bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Phase II Study of Sunitinib in Recurrent or Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck: GORTEC 2006-01
Authors: Machiels Jean-Pascal H. , Henry Stéphanie , Zanetta Sylvie , Kaminsky Marie-Christine , Michoux Nicolas , Rommel Denis , Schmitz Sandra , Bompas Emmanuelle , Dillies Anne-Françoise , Faivre Sandrine , Moxhon Anne , Duprez Thierry , Guigay Joel 
Published: November 2009

Purpose To assess the efficacy and toxicity of sunitinib monotherapy in palliative squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Patients and Methods Thirty-eight patients with SCCHN having evidence of progressive disease (PD) were treated with sunitinib 37.5 mg/d given continuously until PD or unacceptable toxicity. The primary end point was the rate of disease control, defined as stable disease (SD) or partial response (PR) at 6 to 8 weeks after treatment initiation (two-stage design, Simon). Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) was performed in a subset of patients before and 6 to 8 weeks after treatment. The volume transfer constant of the contrast agent (Ktrans) was used to measure changes in the microcirculation blood flow and endothelial permeability of the tumor. Results A PR was observed in one patient, SD in 18, and PD in 19 (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors [RECIST]), resulting in a disease control rate of 50%. Among the 18 patients with SD, there were five unconfirmed PRs and six additional minor responses. A significant decrease in Ktrans was seen in three of the four patients who received DCE-MRI monitoring. Grade 5 head and neck bleeds occurred in four patients. Local complications, including the appearance or worsening of tumor skin ulceration or tumor fistula, were recorded in 15 patients. Conclusion Sunitinib demonstrated modest activity in palliative SSCHN. The severity of some of the complications highlights the importance of improved patient selection for future studies with sunitinib in head and neck cancer. Sunitinib should not be used outside clinical trials in SSCHN.
Phase II Clinical Trial of Ixabepilone in Patients With Recurrent or Persistent Platinum- and Taxane-Resistant Ovarian or Primary Peritoneal Cancer: A Gynecologic Oncology Group Study
Authors: De Geest Koen , Blessing John A. , Morris Robert T. , Yamada S. Diane , Monk Bradley J. , Zweizig Susan L. , Matei Daniela , Muller Carolyn Y. , Richards William E. 
Published: November 2009

PurposeIxabepilone (BMS-247550) is a microtubule-stabilizing epothilone B analog with activity in taxane-resistant metastatic breast cancer. The Gynecologic Oncology Group conducted a phase II evaluation of the efficacy and safety of ixabepilone in patients with recurrent or persistent platinum- and taxane-resistant primary ovarian or peritoneal carcinoma.Patients and MethodsPatients with measurable platinum- and taxane-resistant ovarian or peritoneal carcinoma, defined as progression during or within 6 months of one prior course of treatment with each agent, received intravenous ixabepilone 20 mg/m2administered over 1 hour on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle.ResultsOf 51 patients entered, 49 were eligible. The objective response rate was 14.3% (95% CI, 5.9% to 27.2%), with three complete and four partial responses. Twenty patients (40.8%) had stable disease, whereas sixteen (32.7%) had increasing disease. The median time to progression was 4.4 months (95% CI, 0.8 to 32.6+ months); median survival was 14.8 months (95% CI, 0.8 to 50.0) months. Patients received a median of two treatment cycles (range, 1 to 29 cycles), and 18.4% of patients received ≥ six cycles. Adverse effects included peripheral grade 2 (28.5%) and grade 3 (6.1%) neuropathy, grades 3 to 4 neutropenia (20.4%), grade 3 fatigue (14.3%), grade 3 nausea/emesis (22%), grade 3 diarrhea (10%), and grade 3 mucositis (4%).ConclusionIxabepilone 20 mg/m2over 1 hour on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle demonstrates antitumor activity and acceptable safety in patients with platinum- and taxane-resistant recurrent or persistent ovarian or primary peritoneal carcinoma.
Phytosphingosine kills Candida albicans by disrupting its cell membrane
Authors: Veerman Enno C.I. , Valentijn-Benz Marianne , van't Hof Wim , Nazmi Kamran , van Marle Jan , Nieuw Amerongen Arie V. 
Published: November 2009

