bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Lung Cancer Incidence in Never Smokers
Authors: Wakelee Heather A. , Chang Ellen T. , Gomez Scarlett L. , Keegan Theresa H. , Feskanich Diane , Clarke Christina A. , Holmberg Lars , Yong Lee C. , Kolonel Laurence N. , Gould Michael K. , West Dee W. 
Published: February 2007

Purpose Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Although smoking remains the predominant cause of lung cancer, lung cancer in never smokers is an increasingly prominent public health issue. However, data on this topic, particularly lung cancer incidence rates in never smokers, are limited. Methods We reviewed the existing literature on lung cancer incidence and mortality rates among never smokers and present new data regarding rates in never smokers from the following large, prospective cohorts: Nurses’ Health Study; Health Professionals Follow-Up Study; California Teachers Study; Multiethnic Cohort Study; Swedish Lung Cancer Register in the Uppsala/Örebro region; and First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-Up Study. Results Truncated age-adjusted incidence rates of lung cancer among never smokers age 40 to 79 years in these six cohorts ranged from 14.4 to 20.8 per 100,000 person-years in women and 4.8 to 13.7 per 100,000 person-years in men, supporting earlier observations that women are more likely than men to have non–smoking-associated lung cancer. The distinct biology of lung cancer in never smokers is apparent in differential responses to epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors and an increased prevalence of adenocarcinoma histology in never smokers. Conclusion Lung cancer in never smokers is an important public health issue, and further exploration of its incidence patterns, etiology, and biology is needed.
Phase II Study of Paclitaxel Plus Gemcitabine Salvage Chemotherapy for Germ Cell Tumors After Progression Following High-Dose Chemotherapy With Tandem Transplant
Authors: Einhorn Lawrence H. , Brames Mary J. , Juliar Beth , Williams Stephen D. 
Published: February 2007

Purpose To determine long-term survival and potential cure with salvage chemotherapy with paclitaxel plus gemcitabine after progression after both cisplatin combination chemotherapy and subsequent high-dose chemotherapy with tandem transplantation. Patients and Methods One hundred eighty-four patients received salvage high-dose chemotherapy at Indiana University (Indianapolis, IN) from February 1996 to December 2004. After further evidence of progressive disease, 32 patients were subsequently treated with paclitaxel 100 mg/n2 over 1 hour plus gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 over 30 minutes, days 1, 8, and 15 every 4 weeks for a maximum of six courses. This is a retrospective review of this patient population. Patients were evaluated for response, duration of response, and survival. Patients were ineligible if they received prior paclitaxel or gemcitabine. Results Ten (31%) of 32 patients achieved objective response, including four partial remissions (2- to 6-month duration) and six complete responses (CRs). Four of these six CRs (12.5% of total patient population) are continuously disease free (NED) with paclitaxel plus gemcitabine alone (no postchemotherapy surgery) at more than 20, 40, 44, and 57 months from start of paclitaxel plus gemcitabine, respectively. One additional CR is currently NED more than 63 months after paclitaxel plus gemcitabine with two subsequent resections of carcinoma. Conclusion Long-term disease-free survival is possible with paclitaxel plus gemcitabine in this patient population that progressed after high-dose chemotherapy, and had not received prior paclitaxel or gemcitabine.
Religiousness and Spiritual Support Among Advanced Cancer Patients and Associations With End-of-Life Treatment Preferences and Quality of Life
Authors: Balboni Tracy A. , Vanderwerker Lauren C. , Block Susan D. , Paulk M. Elizabeth , Lathan Christopher S. , Peteet John R. , Prigerson Holly G. 
Published: February 2007

