bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Duration of Response to Second-Line, Platinum-Based Chemotherapy for Ovarian Cancer: Implications for Patient Management and Clinical Trial Design
Authors: Markman Maurie , Markman Jonathan , Webster Kenneth , Zanotti Kristine , Kulp Barbara , Peterson Gertrude , Belinson Jerome 
Published: July 2004

Purpose Limited information is available regarding the influence of the duration of a prior response on the length of a subsequent response to platinum chemotherapy in recurrent ovarian cancer. Patients and Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of women with ovarian cancer treated at the Cleveland Clinic from 1993 through April 2003 who received two or more platinum-based regimens for recurrence of the malignancy. Patients were considered to have responded to second-line therapy if they satisfied specific criteria, including favorable effects on both measurable or assessable disease. Results A total of 211 platinum-based regimens were administered to 176 women with recurrent ovarian cancer during this time period, with a response being observed in 125 treatment episodes (59%). Only four (3%) of 121 currently assessable secondary responses were of longer duration than the prior response in a specific individual. In three of these four cases, the platinum-based regimen used in the second-line approach included a drug that had not been used in that patient's primary chemotherapy program. Conclusion The length of a prior response to platinum-based therapy in ovarian cancer is highly predictive of the upper limit of the duration of response to a subsequent platinum program, assuming the same or similar drugs are used. Knowledge of this clinical parameter may assist in developing optimal management for an individual patient and may potentially be exploited in clinical trial designs examining novel maintenance strategies with both cytotoxic and cytostatic agents in women who achieve a secondary response to a platinum-based regimen.
Differential Prognostic Impact of Comorbidity
Authors: Read William L. , Tierney Ryan M. , Page Nathan C. , Costas Irene , Govindan Ramaswamy , Spitznagel Edward L.J. , Piccirillo Jay F. 
Published: July 2004

Purpose Cancer patients with concurrent comorbid conditions have worse outcomes than patients with no comorbidities. We hypothesized that the prognostic impact of comorbidities would be greatest for patients with cancers associated with a long natural history and least in patients with aggressive cancers. Patients and Methods Using the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Oncology Data Services cancer registry, we grouped 11,558 patients with breast, lung, colon, or prostate cancer by morphologic stage at diagnosis and then determined the 1-year overall survival rate for each group. Overall, severity of comorbidity was assessed from chart review and classified into one of four groups: none, mild, moderate, or severe. The relative prognostic impact of comorbidity was measured by the hazard ratio and adjusted for the prognostic impact of age, race, and sex. Results One-year overall survival rate ranged from 20% for 1,005 patients with distant spread of lung cancer to 98% for 3,325 patients with localized prostate cancer. Adjusted hazard ratio of moderate/severe comorbidity (relative to none/mild) ranged from 1.04 to 4.48. The correlation between overall survival rate and severity of comorbidity was statistically significant (r2 = 0.56; P < .001). The proportion of variance in outcome explained by comorbidity ranged from less than 1% to almost 9%, depending on tumor site and stage. Conclusion Concurrent comorbidities had the greatest prognostic impact among groups with the highest survival rate and the least impact in groups with the lowest survival rate. These findings can be used to help determine the role comorbidity information should play in studies of cancer outcomes.
Assessing Quality of Life During Chemotherapy for Pleural Mesothelioma: Feasibility, Validity, and Results of Using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality of Life Questionnaire and Lung Cancer Module
Authors: Nowak Anna K. , Stockler Martin R. , Byrne Michael J. 
Published: July 2004

Purpose To assess the feasibility and validity of using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30) and Lung Cancer Module (QLQ-LC13) to describe health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with pleural mesothelioma undergoing combination chemotherapy, to identify the most impaired aspects of HRQL, and to assess the impact of chemotherapy on HRQL. Patients and Methods Fifty-three patients received cisplatin on day 1 and gemcitabine on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle for a maximum of six cycles. HRQL was assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-LC13. Results Compliance was 100% at baseline but subsequently decreased. At baseline, role function and social function were the most impaired domains, and the worst-rated symptoms were fatigue, dyspnea, pain, insomnia, appetite loss, and cough. Dyspnea, pain, insomnia, and cough improved with chemotherapy, although functional domains and chemotherapy-related symptoms deteriorated. Fatigue remained unchanged. Few patients reported hemoptysis. Functional domains and symptoms scales from the QLQ-C30 demonstrated predictive validity for survival. The predictive value of QLQ-LC13 pain scores was improved by combining three pain items into a single score. Dyspnea scores were correlated strongly with lung function as measured by forced vital capacity. Conclusion This study supports the validity of the EORTC QLQ-C30 and LC13 as outcome measures for trials of chemotherapy in mesothelioma. Although the most prominent symptoms reported were concordant with clinical experience, impairments in role and social function and insomnia were worse than expected. Future research should focus on how best to apply, analyze, and interpret existing, validated HRQL instruments in mesothelioma research and practice, not on the development of new ones.
High Levels of Circulating Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Increase Prostate Cancer Risk: A Prospective Study in a Population-Based Nonscreened Cohort
Authors: Stattin Pär , Rinaldi Sabina , Biessy Carine , Stenman Ulf-Håkan , Hallmans Göran , Kaaks Rudolf 
Published: July 2004