Abstract
The mechanism of action of phytosphingosine (PHS), a member of the sphingosine family which has candidacidal activity when added externally, was investigated. Previously, it has been reported that the fungicidal activity of PHS is based on the induction of caspase-independent apoptosis. In contrast, we found that addition of PHS causes a direct permeabilization of the plasma membrane of yeast, highlighted by the influx of the membrane probe propidium iodide, and the efflux of small molecules (i.e., adenine nucleotides) as well as large cellular constituents such as proteins. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy revealed that PHS treatment causes severe damage of the plasma membrane of the cell, which seems to have lost its integrity completely. We also found that PHS reverts the azide-induced insensitivity to histatin 5 (Hst5) of Candida albicans. In a previous study, we had found that the decreased sensitivity to Hst5 of energy-depleted cells is due to rigidification of the plasma membrane, which could be reverted by the membrane fluidizer benzyl alcohol. In line with the increased membrane permeabilization and ultrastructural damage, this reversal of the azide-induced insensitivity by PHS also points to a direct interaction between PHS and the cytoplasmic membrane of C. albicans.
CYP21-catalyzed production of the long-term urinary metandienone metabolite 17β-hydroxymethyl-17α-methyl-18-norandrosta-1,4,13-trien-3-one: a contribution to the fight against doping
Authors: Zöllner Andy , Parr Maria Kristina , Drăgan Călin-Aurel , Dräs Stefan , Schlörer Nils , Peters Frank T. , Maurer Hans H. , Schänzer Wilhelm , Bureik Matthias 
Published: November 2009

AbstractAnabolic-androgenic steroids are some of the most frequently misused drugs in human sports. Recently, a previously unknown urinary metabolite of metandienone, 17β-hydroxymethyl-17α-methyl-18-norandrosta-1,4,13-trien-3-one (20OH-NorMD), was discovered via LC-MS/MS and GC-MS. This metabolite was reported to be detected in urine samples up to 19 days after administration of metandienone. However, so far it was not possible to obtain purified reference material of this metabolite and to confirm its structure via NMR. Eleven recombinant strains of the fission yeastSchizosaccharomyces pombethat express different human hepatic or steroidogenic cytochrome P450 enzymes were screened for production of this metabolite in a whole-cell biotransformation reaction. 17,17-Dimethyl-18-norandrosta-1,4,13-trien-3-one, chemically derived from metandienone, was used as substrate for the bioconversion, because it could be converted to the final product in a single hydroxylation step. The obtained results demonstrate that CYP21 and to a lesser extent also CYP3A4 expressing strains can catalyze this steroid hydroxylation. Subsequent 5 l-scale fermentation resulted in the production and purification of 10 mg of metabolite and its unequivocal structure determination via NMR. The synthesis of this urinary metandienone metabolite viaS. pombe-based whole-cell biotransformation now allows its use as a reference substance in doping control assays.
The likelihood ratio test for non-standard hypotheses near the boundary of the null – with application to the assessment of non-inferiority
Authors: Balabdaoui Fadoua , Mielke Matthias , Munk Axel 
Published: November 2009

AbstractWe consider a class of testing problems where the null space is the union ofk-1 subgraphs of the formhj(θj)≤θk, withj=1,…,k-1, (θ1,…,θk) the unknown parameter, andhjgiven increasing functions. The data consist ofkindependent samples, assumed to be drawn from a distribution with parameterθj,j=1,…,k, respectively. An important class of examples covered by this setting is that of non-inferiority hypotheses, which have recently become important in the evaluation of drugs or therapies. When the true parameter approaches the boundary at a 1/√nrate, we give the explicit form of the asymptotic distribution of the log-likelihood ratio statistic. This extends previous work on the distribution of likelihood ratio statistics to local alternatives. We consider the prominent example of binomial data and illustrate the theory fork=2 and 3 samples. We explain how this can be used for planning a non-inferiority trial. To this end we calculate the optimal sample ratios yielding the maximal power in a binomial non-inferiority trial.
Mating-System Variation, Demographic History and Patterns of Nucleotide Diversity in the Tristylous Plant Eichhornia paniculata
Authors: Ness Rob W , Wright Stephen I , Barrett Spencer C H 
Published: November 2009

