bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Durable remission with salvage second autotransplants in patients with multiple myeloma
Authors: Shah Nina , Ahmed Fraz , Bashir Qaiser , Qureshi Sofia , Dinh Yvonne , Rondon Gabriela , Wen Sijin , Thall Peter , Khan Hassan , Giralt Sergio , Champlin Richard , Qazilbash Muzaffar H. 
Published: November 2011

AbstractBACKGROUND:High‐dose chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic cell transplant (auto‐HCT) has been shown to improve survival in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. However, the role of salvage auto‐HCT for relapsed patients, particularly in the era of novel therapeutics, is not well defined.METHODS:The authors performed a retrospective analysis of all 44 myeloma patients (24 men, 20 women) who received a second auto‐HCT as salvage between January 3, 1992 and November 4, 2008 at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.RESULTS:Median interval between the first and salvage auto‐HCT was 30 months (range, 2‐78 months). Median age at salvage HCT was 54 years (range, 38‐73 years), and median number of salvage treatment regimens was 2 (range, 0‐5). Eleven (25%) patients had high‐risk chromosomal abnormalities on conventional cytogenetic studies between diagnosis and salvage auto‐HCT. Ten patients (23%) experienced grade 3 or higher nonhematologic toxicity after the salvage auto‐HCT. One patient died within 100 days, for a treatment‐related mortality of 2%. Best responses after salvage chemotherapy + salvage auto‐HCT were as follows: complete response (CR) + near CR, 11%; partial response, 79%; overall response rate, 90%. Eighteen (41%) patients received post auto‐HCT maintenance therapy. Median follow‐up from salvage HCT was 41 months. Kaplan‐Meier estimates of median progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) from time of salvage auto‐HCT were 12.3 and 31.7 months, respectively. Median OS from the time of diagnosis was 75 months. In a fitted Bayesian multivariate model, shorter time to progression after first auto‐HCT, greater number of prior therapies, African American race, and immunoglobulin G subtype were significantly associated with worse OS.CONCLUSIONS:In selected myeloma patients, a second auto‐HCT for salvage therapy is well tolerated, with acceptable toxicity. The overall response rate and PFS are comparable to other salvage regimens. Cancer 2012;3549–3555. © 2011 American Cancer Society.
Comparative analyses of overall survival in patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase‐positive and matched wild‐type advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer
Authors: Lee June Koo , Park Heae Surng , Kim Dong‐Wan , Kulig Kimary , Kim Tae Min , Lee Se‐Hoon , Jeon Yoon‐Kyung , Chung Doo Hyun , Heo Dae Seog , Kim Woo‐Ho , Bang Yung‐Jue 
Published: November 2011

AbstractBACKGROUND:The purpose of this study was to investigate the overall survival (OS) of patients with advanced ALK‐positive nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were managed in the pre‐ALK inhibitor era and to compare their survival with that of a matched case cohort of ALK wild‐type (WT) patients.METHODS:Data from 1166 patients who had stage IIIB/IV NSCLC with nonsquamous histology were collected from the NSCLC database of Seoul National University Hospital between 2003 and 2009. ALK fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to analyze 262 patients who either had the WT epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or were nonresponders to previous EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy. Overall survival (OS) was compared between 3 groups: 1) ALK‐positive patients, 2) EGFR mutation‐positive patients, and 3) ALK‐WT/EGFR‐WT patients. Progression‐free survival (PFS) after first‐line chemotherapy and EGFR TKIs also was analyzed.RESULTS:Twenty‐three patients were ALK‐positive according to FISH analysis and did not receive ALK inhibitors during follow‐up. The median OS for ALK‐positive patients, EGFR mutation‐positive patients, and WT/WT patients was 12.2 months, 29.6 months, and 19.3 months, respectively (vs EGFR mutation‐positive patients, P = .001; vs WT/WT, P = .127). The PFS after first‐line chemotherapy for the 3 groups was not different. However, the PFS for patients who received EGFR TKIs was shorter in ALK‐positive patients compared with the other 2 groups (vs EGFR mutation‐positive patients, P < .001; vs WT/WT, P < .021).CONCLUSIONS:In the pre‐ALK inhibitor era, ALK‐positive patients experienced the shortest survival, although it did not differ statistically from that of WT/WT patients. Although their responses to platinum‐based chemotherapy were not different from comparator groups, ALK‐positive patients were even more resistant to EGFR TKI treatment than WT/WT patients. Cancer 2012;3579–3586. © 2011 American Cancer Society.
Polarity proteins are required for left–right axis orientation and twin–twin instruction
Authors: Vandenberg Laura N. , Levin Michael 
Published: November 2011