Purpose Religion and spirituality play a role in coping with illness for many cancer patients. This study examined religiousness and spiritual support in advanced cancer patients of diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds and associations with quality of life (QOL), treatment preferences, and advance care planning. Methods The Coping With Cancer study is a federally funded, multi-institutional investigation examining factors associated with advanced cancer patient and caregiver well-being. Patients with an advanced cancer diagnosis and failure of first-line chemotherapy were interviewed at baseline regarding religiousness, spiritual support, QOL, treatment preferences, and advance care planning. Results Most (88%) of the study population (N = 230) considered religion to be at least somewhat important. Nearly half (47%) reported that their spiritual needs were minimally or not at all supported by a religious community, and 72% reported that their spiritual needs were supported minimally or not at all by the medical system. Spiritual support by religious communities or the medical system was significantly associated with patient QOL (P = .0003). Religiousness was significantly associated with wanting all measures to extend life (odds ratio, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.08 to 3.57). Conclusion Many advanced cancer patients’ spiritual needs are not supported by religious communities or the medical system, and spiritual support is associated with better QOL. Religious individuals more frequently want aggressive measures to extend life.
American Joint Committee on Cancer Staging System Does Not Accurately Predict Survival in Patients Receiving Multimodality Therapy for Esophageal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Rizk Nabil P. , Venkatraman Ennapadam , Bains Manjit S. , Park Bernard , Flores Raja , Tang Laura , Ilson David H. , Minsky Bruce D. , Rusch Valerie W. 
Published: February 2007

Purpose In patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagus who receive preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT), American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, pathologic complete response (pCR), and estimated treatment response are various means used to stratify patients prognostically after surgery. However, none of these methods has been formally evaluated. The purpose of this study was to establish prognostic pathologic variables after CRT. Patients and Methods A retrospective review was performed of patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma who received CRT before esophagectomy. Data collected included demographics, CRT details, pathologic findings, and survival. Statistical methods included recursive partitioning and Kaplan-Meier analyses. Results Two hundred seventy-six patients were appropriate for this analysis. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicates that the current AJCC system poorly distinguishes between stages 0 to IIA (P = .52), IIB to III (P = .87), and IVA to IVB (P = .30). The presence of a pCR conferred improved survival over residual disease (P = .01). Recursive partitioning analysis indicates that involved lymph nodes and metastatic disease are the best predictors of survival and that depth of invasion and degree of treatment response are less predictive. Conclusion The current AJCC staging system is not a good predictor of survival after CRT. Although patients with a pCR do have improved long-term survival relative to patients with residual disease, this method places too much emphasis on residual depth of invasion and fails to identify patients with residual disease who have good long-term survival. Recursive partitioning analysis more accurately identifies nodal disease and metastatic disease as the most important prognostic variables. Degree of treatment response is less prognostic than nodal involvement.
Vinblastine and Methotrexate for Desmoid Fibromatosis in Children: Results of a Pediatric Oncology Group Phase II Trial
Authors: Skapek Stephen X. , Ferguson William S. , Granowetter Linda , Devidas Meenakshi , Perez-Atayde Antonio R. , Dehner Louis P. , Hoffer Fredric A. , Speights Roseanne , Gebhardt Mark C. , Dahl Gary V. , Grier Holcombe E. 
Published: February 2007

Purpose To determine the efficacy and safety of using vinblastine (Vbl) and methotrexate (Mtx) in children with desmoid-type fibromatosis that is recurrent or not amenable to treatment with radiation or surgery. Patients and Methods A phase II study was conducted within the Pediatric Oncology Group. Patients were treated using Vbl (5 mg/m2/dose) and Mtx (30 mg/m2/dose), both administered by intravenous injection weekly for 26 weeks and every other week for an additional 26 weeks. Response was assessed by bidimensional measurements of tumor on axial imaging (magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography). Results Over 35 months, 28 patients were enrolled; 27 were eligible, and 26 were assessable for response. A measurable response was documented in eight patients (31%), and 10 patients had stable disease documented as the best response to treatment. Eighteen patients had disease progression at a median time of 9.1 months. Eight patients remain free of disease progression at a median of 43.4 months from study entry. Nine patients reported no to moderate toxicity. Neutropenia was the most common toxicity (n = 22) and the most common grade 4 toxicity (n = 5). Anemia, nausea, vomiting, and elevations in hepatic transaminases were also common and were reversible with interruption of chemotherapy. Conclusion Vbl and Mtx are well tolerated in children with desmoid-type fibromatosis. Furthermore, this combination can promote tumor regression or block tumor growth in most children.
Effectiveness of Aromatherapy Massage in the Management of Anxiety and Depression in Patients With Cancer: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Wilkinson Susie M. , Love Sharon B. , Westcombe Alex M. , Gambles Maureen A. , Burgess Caroline C. , Cargill Anna , Young Teresa , Maher E. Jane , Ramirez Amanda J. 
Published: February 2007

