bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of complementary therapies on clinical outcomes in patients being treated with radiation therapy for prostate cancer
Authors: Beard Clair , Stason William B. , Wang Qian , Manola Judith , Dean‐Clower Elizabeth , Dusek Jeffery A. , DeCristofaro Susan , Webster Ann , Doherty‐Gilman Anne M. , Rosenthal David S. , Benson Herbert 
Published: August 2010

AbstractBACKGROUND.This pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) examined the clinical effects of 2 complementary (CAM) therapies, relaxation response therapy (RRT) and Reiki therapy, in men being treated with external beam radiotherapy (EBRx) for prostate cancer.METHODS.Study participants were randomly assigned to weekly RRT, Reiki therapy twice weekly, or wait‐list control. Well‐validated instruments measured anxiety (STAI), depression (CES‐D), and quality of life in cancer patients (FACT‐G) at randomization and 3 subsequent time points.RESULTS.Fifty‐four men were randomized, and 16 of 18 (89%) of RRT and 15 of 18 (83%) of Reiki patients completed the intervention protocol. No statistically significant difference was found between the RRT, Reiki, and control groups on total scores for the STAI, CES‐D, or FACT‐G instruments at any time point. However, at the end of the intervention, significant improvement was found on the emotional well‐being subscale of the FACT‐G quality of life scale in the RRT group compared with the Reiki and control groups (P = .01). In participants who were classified as “anxious” at baseline, statistically significant improvement occurred in the RRT group (P = .02), and a positive trend was found in the Reiki group (P = .10).CONCLUSIONS.This pilot study documented the feasibility of conducting a RCT of CAM therapies in men undergoing EBRx for prostate cancer. Relaxation response therapy improved emotional well being and eased anxiety in participants. Reiki therapy also had a positive effect in anxious patients. A larger study to verify and better define the benefits of these therapies in men with prostate cancer is warranted. Cancer 2011. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Policy implications of early onset breast cancer among Mexican‐origin women
Authors: Miranda Patricia Y. , Wilkinson Anna V. , Etzel Carol J. , Zhou Renke , Jones Lovell A. , Thompson Patricia , Bondy Melissa L. 
Published: August 2010

AbstractBACKGROUND:Overall, Latinas are more likely to be diagnosed with a more advanced stage of breast cancer and are 20% more likely to die of breast cancer than non‐Hispanic white women. It is estimated that from 2003 to 2006, $82.0 billion in direct medical care expenditures, in addition to 100,000 lives annually, could be saved by eliminating health disparities experienced by Latinos and increasing the use of up to 5 preventive services in the United States. An additional 3700 lives could be saved if 90% of women aged ≥40 years were recently screened for breast cancer.METHODS:The authors examined the risk for breast cancer in a case‐control, population‐based sample of Mexican‐origin women in Harris County, Texas (n = 714), where the rates of breast cancer mortality for Latina women have doubled since 1990.RESULTS:Half of breast cancer cases (n = 119) were diagnosed in women aged <50 years. In a multivariate model, women who had a family history of breast cancer (odds ratio [OR], 4.3), who were born in Mexico and had high levels of language acculturation (OR, 2.5), and who did not have health insurance (OR, 1.6) had the highest risk for breast cancer.CONCLUSIONS:Because the current results indicated that Mexican‐origin women are at high‐risk for early onset, premenopausal breast cancer, the authors recommended policies that target screening, education, and treatment to prevent increased disparities in mortality. The authors concluded that the inclusion of community members and policymakers as partners in these endeavors would further safeguard against an increase in cancer health disparities and aid in formulating a policy agenda congruent with scientifically based, community‐driven policy efforts that address breast cancer screening, education, and treatment in this vulnerable population. Cancer 2011. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Elevated expression of CXC chemokines in pediatric osteosarcoma patients
Authors: Li Yiting , Flores Ricardo , Yu Alexander , Okcu M. Fatih , Murray Jeffrey , Chintagumpala Murali , Hicks John , Lau Ching C. , Man Tsz‐Kwong 
Published: August 2010