AbstractTwo main classes of models address the earliest steps of left–right patterning: those postulating that asymmetry is initiated via cilia‐driven fluid flow in a multicellular tissue at gastrulation, and those postulating that asymmetry is amplified from intrinsic chirality of individual cells at very early embryonic stages. A recent study revealed that cultured human cells have consistent left–right (LR) biases that are dependent on apical‐basal polarity machinery. The ability of single cells to set up asymmetry suggests that cellular chirality could be converted to embryonic laterality by cilia‐independent polarity mechanisms in cell fields. To examine the link between cellular polarity and LR patterning in a vertebrate model organism, we probed the roles of apical‐basal and planar polarity proteins in the orientation of the LR axis in Xenopus. Molecular loss‐of‐function targeting these polarity pathways specifically randomizes organ situs independently of contribution to the ciliated organ. Alterations in cell polarity also disrupt tight junction integrity, localization of the LR signaling molecule serotonin, the normally left‐sided expression of Xnr‐1, and the LR instruction occurring between native and ectopic organizers. We propose that well‐conserved polarity complexes are required for LR asymmetry and that cell polarity signals establish the flow of laterality information across the early blastoderm independently of later ciliary functions. genesis 50:219–234, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Digital automatic voltage regulator for synchronous generator considering sensor failure
Authors: Li Weilin , Li Huimin , Ni Fei , Zhang Xiaobin , Monti Antonello 
Published: November 2011

SUMMARYIn this paper, digital signal processor (DSP) based automatic voltage regulator (AVR) for synchronous generator is proposed. The control performance of AVR is guaranteed to be more reliable by the application of measurement validation method based on Polynomial Chaos Theory. Analysis and development of the proposed regulator is done by both computer simulations and DSP implementation. A hardware platform of the AVR, which consists of two DSPs as the microprocessor is set up, one DSP is used for calculation of the sampled data and sensor validation, the other is used for control algorithm application. Several other methods have also been adopted in the configuration of the hardware for a better dynamic performance. Steady state and dynamic control performance of the regulator are investigated on different working conditions (such as voltage establishment, load connection, and sensor failure). Experimental results show good consistency to the theoretical analysis. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Patellar tilt correlates with vastus lateralis: Vastus medialis activation ratio in maltracking patellofemoral pain patients
Authors: Pal Saikat , Besier Thor F. , Draper Christine E. , Fredericson Michael , Gold Garry E. , Beaupre Gary S. , Delp Scott L. 
Published: November 2011

AbstractPatellofemoral (PF) pain is a common ailment of the lower extremity. A theorized cause for pain is patellar maltracking due to vasti muscle activation imbalance, represented as large vastus lateralis:vastus medialis (VL:VM) activation ratios. However, evidence relating vasti muscle activation imbalance to patellar maltracking is limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between VL:VM activation ratio and patellar tracking measures, patellar tilt and bisect offset, in PF pain subjects and pain‐free controls. We evaluated VL:VM activation ratio and VM activation delay relative to VL activation in 39 PF pain subjects and 15 pain‐free controls during walking. We classified the PF pain subjects into normal tracking and maltracking groups based on patellar tilt and bisect offset measured from weight‐bearing magnetic resonance imaging. Patellar tilt correlated with VL:VM activation ratio only in PF pain subjects classified as maltrackers. This suggests that a clinical intervention targeting vasti muscle activation imbalance may be effective only in PF pain subjects classified as maltrackers. © 2011 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 30:927–933, 2012
Two‐dimensional LC‐MS fractioning and cross‐matching of mass spectrometric data for rational identification of bioactive compounds in crude extracts
Authors: Klinkenberg Geir , Sletta Håvard , Fjærvik Espen , Zahlsen Kolbjørn , Bruheim Per 
Published: November 2011