Abstract
Inbreeding in highly selfing populations reduces effective size and, combined with demographic conditions associated with selfing, this can erode genetic diversity and increase population differentiation. Here we investigate the role that variation in mating patterns and demographic history play in shaping the distribution of nucleotide variation within and among populations of the annual neotropical colonizing plant Eichhornia paniculata, a species with wide variation in selfing rates. We sequenced 10 EST-derived nuclear loci in 225 individuals from 25 populations sampled from much of the geographic range and used coalescent simulations to investigate demographic history. Highly selfing populations exhibited moderate reductions in diversity but there was no significant difference in variation between outcrossing and mixed mating populations. Population size interacted strongly with mating system and explained more of the variation in diversity within populations. Bayesian structure analysis revealed strong regional clustering and selfing populations were highly differentiated on the basis of an analysis of Fst. There was no evidence for a significant loss of within-locus linkage disequilibrium within populations, but regional samples revealed greater breakdown in Brazil than in selfing populations from the Caribbean. Coalescent simulations indicate a moderate bottleneck associated with colonization of the Caribbean from Brazil ∼125,000 years before the present. Our results suggest that the recent multiple origins of selfing in E. paniculata from diverse outcrossing populations result in higher diversity than expected under long-term equilibrium.
The Spontaneous Appearance Rate of the Yeast Prion [PSI+] and Its Implications for the Evolution of the Evolvability Properties of the [PSI+] System
Authors: Lancaster Alex K , Bardill J Patrick , True Heather L , Masel Joanna 
Published: November 2009

Abstract
Epigenetically inherited aggregates of the yeast prion [PSI+] cause genomewide readthrough translation that sometimes increases evolvability in certain harsh environments. The effects of natural selection on modifiers of [PSI+] appearance have been the subject of much debate. It seems likely that [PSI+] would be at least mildly deleterious in most environments, but this may be counteracted by its evolvability properties on rare occasions. Indirect selection on modifiers of [PSI+] is predicted to depend primarily on the spontaneous [PSI+] appearance rate, but this critical parameter has not previously been adequately measured. Here we measure this epimutation rate accurately and precisely as 5.8 × 10−7 per generation, using a fluctuation test. We also determine that genetic “mimics” of [PSI+] account for up to 80% of all phenotypes involving general nonsense suppression. Using previously developed mathematical models, we can now infer that even in the absence of opportunities for adaptation, modifiers of [PSI+] are only weakly deleterious relative to genetic drift. If we assume that the spontaneous [PSI+] appearance rate is at its evolutionary optimum, then opportunities for adaptation are inferred to be rare, such that the [PSI+] system is favored only very weakly overall. But when we account for the observed increase in the [PSI+] appearance rate in response to stress, we infer much higher overall selection in favor of [PSI+] modifiers, suggesting that [PSI+]-forming ability may be a consequence of selection for evolvability.
Risk Factors Associated With Deformational Plagiocephaly
Authors: Joganic Jessica L. , Lynch John M. , Littlefield Timothy R. , Verrelli Brian C. 
Published: November 2009

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to statistically evaluate the independent and interacting effects of biological and environmental risk factors that influence lateralization of deformational plagiocephaly (DP) in an attempt to provide future guidance for clinical treatment.METHODS: A database of &gt;20000 children treated for DP was examined by using 2- and 3-way factor analyses for categorical frequency data, representing the largest statistical analysis of DP to date. Data on parity, zygosity, intrauterine presentation, birth number and weight, sleep position, lateralization, and sex were collected from parents of children with DP who were treated at Cranial Technologies, Inc, from 1990 to 2007.RESULTS: As with most DP studies, male patients were significantly overrepresented. Nonetheless, after statistically accounting for sex in our analyses, DP is significantly correlated with primiparity, fewer vertex but more breech and transverse intrauterine presentations, twinning (specifically, dizygosity), and, finally, right-sided lateralization. Additional analyses revealed that several factors correlated with DP, such as intrauterine presentation, sleep position, and lateralization, are not easily explained by an underlying biological factor. Instead, sleep position was the single greatest predictor of lateralization.CONCLUSION: Although previous studies have argued for both environmental and underlying biological factors associated with DP, we found that lateralization in children with DP could be largely explained by environmental factors such as sleep position.
Pediatric Robotic Surgery: Early Assessment
Authors: van Haasteren Goedele , Levine Susan , Hayes Winifred 
Published: November 2009