AbstractBACKGROUND:Osteosarcoma is the most common malignant bone tumor in children. Despite the advent of chemotherapy, the survival of osteosarcoma patients has not been significantly improved recently. Chemokines are a group of signaling molecules that have been implicated in tumorigenesis and metastasis.METHODS:The authors used an antibody microarray to identify chemokines that were elevated in the plasma samples of osteosarcoma patients. The results were validated using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays on an independent set of samples. The tumor expressions of 3 chemokines were examined in 2 sets of osteosarcoma tissue arrays. The authors also evaluated the proliferative effect of the chemokines in 4 osteosarcoma cell lines.RESULTS:The authors found that the plasma levels of CXCL4, CXCL6, and CXCL12 in the osteosarcoma patients were significantly higher than those in the controls, and the results were validated by an independent osteosarcoma cohort (P < .05). However, CXCL4 (100%) and CXCL6 (91%) were frequently expressed in osteosarcoma, whereas CXCL12 was only expressed in 4%. Survival analysis further showed that higher circulating levels of CXCL4 and CXCL6, but not CXCL12, were associated with a poorer outcome of osteosarcoma patients. Addition of exogenous chemokines significantly promoted the growth of different osteosarcoma cells (P < .05).CONCLUSIONS:The results demonstrate that CXCL4 and CXCL6 are frequently expressed in osteosarcoma, and that the plasma levels of these 2 chemokines are associated with patient outcomes. Further study of these circulating chemokines may provide a promising approach for prognostication of osteosarcoma. Targeting these chemokines or their receptors may also lead to a novel therapeutic invention. Cancer 2011. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin and gemcitabine in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Lombardi Giuseppe , Zustovich Fable , Farinati Fabio , Cillo Umberto , Vitale Alessandro , Zanus Giacomo , Donach Martin , Farina Miriam , Zovato Stefania , Pastorelli Davide 
Published: August 2010

AbstractBACKGROUND:Over the years, doxorubicin and gemcitabine have been among the most widely used drugs for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with relative efficacy. The authors report the results of a phase 2 study of the combination of gemcitabine plus pegylated liposomal doxorubicin.METHODS:Patients with advanced HCC received combination chemotherapy with gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 on Days 1 and 8, followed by pegylated liposomal doxorubicin 30 mg/m2 on Day 1. Treatment was repeated every 4 weeks to a maximum of 8 cycles. Primary endpoint was overall response rate, and secondary endpoints were time to disease progression (TTP), overall survival (OS), and toxicity.RESULTS:Forty‐one patients were enrolled and were evaluable for response, toxicity, and survival. A total of 194 cycles of treatment were administered. Three (7%) patients had a complete response, and 1 of these patients underwent liver transplantation. Seven (17%) patients had a partial response and, among these patients, 1 patient underwent surgical resection. Among the 31 patients who had initial alpha‐fetoprotein levels >400 ng/mL, 20 (64.5%) had a >20% decrease after 2 cycles of treatment. The median TTP and OS were 5.8 and 22.5 months, respectively. Hematologic toxicity was the most common side effect, including neutropenia (17%) and anemia (7%).CONCLUSIONS:The combination of gemcitabine plus pegylated liposomal doxorubicin was active and safe in advanced HCC. Moreover, this treatment induced some complete responses and converted some untreatable HCCs into lesions eligible for resection or transplantation. Cancer 2011. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Assessment of HER2 gene status in breast carcinomas with polysomy of chromosome 17
Authors: Vranic Semir , Teruya Bryan , Repertinger Susan , Ulmer Pamela , Hagenkord Jill , Gatalica Zoran 
Published: August 2010