AbstractBioprospecting aims at the identification of biological compounds with novel properties. Identification of such compounds in crude complex biological extracts is a comprehensive challenge. As a large number of extracts must be screened for successful identification of one potential promising lead, rational screening strategies must be developed. Here we report on a novel two stage rational LC‐MS strategy of extracts already pre‐screened and proven to contain bioactive compound(s). All extracts are initially fractionated using one and the same LC condition with parallel mass spectrometric detection. Fractions containing bioactive compound(s) are then subjected to a second fractional stage using two different chromatographic conditions. Mass detection is also included at this stage, and a cross‐matching algorithm for comparison of processed mass chromatograms from the two dimensions was developed. The algorithm reports only masses present in bioactive fractions in both dimensions and enable therefore an efficient identification of potential masses that causes the bioactivity. This mass list can be used to search in natural compound database(s) for a rapid evaluation if the mass belongs to an already identified compound or if it is a potentially new one. This strategy enables thorough screening of several hundred crude extracts in one week on one single instrument.
Benefit Segmentation of Seaside Destination in the Phase of Market Repositioning: the Case of Portorož
Authors: Rudež Helena Nemec , Sedmak Gorazd , Bojnec Štefan 
Published: November 2011

ABSTRACTThe purpose of the paper is to present benefit segmentation of visitors to Portorož, a mature seaside Mediterranean destination, during a phase of repositioning, to understand whether it attracts visitors who seek benefits other than just passive leisure, which characterized Portorož in the past. Four distinct segments of visitors and their characteristics were identified. The largest segment, ‘well‐being visitors’, is looking for physical activity and convenience. The results give us better insight into the demand side; on the other hand, they have practical implications for tourism suppliers, who try to adapt their product to new conditions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Role of retreatment in minimal‐power argon laser therapy for port wine stains
Authors: Cosman Bard 
Published: November 2011

AbstractRetreatment of previously lased areas of port wine stains can offer significant additional improvement over initial results. From 1977 to 1981 123 patients were subjected to 191 treatments employing the argon laser using an individually varied minimal power dose. Thirty‐three areas have been treated a second time a year after the first therapy and six doubly treated areas have also been studied. The additional improvement achieved by retreatment together with the minimal additional chance of complication adds to the safety and practicality of minimal dosage technique. The theoretical considerations allowing successful retreatment are presented and the results of this approach are demonstrated. The timing of retreatment and its limitations are also considered.
Comparative experimental study on the use of the carbon dioxide laser beam in partial nephrectomy
Authors: Barzilay Benjamin , Lijovetzky Graciela , Perlberg Saul , Caine Marco 
Published: November 2011

AbstractA report is given on an experimental study in 20 dogs designed to compare the use of the CO2 laser beam as a cutting instrument in resection of the kidney parenchyma, with the simple scalpel and the cutting diathermy current. It was found that the laser can be used with impunity. It shortens the time of operation by facilitating hemostasis, diminishes blood loss, and does not interfere with the final kidney function. The damage to the kidney parenchyma compares favorably with that produced by the other instruments.
Dysfunctional telomeres promote genomic instability and metastasis in the absence of telomerase activity in oncogene induced mammary cancer
Authors: Bojovic Bojana , Crowe David L. 
Published: November 2011

