bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Triplet combination of gemcitabine, paclitaxel, and carboplatin followed by maintenance 5‐fluorouracil and folinic acid in patients with metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Leong Swan Swan , Wee Joseph , Rajan Sandeep , Toh Chee Keong , Lim Wan Teck , Hee Siew Wan , Tay Miah Hiang , Poon Donald , Tan Eng Huat 
Published: July 2008

AbstractBACKGROUND.Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a disease that is highly responsive to various chemotherapeutic agents. In the metastatic setting, 2‐drug combination chemotherapy generally provides a response rate of 55% to 75%, and median survival of 10 to 12 months. The objective of the current study was to assess the efficacy of a 3‐drug combination followed by maintenance treatment in patients with metastatic NPC.METHODS.Patients with metastatic NPC were treated with a combination of gemcitabine at a dose of 1000 mg/m2, paclitaxel at a dose of 70 mg/m2, and carboplatin at an area under the concentration‐time‐curve (AUC) of 2.5 on Days 1 and 8 every 21 days. Patients who achieved partial or complete response continued to receive weekly 5‐fluorouracil at a dose of 450 mg/m2 and leucovorin at a dose of 30 mg/m2 for 48 weeks.RESULTS.Twenty‐eight patients were recruited. Twenty‐two (79%) patients had ≥2 sites of disease. Toxicities were mainly from bone marrow suppression, with 79% grade 3/4 neutropenia, 32% grade 3/4 anemia, and 29% grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia (according to the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria). The overall response rate to the 3‐drug regimen was 86%, with a complete response rate of 11%. The median duration of response was 8 months and the median overall survival was 22 months.CONCLUSIONS.This regimen of a 3‐drug combination followed by maintenance is feasible and has demonstrated an encouraging response rate and overall survival. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
The phosphorylated membrane estrogen receptor and cytoplasmic signaling and apoptosis proteins in human breast cancer
Authors: Mintz Paul J. , Habib Nagy A. , Jones Louise J. , Giamas Georgios , Lewis Jacqueline S. , Bowen Rebecca L. , Coombes R. Charles , Stebbing Justin 
Published: July 2008

AbstractBACKGROUND.Estrogens play a central role in breast cancer development, and the estrogen receptor‒α (ERα) remains the single most important predictor of breast cancer prognosis. Therefore, it is crucial to elucidate pathways that may contribute to ER signaling in clinical specimens.METHODS.Using extracts of fresh invasive ERα‐positive invasive breast carcinomas, ductal carcinoma in situ, and normal glandular breast tissue, the authors performed Western blot analyses of the membrane‐bound ER, 1 of its phosphorylated isoforms, and cytosolic fractions from the same specimens, examining associated proteins (Akt/mitogen‐activated protein kinase pathways). Western blot analysis and immunocapture for the apoptosis and survival factors Bcl‐2 agonist of death (BAD)/Bcl‐2 and BAD/Bcl‐xL were also performed.RESULTS.To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to report that ERα was phosphorylated in the plasma membrane fractions derived from patients' invasive breast carcinomas. This was associated with a predominance of phosphorylated BAD and a relative reduction in Bcl‐2 compared with both normal tissue and ductal carcinoma in situ, although such studies in fresh tissue did not corroborate these findings. The authors also demonstrated that the BAD/Bcl‐2 and BAD/Bcl‐xL complexes characterized the invasive carcinoma state.CONCLUSIONS.A phosphorylated form of the membrane ER was found to characterize the invasive cancer state. This was associated with a reduction in BAD/Bcl‐2 and BAD/Bcl‐xl. These data implicate the membrane ERα as the in vivo receptor responsible for transcription‐independent cellular responses to estrogens. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Combined treatment with pegylated interferon–α‐2a and dacarbazine in patients with advanced metastatic melanoma
Authors: Hauschild Axel , Dummer Reinhard , Ugurel Selma , Kaehler Katharina C. , Egberts Friederike , Fink Wolfram , Both‐Skalsky Jeannine , Laetsch Barbara , Schadendorf Dirk 
Published: July 2008

AbstractBACKGROUND.Dacarbazine (DTIC) and pegylated interferon (IFN)–α‐2a have both demonstrated some efficacy as single agents in metastatic melanoma. To the authors' knowledge, the current study is the first to test a combination of these 2 agents in a phase 2 trial.METHODS.Twenty–eight patients with stage IV melanoma without brain metastases were treated with DTIC (at a dose of 850 mg/m2 every 3 weeks) combined with weekly pegylated IFN–α‐2a at a dose of 180 μg. The study was initiated to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of the combination. The primary study endpoint was objective response.RESULTS.Twenty–five patients were evaluable for response. Two patients (8.0%) achieved a complete response that continued for >480 days and 746 days, respectively. Four patients (16.0%) demonstrated a partial response, and another patient experienced stable disease. Six of 7 nonprogressive patients had either not received treatment or had not developed disease progression during adjuvant IFN treatment for stage II/III disease. The median duration of response was 236 days, the median progression‐free survival was 56 days, and the overall survival time was 403 days. Few grade 3 toxicities and only 1 grade 4 toxicity were observed (according to National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria).CONCLUSIONS.The combination of DTIC and pegylated IFN–α‐2a was found to be well tolerated in patients with metastatic melanoma. The response rate of 24%, including 2 long‐lasting complete responses, is encouraging, but must be confirmed in larger trials. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Wolfram syndrome 1 (Wfs1) gene expression in the normal mouse visual system
Authors: Kawano June , Tanizawa Yukio , Shinoda Koh 
Published: July 2008

AbstractWolfram syndrome (OMIM 222300) is a neurodegenerative disorder defined by insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus and progressive optic atrophy. This syndrome has been attributed to mutations in the WFS1 gene, which codes for a putative multi‐spanning membrane glycoprotein of the endoplasmic reticulum. The function of WFS1 (wolframin), the distribution of this protein in the mammalian visual system, and the pathogenesis of optic atrophy in Wolfram syndrome are unclear. In this study we made a detailed analysis of the distribution of Wfs1 mRNA and protein in the normal mouse visual system by using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. The mRNA and protein were observed in the retina, optic nerve, and brain. In the retina, Wfs1 expression was strong in amacrine and Müller cells, and moderate in photoreceptors and horizontal cells. In addition, it was detectable in bipolar and retinal ganglion cells. Interestingly, moderate Wfs1 expression was seen in the optic nerve, particularly in astrocytes, while little Wfs1 was expressed in the optic chiasm or optic tract. In the brain, moderate Wfs1 expression was observed in the zonal, superficial gray, and intermediate gray layers of the superior colliculus, in the dorsomedial part of the suprachiasmatic nucleus, and in layer II of the primary and secondary visual cortices. Thus, Wfs1 mRNA and protein were widely distributed in the normal mouse visual system. This evidence may provide clues as to the physiological role of Wfs1 protein in the biology of vision, and help to explain the selective vulnerability of the optic nerve to WFS1 loss‐of‐function. J. Comp. Neurol. 510:1–23, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Distinct molecular pathways for development of telencephalic interneuron subtypes revealed through analysis of Lhx6 mutants
Authors: Zhao Yangu , Flandin Pierre , Long Jason E. , Cuesta Melissa Dela , Westphal Heiner , Rubenstein John L.R. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractHere we analyze the role of the Lhx6 lim‐homeobox transcription factor in regulating the development of subsets of neocortical, hippocampal, and striatal interneurons. An Lhx6 loss‐of‐function allele, which expresses placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP), allowed analysis of the development and fate of Lhx6‐expressing interneurons in mice lacking this homeobox transcription factor. There are Lhx6+;Dlx+ and Lhx6−;Dlx+ subtypes of tangentially migrating interneurons. Most interneurons in Lhx6PLAP/PLAP mutants migrate to the cortex, although less efficiently, and exhibit defects in populating the marginal zone and superficial parts of the neocortical plate. By contrast, migration to superficial parts of the hippocampus is not seriously affected. Furthermore, whereas parvalbumin+ and somatostatin+ interneurons do not differentiate, NPY+ interneurons are present; we suggest that these NPY+ interneurons are derived from the Lhx6−;Dlx+ subtype. Striatal interneurons show deficits distinct from pallial interneurons, including a reduction in the NPY+ subtype. We provide evidence that Lhx6 mediates these effects through promoting expression of receptors that regulate interneuron migration (ErbB4, CXCR4, and CXCR7), and through promoting the expression of transcription factors either known (Arx) or implicated (bMaf, Cux2, and NPAS1) in controlling interneuron development. J. Comp. Neurol. 510:79–99, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Regional and cellular localization of the CXCl12/SDF‐1 chemokine receptor CXCR7 in the developing and adult rat brain
Authors: Schönemeier Bastian , Kolodziej Angela , Schulz Stefan , Jacobs Stefan , Hoellt Volker , Stumm Ralf 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThe chemokine stromal cell‐derived factor‐1 (SDF‐1) regulates neuronal development via the chemokine receptor CXCR4. In the adult brain the SDF‐1/CXCR4 system was implicated in neurogenesis, neuromodulation, brain inflammation, tumor growth, and HIV encephalopathy. Until the recent identification of RDC1/CXCR7 as the second SDF‐1 receptor, CXCR4 was considered to be the only receptor for SDF‐1. Here we provide the first map of CXCR7 mRNA expression in the embryonic and adult rat brain. At embryonic stages, CXCR7 and CXCR4 were codistributed in the germinative zone of the ganglionic eminences, caudate putamen, and along the routes of GABAergic precursors migrating toward the cortex. In the cortex, CXCR7 was identified in GABAergic precursors and in some reelin‐expressing Cajal‐Retzius cells. Unlike CXCR4, CXCR7 was abundant in neurons forming the cortical plate and sparse in the developing dentate gyrus and cerebellar external germinal layer. In the adult brain, CXCR7 was expressed by blood vessels, pyramidal cells in CA3, and mature dentate gyrus granule cells, which is reminiscent of the SDF‐1 pattern. CXCR7 and CXCR4 overlapped in the wall of the four ventricles. Further neuronal structures expressing CXCR7 comprised the olfactory bulb, accumbens shell, supraoptic and ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei, medial thalamus, and brain stem motor nuclei. Also, GLAST‐expressing astrocytes showed signals for CXCR7. Thus, CXCR4 and CXCR7 may cooperate or act independently in SDF‐1‐dependent neuronal development. In mature neurons and blood vessels CXCR7 appears to be the preponderant SDF‐1‐receptor. Indexing terms: J. Comp. Neurol. 510:207–220, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Spatiotemporal distribution of proteoglycans in the developing rat's barrel field and the effects of early deafferentation
Authors: Bahia Carlomagno Pacheco , Houzel Jean‐Christophe , Picanço‐Diniz Cristovam Wanderley , Pereira Antonio 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThe isolectin Vicia villosa B4 (VV) selectively recognizes N‐acetyl‐galactosamine‐terminal glycoconjugates that form perineuronal nets (PNNs) around a subset of neurons in the cerebral cortex. PNNs are thought to participate in the guidance of incoming thalamic axons and in the posterior stabilization and maintenance of synaptic contacts. Here we examine the spatial and temporal distribution of biotinylated VV in tangential sections through layer IV of the posteromedial barrel subfield in the primary somatosensory cortex (PMBSF) of rats ranging from postnatal day (P)3 to P60, which underwent unilateral deafferentation of whiskers at birth. In the afferented hemisphere, labeling first appears at P5, with a diffuse distribution, probably associated with neuropil, inside PMBSF barrels. VV distribution remains diffuse during the following week, and declines around P17. From P24 onward, however, proteoglycans form PNNs around cell bodies preferentially localized in septal regions of the PMBSF. In the contralateral, deafferented PMBSF the diffuse labeling also appears on P5, but first develops into elongated, homogeneous stripes, which disappear after P24, leaving only scattered cell bodies along layer IV. Our results indicate that proteoglycans appear simultaneous to barrel formation in the developing rat while segregation of PNNs to septal cells might be driven by afferent activity. J. Comp. Neurol. 510:145–157, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Anatomical and neurochemical characterization of dopaminergic interplexiform processes in mouse and rat retinas
Authors: Witkovsky Paul , Gábriel Robert , Križaj David 
Published: July 2008

AbstractDopaminergic (DA) neurons of mouse and rat retinas are of the interplexiform subtype (DA‐IPC), i.e., they send processes distally toward the outer retina, exhibiting numerous varicosities along their course. The primary question we addressed was whether distally located DA‐IPC varicosities, identified by tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity, had the characteristic presynaptic proteins associated with calcium‐dependent vesicular release of neurotransmitter. We found that TH immunoreactive varicosities in the outer retina possessed vesicular monoamine transporter 2 and vesicular GABA transporter, but they lacked immunostaining for any of nine subtypes of voltage‐dependent calcium channel. Immunoreactivity for other channels that may permit calcium influx such as certain ionotropic glutamate receptors and canonical transient receptor potential channels (TRPCs) was similarly absent, although DA‐IPC varicosities did show ryanodine receptor immunoreactivity, indicating the presence of intracellular calcium stores. The synaptic vesicle proteins sv2a and sv2b and certain other proteins associated with the presynaptic membrane were absent from DA‐IPC varicosities, but the vesicular SNARE protein, vamp2, was present in a fraction of those varicosities. We identified a presumed second class of IPC that is GABAergic but not dopaminergic. Outer retinal varicosities of this putative GABAergic IPC did colocalize synaptic vesicle protein 2a, suggesting they possessed a conventional vesicular release mechanism. J. Comp. Neurol. 510:158–174, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Comparative study of the distribution of the α‐subunits of voltage‐gated sodium channels in normal and axotomized rat dorsal root ganglion neurons