OBJECTIVES: This article reviews the evidence regarding the feasibility, safety, benefits, limitations, and costs of robotically assisted surgery in children, evaluates how the technology compares with other pediatric surgical techniques, and provides insights about the near and more-distant future of the technology.
METHODS: The peer-reviewed medical pediatric literature was searched for studies that provided evidence of the feasibility and safety of robotic surgery in children and for studies that compared pediatric robotic surgery with conventional laparoscopic surgery or open surgery.
RESULTS: A total of 8 case series and 5 studies comparing robotic surgery with open or conventional laparoscopic surgery met the selection criteria for review. A few small studies that focused on rare complex surgical procedures also were reviewed. All studies were designed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of robotic surgery in children. None of the studies was randomized, and some studies had a retrospective design. These studies demonstrated that a number of routine, robotically assisted, laparoscopic and thoracic procedures were feasible and safe when performed by surgeons experienced in the technique, although robotic surgery did not provide superior outcomes, compared with traditional laparoscopic and open surgery. The advantages of the robotic system were best seen in complex procedures that involved areas that were difficult to access and in procedures in which dissection of delicate, anatomic structures was required.
CONCLUSIONS: Robotic surgery is feasible and safe for a number of pediatric surgical procedures, but evidence that it offers better clinical outcomes than conventional open or laparoscopic techniques is lacking.
Food Allergy Among Children in the United States
Authors: Branum Amy M. , Lukacs Susan L. 
Published: November 2009

OBJECTIVES: The goals were to estimate the prevalence of food allergy and to describe trends in food allergy prevalence and health care use among US children.
METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of data on food allergy among children &lt;18 years of age, as reported in the 1997–2007 National Health Interview Survey, 2005–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1993–2006 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, and 1998–2006 National Hospital Discharge Survey, was performed. Reported food allergies, serum immunoglobulin E antibody levels for specific foods, ambulatory care visits, and hospitalizations were assessed.
RESULTS: In 2007, 3.9% of US children &lt;18 years of age had reported food allergy. The prevalence of reported food allergy increased 18% (z = 3.4; P &lt; .01) from 1997 through 2007. In 2005–2006, serum immunoglobulin E antibodies to peanut were detectable for an estimated 9% of US children. Ambulatory care visits tripled between 1993 and 2006 (P &lt; .01). From 2003 through 2006, an estimated average of 317000 food allergy-related, ambulatory care visits per year (95% confidence interval: 195000–438000 visits per year) to emergency and outpatient departments and physician's offices were reported. Hospitalizations with any recorded diagnoses related to food allergy also increased between 1998–2000 and 2004–2006, from an average of 2600 discharges per year to 9500 discharges per year (z = 3.4; P &lt; .01), possibly because of increased use of food allergy V codes.
CONCLUSION: Several national health surveys indicate that food allergy prevalence and/or awareness has increased among US children in recent years.
Transport properties of superconducting amorphous W-based nanowires fabricated by focused-ion-beam-induced-deposition for applications in Nanotechnology
Authors: De Teresa Jose M , Fernandez-Pacheco Amalio , Cordoba Rosa , Sese Javier , Ibarra Ricardo , Guillamon Isabel , Suderow Hermann , Vieira Sebastian 
Published: November 2009

AbstractWe report transport measurements of superconducting amorphous W-based nanodeposits fabricated by focused-ion-beam-induced-deposition (FIBID) technique using W(CO)6 as the gas precursor. We have found that nanowires with width down to ˜100 nm can be grown by FIBID, maintaining the relatively high TC of �5.2 K shown by wider nanodeposits. The critical current found in these nanowires is in the range of 0.8 mA/?m2 at 2 K. At that temperature the critical field HC2 is found to be ?8 T. As previously shown by STM measurements [I. Guillam�n et al., New Journal of Physics 10, 093005 (2008)], these nanodeposits closely follow the BCS theory and are very stable under ambient conditions. All these features pave the way for a wide range of applications of these FIBID W-based nanowires in the field of Nanotechnology.
Extracting Piezoresistance in SiNWs using Thermal Induced Buckling of Micro-bridges
Authors: Wong Chee Chung , Neuzil Pavel , Agarwal Ajay , Reboud Julien , Liao Kin 
Published: November 2009