AbstractBACKGROUND:The current study was performed to determine the impact of polysomy 17 on the interpretation of HER2 testing of invasive breast carcinomas using fluorescent in situ hybridization methods. Current American Society of Clinical Oncology/College of American Pathologists guidelines define HER2‐positive tumors as those with >6 HER2 genes per nucleus or those with HER2/CEP17 (chromosome 17) ratio >2.2. These guidelines are potentially contradictory in tumors with polysomy of chromosome 17.METHODS:Seventy‐two breast carcinoma cases with reported polysomy of chromosome 17 (≥3 CEP17 signals on average) by fluorescent in situ hybridization were identified, and the corresponding HER2 immunohistochemistry was obtained. The HER2 status of the archived samples was reviewed, and the tumors were recategorized according to the 2007 American Society of Clinical Oncology/College of American Pathologists guidelines.RESULTS:The average CEP17 copy number for the group was 4.5 (range, 3.0‐10.4). Thirty‐three (45.8%) cases had >6 copies of HER2 per nucleus. Twenty‐one cases (29.2%) qualified as HER2 gene amplified using the HER2/CEP17 ratio (>2.2) guideline. All these cases had >6 HER2 signals, which represented 63.6% of all cases with >6 HER2 signals. HER2 protein expression showed significant positive correlations with both HER2 gene copy number and HER2/CEP17 ratio (P < .01, rs = 0.56 and 0.64, respectively).CONCLUSIONS:Increased CEP17 signals detected in invasive breast carcinomas may lead to discordant interpretation of gene amplification in a significant proportion of the cases, depending on which criterion (ratio vs absolute number) is used for interpretation. However, increased gene dosage (>6 HER2 genes or HER2/CEP17 ratio >2.2), regardless of the evaluation method, is positively correlated with HER2 protein expression. Cancer 2011. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Coronary revascularization and mortality in men with congestive heart failure or prior myocardial infarction who receive androgen deprivation
Authors: Nguyen Paul L. , Chen Ming H. , Goldhaber Samuel Z. , Martin Neil E. , Beard Clair J. , Dosoretz Daniel E. , Katin Michael J. , Ross Rudi , Salenius Sharon A. , D'Amico Anthony V 
Published: August 2010

AbstractBACKGROUND:A study was undertaken to determine the impact of prior coronary revascularization (angioplasty, stent, or coronary artery bypass graft) on the risk of all‐cause mortality after neoadjuvant hormonal therapy (HT) for prostate cancer (PC) in men with a history of coronary artery disease (CAD)‐induced congestive heart failure (CHF) or myocardial infarction (MI).METHODS:Among 7839 men who received radiation with or without a median of 4 months of HT for PC from 1991 to 2006, 495 (6.3%) had CAD‐induced CHF or MI and formed the study cohort. Of these men, 250 (50.5%) had been revascularized before treatment for PC. Cox regression was used to determine whether HT increased the risk of all‐cause mortality, and whether revascularization altered this risk, after adjusting for known PC prognostic factors and a propensity score for revascularization.RESULTS:Median follow‐up was 4.1 years. Neoadjuvant HT was associated with an increased risk of all‐cause mortality (28.9% vs 15.7% at 5 years; adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13‐2.64;P= .01). Men who received HT without revascularization had the highest risk of all‐cause mortality (33.3%; adjusted HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.01‐2.18;P= .047), whereas men who were revascularized and did not receive HT had the lowest risk of all‐cause mortality (9.4%; adjusted HR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.28‐0.93;P= .028). The reference group had an intermediate risk of all‐cause mortality (23.4%) and was comprised of men in whom HT use and revascularization were either both given or both withheld.CONCLUSIONS:In men with a history of CAD‐induced CHF or MI, neoadjuvant HT is associated with an excess risk of mortality, which appears to be reduced but not eliminated by prior revascularization. Cancer 2011. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Comparison of BD Surepath and ThinPrep Pap systems in the processing of mucus‐rich specimens
Authors: Kenyon Shelly , Sweeney Brenda J. , Happel James , Marchilli Gloria E. , Weinstein Barbara , Schneider Douglas 
Published: August 2010