AbstractTelomerase is a ribonucleoprotein that maintains the ends of chromosomes (telomeres). In normal cells lacking telomerase activity, telomeres shorten with each cell division because of the inability to completely synthesize the lagging strand. Critically shortened telomeres elicit DNA damage responses and limit cellular division and lifespan, providing an important tumor suppressor function. Most human cancer cells express telomerase which contributes significantly to the tumor phenotype. In human breast cancer, telomerase expression is predictive of clinical outcomes such as lymph node metastasis and survival. In mouse models of mammary cancer, telomerase expression is also upregulated. Telomerase overexpression resulted in spontaneous mammary tumor development in aged female mice. Increased mammary cancer also was observed when telomerase deficient mice were crossed with p53 null mutant animals. However, the effects of telomerase and telomere length on oncogene driven mammary cancer have not been completely characterized. To address these issues we characterized neu proto‐oncogene driven mammary tumor formation in G1 Terc−/− (telomerase deficient with long telomeres), G3 Terc−/− (telomerase deficient with short telomeres), and Terc+/+ mice. Telomerase deficiency reduced the number of mammary tumors and increased tumor latency regardless of telomere length. Decreased tumor formation correlated with increased apoptosis in Terc deficient tumors. Short telomeres dramatically increased lung metastasis which correlated with increased genomic instability, and specific alterations in DNA copy number and gene expression. We concluded that short telomeres promote metastasis in the absence of telomerase activity in neu oncogene driven mammary tumors. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Bortezomib‐induced sensitization of malignant human glioma cells to vorinostat‐induced apoptosis depends on reactive oxygen species production, mitochondrial dysfunction, Noxa upregulation, Mcl‐1 cleavage, and DNA damage
Authors: Premkumar Daniel R. , Jane Esther P. , Agostino Naomi R. , DiDomenico Joseph D. , Pollack Ian F. 
Published: November 2011

AbstractGlioblastomas are invasive tumors with poor prognosis despite current therapies. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) represent a class of agents that can modulate gene expression to reduce tumor growth, and we and others have noted some antiglioma activity from HDACIs, such as vorinostat, although insufficient to warrant use as monotherapy. We have recently demonstrated that proteasome inhibitors, such as bortezomib, dramatically sensitized highly resistant glioma cells to apoptosis induction, suggesting that proteasomal inhibition may be a promising combination strategy for glioma therapeutics. In this study, we examined whether bortezomib could enhance response to HDAC inhibition in glioma cells. Although primary cells from glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients and established glioma cell lines did not show significant induction of apoptosis with vorinostat treatment alone, the combination of vorinostat plus bortezomib significantly enhanced apoptosis. The enhanced efficacy was due to proapoptotic mitochondrial injury and increased generation of reactive oxygen species. Our results also revealed that combination of bortezomib with vorinostat enhanced apoptosis by increasing Mcl‐1 cleavage, Noxa upregulation, Bak and Bax activation, and cytochrome c release. Further downregulation of Mcl‐1 using shRNA enhanced cell killing by the bortezomib/vorinostat combination. Vorinostat induced a rapid and sustained phosphorylation of histone H2AX in primary GBM and T98G cells, and this effect was significantly enhanced by co‐administration of bortezomib. Vorinostat/bortezomib combination also induced Rad51 downregulation, which plays an important role in the synergistic enhancement of DNA damage and apoptosis. The significantly enhanced antitumor activity that results from the combination of bortezomib and HDACIs offers promise as a novel treatment for glioma patients. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pemetrexed induces both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis through ataxia telangiectasia mutated/p53‐dependent and ‐independent signaling pathways
Authors: Yang Tsung‐Ying , Chang Gee‐Chen , Chen Kun‐Chieh , Hung Hsiao‐Wen , Hsu Kuo‐Hsuan , Wu Chi‐Hao , Sheu Gwo‐Tarng , Hsu Shih‐Lan 
Published: November 2011