AbstractThe recent reports on giant piezoresistance effect in highly resistive silicon nanowires (SiNWs) have offer greater sensitivity in stress measurements. Despite enhanced sensitivity, the piezoresistance of highly conductive silicon are preferred as they are less prone to thermal noises and hence better accuracy. Here we report a thermal induced buckle micro-bridge technique to accurately characterize the temperature dependent piezoresistivity effect in SiNWs. Phosphorus doped <110> SiNWs with 50 nm width, 95 nm thickness and 100 μm length were encapsulated within SiO2 micro-bridges. The electrical measurement of both reference SiNWs and SiNWs at micro-bridges was carried out, followed by the optical profiling of the micro-bridges with embedded SiNWs. N-type SiNWs with doping of 1×1020 ion/cm3 exhibit a strong dependence on temperature with a piezoresistive coefficient that decreases by 22.5 % between 25 oC to 60 oC; whereas its bulk counterpart is independent of temperature across this range. The results demonstrated that thermal noises may be more detrimental to nano-scale electromechanical sensors than its bulk counterparts.
Piezo- and Flexoelectric Membrane Materials Underlie Fast Biological Motors in the Inner Ear
Authors: Breneman Kathryn D , Rabbitt Richard D 
Published: November 2009

AbstractThe mammalian inner ear is remarkably sensitive to quiet sounds, exhibits over 100dB dynamic range, and has the exquisite ability to discriminate closely spaced tones even in the presence of noise. This performance is achieved, in part, through active mechanical amplification of vibrations by sensory hair cells within the inner ear. All hair cells are endowed with a bundle of motile microvilli, stereocilia, located at the apical end of the cell, and the more specialized outer hair cells (OHC's) are also endowed with somatic electromotility responsible for changes in cell length in response to perturbations in membrane potential. Both hair bundle and somatic motors are known to feed energy into the mechanical vibrations in the inner ear. The biophysical origin and relative significance of the motors remains a subject of intense research. Several biological motors have been identified in hair cells that might underlie the motor(s), including a cousin of the classical ATP driven actin-myosin motor found in skeletal muscle. Hydrolysis of ATP, however, is much too slow to be viable at audio frequencies on a cycle-by-cycle basis. Heuristically, the OHC somatic motor behaves as if the OHC lateral wall membrane were a piezoelectric material and the hair bundle motor behaves as if the plasma membrane were a flexoelectric material. We propose these observations from a continuum materials perspective are literally true. To examine this idea, we formulated mathematical models of the OHC lateral wall “piezoelectric” motor and the more ubiquitous “flexoelectric” hair bundle motor. Plausible biophysical mechanisms underlying piezo- and flexoelectircity were established. Model predictions were compared extensively to the available data. The models were then applied to study the power conversion efficiency of the motors. Results show that the material properties of the complex membranes in hair cells provide them with the ability to convert electrical power available in the inner ear cochlea into useful mechanical amplification of sound induced vibrations at auditory frequencies. We also examined how hair cell amplification might be controlled by the brain through efferent synaptic contacts on hair cells and found a simple mechanism to tune hearing to signals of interest to the listener by electrical control of these motors.
Monitor: Soils and Foundations
Authors: Hope V. 
Published: November 2009

Published by the Japanese Geotechnical Society, Tokyo. Six issues per annum; circa 150 pages per issue. Current subscription: 9000 yen. ISSN 0038-0806. Soils and Foundations is the international, English-language journal of the Japanese Geotechnical Society. In general, the journal tends to focus on the needs and interests of researchers rather than of practitioners. Most papers are concerned with soil properties and laboratory-based techniques, although dynamic problems, earthquakes and foundations are regular topics, and there is a steady interest in underground structures. Papers on site investigation appear relatively infrequently, and few papers deal with rock mechanics. The following brief selection from recent issues of Soils and Foundations summarises those papers that perhaps have an immediate practical relevance, rather than the more academically oriented papers.