AbstractBACKGROUND:Excessive mucus, as well as blood and inflammation, can be problematic in the processing and screening of liquid‐based cervical Pap preparations by interfering in the process of cell retrieval onto specimen filters or slides. This study compares the capacity of the BD SurePath and ThinPrep liquid‐based Papanicolaou (Pap) tests to handle mucus‐laden specimens.METHODS:A 100 μL volume of pooled cervical epithelial cells was added to BD SurePath and ThinPrep liquid Pap test vials. Aliquots of cervical mucus that had been collected and pooled from previously processed mucus‐rich Pap specimens were added to each series of test vials in amounts of 250 μL, 500 μL, 1000 μL, and 2000 μL. The vials were then routinely processed on their respective instruments and the test slides evaluated for cellularity of the squamous cell component.RESULTS:The BD SurePath test specimens showed no reduction of the squamous cell component resulting from the addition of any of the aliquots of mucus. The ThinPrep test specimens showed a marked loss of cellularity upon the addition of the first aliquot of mucus, with large areas of the filters showing nearly complete absence of squamous cells.CONCLUSIONS:Excessive mucus remains a potentially limiting factor in the ThinPrep Pap system. This appears to be the result of direct obstruction of the filtration membrane causing a markedly diminished retrieval of squamous epithelial cells and potentially impacting disease detection. The BD SurePath system, conversely, manages mucus by a cell enrichment process, which results in undiminished cell recovery as observed in this study's test conditions. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Biomashups: the new world of exploratory bioinformatics?
Authors: Hogan James M. , Sumitomo Jiro , Roe Paul , Newell Felicity 
Published: August 2010

AbstractBioinformatics is dominated by online databases and sophisticated web‐accessible tools. As such, it is ideally placed to benefit from the rapid, purpose specific combination of services achievable via web mashups. The recent introduction of a number of sophisticated frameworks has greatly simplified the mashup creation process, making them accessible to scientists with limited programming expertise. In this paper we investigate the feasibility of mashups as a new approach to bioinformatic experimentation, focusing on an exploratory niche between interactive web usage and robust workflows, and attempting to identify the range of computations for which mashups may be employed. While we treat each of the major frameworks, we illustrate the ideas with a series of examples developed under the Popfly framework‡. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Archiving and accessing language resources
Authors: Wittenburg Peter 
Published: August 2010

AbstractLanguages are among the most complex systems that evolution has created. With an unforeseen speed many of these unique results of evolution are currently disappearing: every two weeks one of the 6500 still spoken languages is dying and many are subject to extreme changes due to globalization. Experts understood the need to document the languages and preserve the cultural and linguistic treasures embedded in them for future generations. Also linguistic theory will need to consider the variation of the linguistic systems encoded in languages to improve our understanding of how human minds process language material, thus accessibility to all types of resources is increasingly crucial. Deeper insights into human language processing and a higher degree of integration and interoperability between resources will also improve our language processing technology. The DOBES programme is focussing on the documentation and preservation of language material. The Max Planck Institute developed the Language Archiving Technology to help researchers when creating, archiving and accessing language resources. The recently started CLARIN research infrastructure has as main goals to achieve a broad visibility and an easy accessibility of language resources. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hypercubic storage layout and transforms in arbitrary dimensions using GPUs and CUDA
Authors: Hawick K. A. , Playne D. P. 
Published: August 2010

AbstractMany simulations in the physical sciences are expressed in terms of rectilinear arrays of variables. It is attractive to develop such simulations for use in 1‐, 2‐, 3‐ or arbitrary physical dimensions and also in a manner that supports exploitation of data‐parallelism on fast modern processing devices. We report on data layouts and transformation algorithms that support both conventional and data‐parallel memory layouts. We present our implementations expressed in both conventional serial C code as well as in NVIDIA's Compute Unified Device Architecture concurrent programming language for use on general purpose graphical processing units. We discuss: general memory layouts; specific optimizations possible for dimensions that are powers‐of‐two and common transformations, such as inverting, shifting and crinkling. We present performance data for some illustrative scientific applications of these layouts and transforms using several current GPU devices and discuss the code and speed scalability of this approach. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Visualizing space–time dynamics in scaling systems
Authors: Batty Michael 
Published: August 2010

AbstractThe signature of scaling in human systems is the well‐known power law whose key characteristic is that the size distributions of their objects display self‐similarity in space and time. In many systems such as cities, firms, and high buildings used here as examples, power laws represent an approximation to the fat or heavy tails of their rank‐size distributions, appearing stable in time with little change in their scaling over tens or even hundreds of years. However, when the detailed dynamics of how their ranks shift in time is examined, there is considerable volatility in such distributions. To explore this microvolatility, we introduce measures of rank shift over space and time and visualize size distributions using the idea of the “rank clock.” We illustrate this for populations of Italian towns between 1300 and 1861 and then compare this analysis with city‐size distributions for the world from 430 B.C.E., the United States from 1790, Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales) from 1901, and Israel from 1950. When we extend this analysis to the distribution of US firms from 1955 and high buildings in New York City and the world from 1909, we generate a rich portfolio of space–time dynamics that adds to our understanding of how different systems can display stability and regularity at the macro level in the face of considerable volatility at the micro. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 16: 51–63, 2010
Time and space in neuronal networks: The effects of spatial organization on network behavior
Authors: Womble Stephen P. , Cohen Netta 
Published: August 2010

AbstractBiological neural networks tend to exhibit a variety of spatial structures. Here, we study the effect of spatial embedding in a specific example motivated by cortical circuits in which inhibitory cells densely occupy a central region and are surrounded by a larger and more dispersed population of excitatory cells. To instantiate space, neuronal time delays are chosen to be proportional to the distance between neurons. We use simulations of spiking neural networks, operating close to a critical bifurcation between stationary behavior and population‐wide oscillatory behavior, whereas in a nonspatial network, shorter time delays tend to enhance stationary population dynamics; here, the imposition of space reverses the effect: the shorter the time delays, the more oscillatory the network becomes. We conclude that the specific geometries of spatial embedding and their subtle effects on the distributions of time delays in a network can have significant repercussions for network dynamics. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 16: 45–50, 2010
Factors associated with outcome of cognitive–behavioural therapy for complicated grief: A preliminary study
Authors: Boelen Paul A. , de Keijser Jos , van den Hout Marcel A. , van den Bout Jan 
Published: August 2010

AbstractComplicated grief (CG), also called prolonged grief disorder, is a debilitating condition that can develop following a loss. There is growing evidence that cognitive–behavioural interventions are efficacious in the treatment of CG. The present preliminary study used data from 43 patients with CG who were randomly assigned to cognitive–behavioural therapy in an earlier treatment trial to explore (a) predictors of outcome of cognitive–behavioural therapy for CG and (b) the relationship between symptom improvement and changes in loss‐related negative cognitions and avoidance behaviours. Analyses showed that worse treatment outcome was associated with lower education attainment, loss of a partner/child (instead of some other relative), early treatment discontinuation, less patient motivation and more severe CG symptoms at pre‐treatment. As predicted, stronger reduction in CG severity was significantly associated with stronger reductions in negative cognitions and avoidance. Implications of these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Key Practitioner Message:• Greater effectiveness of cognitive–behavioural therapy (CGT) for complicated grief (CG) seems to be associated with higher educational level, being confronted with losses other than the loss of a partner or child, completion (and not early discontinuation) of treatment and stronger motivation.• Longer CBT treatment may be needed for CG patients bereaved by the loss of a partner or child and mourners with more severe levels of CG.• Seeking ways to enhance patient motivation and adherence to treatment seems important to improve the effectiveness of CBT for CG.• Reduction in CG severity during CGT is associated with reduction in negative cognitions and avoidance behaviours.