Purpose To test the effectiveness of supplementing usual supportive care with aromatherapy massage in the management of anxiety and depression in cancer patients through a pragmatic two-arm randomized controlled trial in four United Kingdom cancer centers and a hospice. Patients and Methods Two hundred eighty-eight cancer patients, referred to complementary therapy services with clinical anxiety and/or depression, were allocated randomly to a course of aromatherapy massage or usual supportive care alone. Results Patients who received aromatherapy massage had no significant improvement in clinical anxiety and/or depression compared with those receiving usual care at 10 weeks postrandomization (odds ratio [OR], 1.3; 95% CI, 0.9 to 1.7; P = .1), but did at 6 weeks postrandomization (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1 to 1.9; P = .01). Patients receiving aromatherapy massage also described greater improvement in self-reported anxiety at both 6 and 10 weeks postrandomization (OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 0.2 to 6.7; P = .04 and OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 0.2 to 6.6; P = .04), respectively. Conclusion Aromatherapy massage does not appear to confer benefit on cancer patients’ anxiety and/or depression in the long-term, but is associated with clinically important benefit up to 2 weeks after the intervention.
Multiplexed Proteomic Analysis of Oxidation and Concentrations of Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins in Alzheimer Disease
Authors: Korolainen Minna A , Nyman Tuula A , Nyyssönen Paula , Hartikainen E Samuel , Pirttilä Tuula 
Published: February 2007

AbstractBackground: Carbonylation is an irreversible oxidative modification of proteins that has been linked to various conditions of oxidative stress, aging, physiological disorders, and disease. Increased oxidative stress is thus also considered to play a role in the pathogenesis of age-related neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer disease (AD). In addition, it has recently become evident that the response mechanisms to increased oxidative stress may depend on sex. Several oxidized carbonylated proteins have been identified in plasma and brain of AD patients by use of 2-dimensional oxyblotting.Methods: In this pilot study, we estimated the concentrations and carbonylation of the most abundant cerebrospinal fluid proteins in aging women and men, both AD patients suffering from mild dementia and individuals exhibiting no cognitive decline. Oxidized carbonylated proteins were analyzed with 2-dimensional multiplexed oxyblotting, mass spectrometry, and database searches.Results: Signals for β-trace, λ chain, and transthyretins were decreased in probable AD patients compared with controls. The only identified protein exhibiting an increased degree of carbonylation in AD patients was λ chain. The concentrations of proteins did not generally differ between men and women; however, vitamin D–binding protein, apolipoprotein A-I, and α-1-antitrypsin exhibited higher extents of carbonylation in men.Conclusions: None of the brain-specific proteins exhibited carbonylation changes in probable AD patients compared with age-matched neurological controls showing no cognitive decline. The carbonylation status of proteins differed between women and men. Two-dimensional multiplexed oxyblotting is applicable to study both the concentrations and carbonylation of cerebrospinal fluid proteins.
Effect of Hypoxia on Gene Expression of Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Mononuclear Cells
Authors: Ohnishi Shunsuke , Yasuda Takeshi , Kitamura Soichiro , Nagaya Noritoshi 
Published: February 2007

Abstract
MSC have self-renewal and multilineage differentiation potential, including differentiation into endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells. Although bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (MNC) have been applied for therapeutic angiogenesis in ischemic tissue, little information is available regarding comparison of the molecular foundation between MNC and their MSC subpopulation, as well as their response to ischemic conditions. Thus, we investigated the gene expression profiles between MSC and MNC of rat bone marrow under normoxia and hypoxia using a microarray containing 31,099 genes. In normoxia, 2,232 (7.2%) and 2,193 genes (7.1%) were preferentially expressed more than threefold in MSC and MNC, respectively, and MSC expressed a number of genes involved in development, morphogenesis, cell adhesion, and proliferation, whereas various genes highly expressed in MNC were involved in inflammatory response and chemotaxis. Under hypoxia, 135 (0.44%) and 49 (0.16%) genes were upregulated (&gt;threefold) in MSC and MNC, respectively, and a large number of those upregulated genes were involved in glycolysis and metabolism. Focusing on genes encoding secretory proteins, the upregulated genes in MSC under hypoxia included several molecules involved in cell proliferation and survival, such as vascular endothelial growth factor-D, placenta growth factor, pre-B-cell colony-enhancing factor 1, heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor, and matrix metalloproteinase-9, whereas the upregulated genes in MNC under hypoxia included proinflammatory cytokines such as chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 2 and interleukin-1α. Our results may provide information on the differential molecular mechanisms regulating the properties of MSC and MNC under ischemic conditions.
Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Cardiac Stem Cells in Brown Adipose Tissue Express CD133 and Induce Bone Marrow Nonhematopoietic Cells to Differentiate into Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Yamada Yoshihiro , Yokoyama Shin-ichiro , Wang Xiang-Di , Fukuda Noboru , Takakura Nobuyuki 
Published: February 2007

Abstract
Recently, there has been noteworthy progress in the field of cardiac regeneration therapy. We previously reported that brown adipose tissue (BAT) contained cardiac progenitor cells that were relevant to the regeneration of damaged myocardium. In this study, we found that CD133-positive, but not c-Kit- or Sca-1-positive, cells in BAT differentiated into cardiomyocytes (CMs) with a high frequency. Moreover, we found that CD133+ brown adipose tissue-derived cells (BATDCs) effectively induced bone marrow cells (BMCs) into CMs. BMCs are considered to have the greatest potential as a source of CMs, and two sorts of stem cell populations, the MSCs and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), have been reported to differentiate into CMs; however, it has not been determined which population is a better source of CMs. Here we show that CD133-positive BATDCs induce BMCs into CMs, not through cell fusion but through bivalent cation-mediated cell-to-cell contact when cocultured. Moreover, BMCs induced by BATDCs are able to act as CM repletion in an in vivo infarction model. Finally, we found that CD45−CD31− CD105+ nonhematopoietic cells, when cocultured with BATDCs, generated more than 20 times the number of CMs compared with lin−c-Kit+ HSCs. Taken together, these data suggest that CD133-positive BATDCs are a useful tool as CM inducers, as well as a source of CMs, and that the nonhematopoietic fraction in bone marrow is also a major source of CMs.
Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Iterative learning based convergence analysis for nonlinear impulsive differential inclusion systems with randomly varying trial lengths
Authors: Qiu Wanzheng , Wang JinRong , Shen Dong 
Published: March 2024

SummaryThis paper studies the finite‐time tracking problem for nonlinear impulsive differential inclusion systems with randomly varying trial lengths. First, we convert the set‐valued mapping in the differential inclusion systems to single‐valued mapping by a Steiner‐type selector. For the tracking problem of random discontinuous output trajectories, this paper defines a piecewise continuous variable by zero‐order holder to correct the tracking error of segmented continuity. Then, we introduce the average operator with forgetting factor to design three novel learning schemes, and establish convergence results by using the mathematical analysis tools such as impulsive Gronwall inequality and ‐norm. Finally, a numerical example verifies the validity of the theoretical results, and we compare the tracking performance of the output trajectories for different forgetting factors.
Harnessing the Intrinsic Ionic Rectification Properties of Blind‐Hole Nanoporous Anodic Alumina for Osmotic Energy Generation
Authors: Vu Khanh Nhien , Law Cheryl Suwen , Lord Charles , Wang Juan , Lim Siew Yee , Horsley John , Nielsch Kornelius , Abell Andrew D. , Santos Abel 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe full potential of blue energy as a sustainable technology for high‐performance energy generation remains elusive. Nanoporous anodic alumina (NAA) is extensively used as a passive structural support to develop a broad variety of ion exchange membranes based on other materials for osmosis‐driven energy generation. However, the intrinsic ionic current rectification (ICR) properties of the inherited hemispherical barrier oxide layer (BOL) closing the bottom tips of NAA's nanopores are overlooked. As‐produced NAA provides new avenues to control ionic transport through its BOL, acting as an ICR model system to study electric current associated with the selective flow of ions across anodic oxides. This study explores the intrinsic capability of NAA membranes for osmotic energy generation. NAA membranes with a working area of 13.4 mm2 can generate a power density yield of ≈2.8×10−4 W m−2 when subjected to a 105‐fold salinity ratio at a pH 3 in CaCl2 electrolyte, achieving a high efficiency of 7%. With better understanding of the mechanism of ion transport on osmotic generation, the intrinsic properties of NAA membranes can be tailor‐engineered to maximize blue energy yield, paving the way for future developments in a scalable technology suited for real‐life applications.
Quantum‐Defect‐Minimized, Three‐Photon‐Pumped Ultralow‐Threshold Perovskite Excitonic Lasing
Authors: Sun Jianhui , Zhang Zhedong , Chen Yongyi , Qiu Meng , Jin Wei , Ning Cun‐Zheng , Snaith Henry J. , Jen Alex K.‐Y. , Lei Dangyuan 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThree‐photon‐pumped (3PP) excitonic lasing in inorganic semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) is of particular importance for near‐infrared biophotonics and optical communications. However, the implementation of such lasers has been hindered severely by the required high pump thresholds. Here, 3PP excitonic lasing of all‐inorganic cesium lead bromide perovskite QDs (CsPbBr3 PQDs) embedded in a whispering‐gallery microcavity is demonstrated, and achieving a record low threshold of 3 mJ cm−2 by tuning the 3P pump energy in resonance with the S exciton state. Wavelength‐dispersive Z‐scan spectroscopy reveals that such reduced lasing threshold is attributed to the exciton resonance enhanced multiphoton absorption, which, as disclosed by the kinetics analysis of transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS), leads to the appearance of net gain at a pump fluence as low as 2.2 mJ cm−2, corresponding to an average S exciton population of 1.5. A microscopic model incorporating the quantum master equation reproduces the TAS results and provides the intrinsic parameters of biexciton relaxation for lasing. The 3PP resonant excitonic transition is the most favored multiphoton pumping process that minimizes quantum defect (6.8% of the pump photon energy) to realize optical gain at low threshold, marking a major step toward using all‐inorganic perovskite QDs for on‐chip integrated microlasers and multiphoton bioimaging.
Dielectric‐Based Metamaterials for Near‐Perfect Light Absorption
Authors: Wang Ben‐Xin , Qin Xuefeng , Duan Guiyuan , Yang Guofeng , Huang Wei‐Qing , Huang Zhiming 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe emergence of metamaterials and their continued prosperity have built a powerful working platform for accurately manipulating the behavior of electromagnetic waves, providing sufficient possibility for the realization of metamaterial absorbers with outstanding performance. However, metamaterial absorbers composed of metallic materials typically possess many unfavorable factors, such as non‐adjustable absorption, easy oxidation, low‐melting, and expensive preparation costs. The selection of dielectric materials provides excellent alternatives due to their remarkable properties, thus dielectric‐based metamaterial absorbers (DBMAs) have attracted much attention. To promote breakthroughs in DBMAs and guide their future development, this work systematically and deeply reviews the recent research progress of DBMAs from four different but progressive aspects, including physical principles; classifications, material selections and tunable properties; preparation technologies; and functional applications. Five different types of theories and related physical mechanisms, such as Mie resonance, guided‐mode resonance, and Anapole resonance, are briefly outlined to explain DBMAs having near‐perfect absorption performance. Mainstream material selections, structure designs, and different types of tunable DBMAs are highlighted. Several widely utilized preparation methods for customizing DBMAs are given. Various practical applications of DBMAs in sensing, stealth technology, solar energy absorption, and electromagnetic interference suppression are reviewed. Finally, some key challenges and feasible solutions for DBMAs’ future development are provided.