Authors: Fukuoka Tetsuo , Kobayashi Kimiko , Yamanaka Hiroki , Obata Koichi , Dai Yi , Noguchi Koichi 
Published: July 2008

AbstractWe compared the distribution of the α‐subunit mRNAs of voltage‐gated sodium channels Nav1.1–1.3 and Nav1.6–1.9 and a related channel, Nax, in histochemically identified neuronal subpopulations of the rat dorsal root ganglia (DRG). In the naïve DRG, the expression of Nav1.1 and Nav1.6 was restricted to A‐fiber neurons, and they were preferentially expressed by TrkC neurons, suggesting that proprioceptive neurons possess these channels. Nav1.7, ‐1.8, and ‐1.9 mRNAs were more abundant in C‐fiber neurons compared with A‐fiber ones. Nax was evenly expressed in both populations. Although Nav1.8 and ‐1.9 were preferentially expressed by TrkA neurons, other α‐subunits were expressed independently of TrkA expression. Actually, all IB4+ neurons expressed both Nav1.8 and ‐1.9, and relatively limited subpopulations of IB4+ neurons (3% and 12%, respectively) expressed Nav1.1 and/or Nav1.6. These findings provide useful information in interpreting the electrophysiological characteristics of some neuronal subpopulations of naïve DRG. After L5 spinal nerve ligation, Nav1.3 mRNA was up‐regulated mainly in A‐fiber neurons in the ipsilateral L5 DRG. Although previous studies demonstrated that nerve growth factor (NGF) and glial cell‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) reversed this up‐regulation, the Nav1.3 induction was independent of either TrkA or GFRα1 expression, suggesting that the induction of Nav1.3 may be one of the common responses of axotomized DRG neurons without a direct relationship to NGF/GDNF supply. J. Comp. Neurol. 510:188–206, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Influence of Solvent Polarity and Hydrogen Bonding on the Electronic Transition of Coumarin 120: A TDDFT Study
Authors: Zhao Wenwei , Pan Lu , Bian Wensheng , Wang Jianping 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThe characteristics of the electronic transition energy of Coumarin 120 (C120) and its H‐bonded complexes in various solvents have been examined by time‐dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) in combination with a polarizable continuum solvent model (PCM). Molecular structures of C120 and its H‐bonded complexes are optimized with the B3LYP method in PCM solution, and the dihedral angle H14N13C7H15 is dependent on solvent polarity and the type of H‐bond. A linear correlation of the absorption maximum of C120 with the solvent polarity function is revealed with the PCM model for all solvents except DMSO. The experimental absorption maximum of C120 in nine solvents is well described by a PCM–TDDFT scheme augmented with explicit inclusion of a few H‐bonded solvent molecules, and quantitative agreement between our calculated results and experimental measurements is obtained with an average error of less than 2 nm. H‐bonding at three different sites shifts the absorption wavelength of C120 either to the blue or to the red, that is, a significant role is played by solvent molecules in the first solvation shell in determining the electronic transition energy of C120. The dependence on the H‐bonding site and solvent polarity is examined by using the Kamlet–Taft equation for solvatochromism.
Post‐Deposition Opal Evolution
Authors: Popa Iulian , Marlow Frank 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThe formation of artificial opal films consists of wet opal deposition, drying, and possible transformations in the dry state. The processes after deposition, before the crystals lattice reaches its final equilibrium state, are studied herein. We follow the time evolution of the optical transmission spectra for polystyrene opals with different thicknesses. The evolution of the spectra shows pronounced changes in the Bragg peak position, width and height, as well as changes in the background and, in the beginning of the process, a band related to residual water in the sample. Therefore, a wet and a dry phase can be distinguished in the opal transformations. They are all connected to shrinkage and we associate one of them with a possible new sintering mechanism.
Structure of Pyridazine in the S1 State: Experiment and Theory
Authors: Ahn Doo‐Sik , Choi Kyo‐Won , Baek Sun Jong , Choi Young S. , Lee Sungyul , Choi Heechol , Baeck Kyoung Koo , Kim Sang Kyu 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThe molecular structure of pyridazine in the first electronically excited state (S1) is deduced from the combined use of resonance‐enhanced two‐photon ionization and mass‐analyzed threshold ionization spectroscopic methods. The equation‐of‐motion coupled‐cluster single and double (EOM–CCSD) calculation gives the distorted planar geometry for the most stable structure of the S1 pyridazine. The symmetry constraint of C2v is relaxed to that of Cs, and consequently many in‐plane vibrational modes are found to be optically active in both S1–S0 and D0–S1 excitation spectra, being appropriately assigned from the comparison of their frequencies with ab initio values. This indicates that the S1–S0 excitation is partially localized, and provides an alternative explanation for the long‐standing spectroscopic puzzle in S1 pyridazine.
Application of Static Charge Transfer within an Ionic‐Liquid Force Field and Its Effect on Structure and Dynamics
Authors: Youngs Tristan G. A. , Hardacre Christopher 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThe effects of linear scaling of the atomic charges of a reference potential on the structure, dynamics, and energetics of the ionic liquid 1,3‐dimethylimidazolium chloride are investigated. Diffusion coefficients that span over four orders of magnitude are observed between the original model and a scaled model in which the ionic charges are ±0.5 e. While the three‐dimensional structure of the liquid is less affected, the partial radial distribution functions change markedly—with the positive result that for ionic charges of ±0.7 e, an excellent agreement is observed with ab initio molecular dynamics data. Cohesive energy densities calculated from these partial‐charge models are also in better agreement with those calculated from the ab initio data. We postulate that ionic‐liquid models in which the ionic charges are assumed to be ±1 e overestimate the intermolecular attractions between ions, which results in overstructuring, slow dynamics, and increased cohesive energy densities. The use of scaled‐charge sets may be of benefit in the simulation of these systems—especially when looking at properties beyond liquid structure—thus providing an alternative to computationally expensive polarisable force fields.
Photodissociation Spectroscopy of CD3I+ Generated by Mass‐Analyzed Threshold Ionization for Structure Determination
Authors: Bae Yong Jin , Kim Myung Soo 
Published: July 2008

AbstractA method is devised better to resolve the subbands of the ground vibronic band in the mass‐analyzed threshold ionization (MATI) spectrum of CD3I. By selective photodissociation of CD3I+ in these subbands, high‐resolution spectra for the Ã2A1←${{\bf{\tilde X}}}$2E3/2 transition are recorded. Spectral analysis confirms our previous suggestion that these subbands are due to cations in different rotational K states; this demonstrates the capability of MATI to generate rovibronically selected ion beams. By using the rotational constants of CH3I+ and CD3I+ obtained by spectral analysis, the zero‐point‐level geometries of the cations in the ${{\bf{\tilde X}}}$2E3/2 and Ã2A1 states are determined. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the capability of MATI–PD to determine the geometry of a gas‐phase polyatomic cation in an excited electronic state is demonstrated.
Determination of the Degree of Charge‐Transfer Contributions to Surface‐Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Chenal Cat , Birke Ronald L. , Lombardi John R. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractWe explore the application of a previously suggested formula for determining the degree of charge transfer in surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). SERS is often described as a phenomenon which obtains its enhancement from three major sources, namely the surface plasmon resonance, charge‐transfer resonances as well as possible molecular resonances. At any chosen excitation wavelength, it is possible to obtain contributions from several sources and this has led to considerable confusion. The formula for the degree of charge transfer enables one to separate these effects, but it requires that spectra be obtained either at two or more different excitation wavelengths or as a function of applied potential. We apply this formula to several examples, which display rather large charge‐transfer contributions to the spectrum. These are p‐aminothiophenol (PATP), tetracyano‐ ethylene (TCNE) and piperidine. In PATP we can show that several lines of the same symmetry give the same degree of charge transfer. In TCNE we are able to identify the charge‐transfer transition, which contributes to the effect, and are able to independently determine the degree of charge transfer by wavenumber shifts. This enables a comparison of the two techniques of measurement. In piperidine, we present an example of molecule to metal charge transfer and show that our definition of charge transfer is independent of direction.