Purpose Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) stimulates proliferation and inhibits apoptosis in prostate cancer cells, and IGF-I has been associated with increased prostate cancer risk in some, but not all, epidemiologic studies. Subjects and Methods We extended our previous case-control study nested in the Northern Sweden Health and Disease Cohort, a population-based cohort from a region where little prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening is done. Levels of IGF-I and IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) were measured in prediagnostic blood samples from a total of 281 men who were subsequently diagnosed with prostate cancer after recruitment (median, 5 years after blood collection) and from 560 matched controls. Results Logistic regression analyses showed increases in prostate cancer risk with increasing plasma peptide levels, up to an odds ratio (OR) for top versus bottom quartile of IGF-I of 1.67 (95% CI, 1.02 to 2.71; P trend = .05), which was attenuated after adjustment for IGFBP-3 to an OR of 1.47 (95% CI, 0.81 to 2.64; P trend = .32). For men younger than 59 years at recruitment, OR for top versus bottom quartile of IGF-I was 4.12 (95% CI, 1.01 to 16.70; P trend = .002), which was significantly stronger than for men older than 59 years (P interaction = .006). For men with advanced cancer, OR for top versus bottom quartile of IGF-I was 2.87 (95% CI, 1.01 to 8.12; P trend = .10). Conclusion Our data add further support for IGF-I as an etiologic factor in prostate cancer and indicate that circulating IGF-I levels measured at a comparatively young age may be most strongly associated with prostate cancer risk.
Role of the Insulin-Like Growth Factor I Decline in the Induction of Atrogin-1/MAFbx during Fasting and Diabetes
Authors: Dehoux Mischael , Van Beneden Ronald , Pasko Nevi , Lause Pascale , Verniers Josiane , Underwood Louis , Ketelslegers Jean-Marie , Thissen Jean-Paul 
Published: July 2004

AbstractIn catabolic conditions, atrogin-1/MAFbx, a muscle-specific ubiquitin-ligase required for muscle atrophy, is increased, and concentrations of IGF-I, a growth factor known to have antiproteolytic action, are reduced. To define the relationship between the decline in IGF-I and the induction of atrogin-1/MAFbx, we studied the effect of IGF-I replacement on atrogin-1/MAFbx mRNA in rats fasted for 51 h and in rats made diabetic with streptozotocin (STZ). Fasting produced a 5.8-fold increase in atrogin-1/MAFbx (P &lt; 0.001). This was attenuated to a 2.5-fold increase by injections of IGF-I (P &lt; 0.05 vs. fasting). Animals with STZ-induced diabetes experienced a 15.1-fold increase in atrogin-1/MAFbx (P &lt; 0.001). Normalization of their circulating IGF-I concentrations by IGF-I infusion blunted the induction of atrogin-1/MAFbx to 6.3-fold (P &lt; 0.05 vs. STZ diabetes without IGF-I). To further delineate the regulation of atrogin-1/MAFbx by IGF-I, we studied a model of cultured muscle cells. We observed that IGF-I produced a time- and dose-dependent reduction of atrogin-1/MAFbx mRNA, with a 50% effective dose of 5 nm IGF-I, a physiological concentration. The degradation rate of atrogin-1/MAFbx mRNA was not affected by IGF-I, suggesting that the reduction of atrogin-1/MAFbx mRNA by IGF-I is a transcriptional effect. Exposure of muscle cells in culture to dexamethasone increased atrogin-1/MAFbx mRNA with a 50% effective dose of 10 nm, a pharmacological concentration. In the presence of dexamethasone, IGF-I at physiological concentrations retained its full inhibitory effect on atrogin-1/MAFbx mRNA. We conclude that IGF-I inhibits atrogin-1/MAFbx expression and speculate that this effect might contribute to the antiproteolytic action of IGF-I in muscle.
Novel Expression of Gonadotropin Subunit Genes in Oocytes of the Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata)
Authors: Wong Ten-Tsao , Zohar Yonathan 
Published: July 2004