AbstractPemetrexed, a new‐generation antifolate, has demonstrated promising single‐agent activity in front‐ and second‐line treatments of non‐small cell lung cancer. However, the molecular mechanism of pemetrexed‐mediated antitumor activity remains unclear. The current study shows that pemetrexed induced DNA damage and caspase‐2, ‐3, ‐8, and ‐9 activation in A549 cells and that treatment with caspase inhibitors significantly abolished cell death, suggesting a caspase‐dependent apoptotic mechanism. The molecular events of pemetrexed‐mediated apoptosis was associated with the activation of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM)/p53‐dependent and ‐independent signaling pathways, which promoted intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis by upregulating Bax, PUMA, Fas, DR4, and DR5 and activating the caspase signaling cascade. Supplementation with dTTP allowed normal S‐phase progression and rescued apoptotic death in response to pemetrexed. Overall, our findings reveal that the decrease of thymidylate synthase and the increase of Bax, PUMA, Fas, DR4, and DR5 genes may serve as biomarkers for predicting responsiveness to pemetrexed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Description of deformation process in inherently anisotropic granular materials
Authors: Pietruszczak S. , Guo P. 
Published: November 2011

SUMMARYThe main focus in this work is on modeling of mechanical response of granular materials that display inherent anisotropy. Both the experimental and numerical investigations are described. First, the results of direct shear as well as drained/undrained triaxial tests that involve crushed limestone with elongated angular‐shaped particles are reviewed. Afterward, a mathematical framework is presented for modeling of elastic/ inelastic deformation that incorporates the multi‐laminate approach. The deformation is monitored on a set of randomly oriented planes, and the formulation incorporates the thickness of the shear band that is associated with sliding/separation process. A systematic procedure for identification of material functions/ parameters is outlined that is based on the results of direct shear tests, and the framework is later applied to simulate the behavior under triaxial conditions. The results of numerical simulations are compared with the experimental data. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Annealing‐induced structural rearrangement and its toughening effect in injection‐molded isotactic polypropylene
Authors: Na Bing , Li Zhujun , Lv Ruihua , Zou Shufen 
Published: November 2011

AbstractTo improve the toughness of isotactic polypropylene (iPP), by blending modification or special processing techniques, is an ongoing pursuit in the polymer community. In this study, the toughness of injection‐molded iPP bars has been enhanced by about four times upon annealing at 140°C, in parallel with slight increasing of stiffness. Through various structural characterizations it has been confirmed that the remarkable toughening effect in the annealed iPP bars mostly results from the enhanced molecular mobility in the amorphous phase due to lamellar perfection, rather than from the change of molecular orientation, crystal modification, crystallinity, and so on. Moreover, it is deduced that the gain of mobile amorphous fraction in the hierarchical iPP bars upon annealing follows the order of skin > intermediate > core, same to that contributing to the toughness enhancement. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers
Synergistic effect of polyaniline and multiwalled carbon nanotube on the microstructure and the electric property in PP/PANI/MWNT composites
Authors: Yang Lin , Chen Jinyao , Li Huilin , Zhang Zhiye , Wang Xinlong 
Published: November 2011

AbstractIn this article, the volume conductivity of polypropylene (PP)/polyaniline (PANI)/multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) composites was detected. When the ratio of PANI protonated with dodecylbenzene sulphonic acid (PANI‐DBSA) to MWNT is 2 to 3 and 3 to 17, the volume conductivity of the two composites is much higher than that of composites filled with solely PANI‐DBSA or MWNT. The synergistic effects of PANI‐DBSA and MWNT on the microstructure and the electric property of PP/PANI/MWNT composites were carefully analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy. The SEM results illuminate that the dispersion and the continuity of the composites filled with PANI‐DBSA and MWNT are far better than that filled with only PANI‐DBSA or MWNT. Especially, the dispersion and continuity of PP/PANI/MWNT 5, in which the ratio of PANI‐DBSA to MWNT is 3 to 17, are the best among all the composites. When PANI‐DBSA is introduced in PP/PANI/MWNT composites, the size of agglomerated particles decreases, and the dispersion of conductive particles is improved evidently. Therefore, there is a synergistic action of PANI‐DBSA and MWNT, which is used to improve the dispersion of conductive particles and the volume conductivity of the PP/PANI/MWNT composites. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers