesel degradation over a long storage period.
Evaluation of the Time to Change programme in England 2008-2011
Authors: Henderson Claire , Thornicroft Graham 
Published: April 2013

SummaryTime to Change (TTC) is the largest-ever programme in England designed to reduce stigma and discrimination against people with mental health disorders. The TTC evaluation partner is the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London. We give an overview of the TTC programme 2007-2011 and describe how it was evaluated, by introducing the seven interrelated papers in this supplement, which, taken together, describe a complex series of social interventions using a research design of hitherto unparalleled detail and comprehensiveness.
Antidepressants and rapid-cycling bipolar II disorder: dogma, definitions and deconstructing discrepant data
Authors: Thase Michael E. 
Published: April 2013

SummaryIt is suggested that a finding that apparently challenges current practice guidelines, namely that patients with a rapid-cycling pattern of bipolar disorder can take antidepressant monotherapy for months without increasing risk of cycling, may be parsimoniously understood by the way that the investigators defined rapid cycling and by their use of acute-phase fluoxetine monotherapy prior to randomisation to continutaion-phase therapy with fluoxetine, lithium or placebo.
Time to Change from the perspective of a family member. Invited commentary on … Evaluation of England's Time to Change programme
Authors: Hinshaw Stephen P. 
Published: April 2013

SummaryThis commentary views the Time to Change programme from a triple perspective: that of a concerned family member, an academic investigator and an American. The programme's results are both encouraging and sobering. Progress has been made in employers' views, but mental health professionals remain a source of discrimination. Future initiatives must have realistic objectives, be multifaceted and avoid overzealous promises.
Critical Phenomena in Gravitational Collapse
Authors: Gundlach Carsten 
Published: April 2013

AbstractAs first discovered by Choptuik, the black hole threshold in the space of initial data for general relativity shows both surprising structure and surprising simplicity. Universality, power-law scaling of the black hole mass, and scale echoing have given rise to the term “critical phenomena”. They are explained by the existence of exact solutions which are attractors within the black hole threshold, that is, attractors of codimension one in phase space, and which are typically self-similar. This review gives an introduction to the phenomena, tries to summarize the essential features of what is happening, and then presents extensions and applications of this basic scenario. Critical phenomena are of interest particularly for creating surprising structure from simple equations, and for the light they throw on cosmic censorship and the generic dynamics of general relativity.
Gravitational Radiation from Post-Newtonian Sources and Inspiralling Compact Binaries
Authors: Blanchet Luc 
Published: April 2013

AbstractThe article reviews the current status of a theoretical approach to the problem of the emission of gravitational waves by isolated systems in the context of general relativity. Part A of the article deals with general post-Newtonian sources. The exterior field of the source is investigated by means of a combination of analytic post-Minkowskian and multipolar approximations. The physical observables in the far-zone of the source are described by a specific set of radiative multipole moments. By matching the exterior solution to the metric of the post-Newtonian source in the near-zone we obtain the explicit expressions of the source multipole moments. The relationships between the radiative and source moments involve many nonlinear multipole interactions, among them those associated with the tails (and tails-of-tails) of gravitational waves. Part B of the article is devoted to the application to compact binary systems. We present the equations of binary motion, and the associated Lagrangian and Hamiltonian, at the third post-Newtonian (3PN) order beyond the Newtonian acceleration. The gravitational-wave energy flux, taking consistently into account the relativistic corrections in the binary moments as well as the various tail effects, is derived through 3.5PN order with respect to the quadrupole formalism. The binary’s orbital phase, whose prior knowledge is crucial for searching and analyzing the signals from inspiralling compact binaries, is deduced from an energy balance argument.
Characteristic Evolution and Matching
Authors: Winicour Jeffrey 
Published: April 2013

AbstractI review the development of numerical evolution codes for general relativity based upon the characteristic initial value problem. Progress is traced from the early stage of 1D feasibility studies to 2D axisymmetric codes that accurately simulate the oscillations and gravitational collapse of relativistic stars and to current 3D codes that provide pieces of a binary black hole spacetime. Cauchy codes have now been successful at simulating all aspects of the binary black hole problem inside an artificially constructed outer boundary. A prime application of characteristic evolution is to eliminate the role of this artificial outer boundary via Cauchy-characteristic matching, by which the radiated waveform can be computed at null infinity. Progress in this direction is discussed.
Null Geodesic Congruences, Asymptotically-Flat Spacetimes and Their Physical Interpretation
Authors: Adamo Timothy M. , Kozameh Carlos , Newman Ezra T. 
Published: April 2013

AbstractA priori, there is nothing very special about shear-free or asymptotically shear-free null geodesic congruences. Surprisingly, however, they turn out to possess a large number of fascinating geometric properties and to be closely related, in the context of general relativity, to a variety of physically significant effects. It is the purpose of this paper to try to fully develop these issues.This work starts with a detailed exposition of the theory of shear-free and asymptotically shear-free null geodesic congruences, i.e., congruences with shear that vanishes at future conformal null infinity. A major portion of the exposition lies in the analysis of the space of regular shear-free and asymptotically shear-free null geodesic congruences. This analysis leads to the space of complex analytic curves in an auxiliary four-complex dimensional space, ${\mathcal H}$-space. They in turn play a dominant role in the applications.The applications center around the problem of extracting interior physical properties of an asymptotically-flat spacetime directly from the asymptotic gravitational (and Maxwell) field itself, in analogy with the determination of total charge by an integral over the Maxwell field at infinity or the identification of the interior mass (and its loss) by (Bondi’s) integrals of the Weyl tensor, also at infinity.More specifically, we will see that the asymptotically shear-free congruences lead us to an asymptotic definition of the center-of-mass and its equations of motion. This includes a kinematic meaning, in terms of the center-of-mass motion, for the Bondi three-momentum. In addition, we obtain insights into intrinsic spin and, in general, angular momentum, including an angular-momentum-conservation law with well-defined flux terms. When a Maxwell field is present, the asymptotically shear-free congruences allow us to determine/define at infinity a center-of-charge world line and intrinsic magnetic dipole moment.
Coalescence of Black Hole-Neutron Star Binaries
Authors: Shibata Masaru , Taniguchi Keisuke 
Published: April 2013

AbstractWe review the current status of general relativistic studies for the coalescence of black hole-neutron star (BH-NS) binaries. First, procedures for a solution of BH-NS binaries in quasi-equilibrium circular orbits and the numerical results, such as quasi-equilibrium sequence and mass-shedding limit, of the high-precision computation, are summarized. Then, the current status of numerical-relativity simulations for the merger of BH-NS binaries is described. We summarize our understanding for the merger and/or tidal disruption processes, the criterion for tidal disruption, the properties of the remnant formed after the tidal disruption, gravitational waveform, and gravitational-wave spectrum.