Abstract
It is widely believed that FSH and LH, which are known to play key roles in controlling the production of functional oocytes in vertebrates, are synthesized and secreted exclusively by the anterior pituitary. Here we present evidence for the novel expression of FSHβ, LHβ, and the common glycoprotein-α (Cgα) in the gilthead seabream ovary. Using in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry, FSHβ was detected in primary-growth and secondary-growth-I oocytes, LHβ was found in secondary-growth oocytes, and Cgα was observed in both primary and secondary-growth oocytes. Northern blot analyses demonstrated that Fshβ transcript is 0.6 kb in both pituitary and ovary, whereas the ovarian Lhβ transcript (1.1 kb), unexpectedly, is longer than the known pituitary Lhβ transcript (0.6 kb). Sequence analyses revealed that ovarian Lhβ is driven by a different promoter than pituitary Lhβ, which generates an additional 459 bases at the distal portion of the 5′-untranslated region of the ovarian Lhβ. Furthermore, using in vitro ovarian fragment incubation, we demonstrated that mammalian GnRH analog agonist enhanced the expression of ovarian Fshβ (up to 2.7-fold), Lhβ (up to 1.4-fold), Cgα (up to 1.8-fold), and the secretion of ovarian LH (up to 2.2-fold). In contrast, GnRH antagonist, analog E, suppressed the secretion of ovarian LH. Our findings suggest that a GnRH-gonadotropin axis is present in the gilthead seabream ovary and that FSH and LH, the well-characterized pituitary hormones, may have prominent novel roles in teleost intraovarian communication between oocytes and ovarian follicle cells.
Susceptibility Rather than Resistance to Hyperthyroidism Is Dominant in a Thyrotropin Receptor Adenovirus-Induced Animal Model of Graves’ Disease as Revealed by BALB/c-C57BL/6 Hybrid Mice
Authors: Chen Chun-Rong , Aliesky H. , Pichurin P. N. , Nagayama Y. , McLachlan S. M. , Rapoport B. 
Published: July 2004

AbstractWe investigated why TSH receptor (TSHR) adenovirus immunization induces hyperthyroidism more commonly in BALB/c than in C57BL/6 mice. Recent modifications of the adenovirus model suggested that using adenovirus expressing the TSHR A subunit (A-subunit-Ad), rather than the full-length TSHR, and injecting fewer viral particles would increase the frequency of hyperthyroidism in C57BL/6 mice. This hypothesis was not fulfilled; 65% of BALB/c but only 5% of C57BL/6 mice developed hyperthyroidism. TSH binding inhibitory antibody titers were similar in each strain. Functional TSHR antibody measurements provided a better indication for this strain difference. Whereas thyroid-stimulating antibody activity was higher in C57BL/6 than BALB/c mice, TSH blocking antibody activity was more potent in hyperthyroid-resistant C57BL/6 mice. F1 hybrids (BALB/c × C57BL/6) responded to A-subunit-Ad immunization with hyperthyroidism and TSHR antibody profiles similar to those of the hyperthyroid-susceptible parental BALB/c strain. In contrast, ELISA of TSHR antibodies revealed that the IgG subclass distribution in the F1 mice resembled the disease-resistant C57BL/6 parental strain. Because the IgG subclass distribution is dependent on the T helper 1/T helper 2 cytokine balance, this paradigm can likely be excluded as an explanation for susceptibility to hyperthyroidism. In summary, our data for BALB/c, C57BL/6, and F1 strains suggest that BALB/c mice carry a dominant gene(s) for susceptibility to induction of a thyroid-stimulating antibody/TSH blocking antibody balance that results in hyperthyroidism. Study of this genetic influence will provide useful information on potential candidate genes in human Graves’ disease.
Noise exposure in orthopaedic practice: potential health risk
Authors: Ullah Ramzan , Bailie Neil , Crowther Sean , Cullen James 
Published: July 2004

Noise exposure is one of the major causes of permanent hearing loss in society. Exposure of health service staff to intense levels of noise in the workplace is a potential risk for the development of temporary and permanent hearing loss.In this prospective study, 18 members of the orthopaedic staff underwent hearing assessment by pure tone audiometry and speech discrimination prior to noise exposure at the workplace and immediately following cessation of work. The number of hours of exposure and noise levels in the workplace was also analysed.Only minimal temporary sensorineural threshold shifts were detected post-noise exposure. There was no change in speech discrimination scores and no individuals complained of tinnitus. The number of hours of exposure ranged from 1.5 to 8.5 hours (mean 5.2 hours). Recorded sound levels for instruments ranged from 119.6 dB at source to 73.1 decibels at 3 metres.Although high sound levels are recorded in the orthopaedic operating theatre, the intermittent nature exposure to the intense noise may protect staff against hearing loss, speech discrimination difficulties and tinnitus.
Wo viel Licht ist, ist starker Schatten – Softwareentwicklung in der Automobilindustrie (There's no Joy without Sorrow – Software Development in Automotive Industry)
Authors: Hartmann Jochen 
Published: July 2004

Abstract
Dieser Beitrag greift die Probleme auf, die sich aufgrund der unterschiedlichen Lebenszyklen der Informations- und der Automobiltechnik ergeben. Dabei werden diejenigen Probleme aufgezeigt, die bei der langfristigen Archivierung von Softwareentwicklungsumgebungen zu erwarten sind.
Automatisierte Interpretation von Zeitreihen am Beispiel von klinischen Bewegungsanalysen (Automated Interpretation of Time Series shown in Clinical Motion Analysis)
Authors: Loose Tobias , Dieterle Joachim , Mikut Ralf , Rupp Rüdiger , Abel Rainer , Schablowski Matthias , Bretthauer Georg , Gerner Hans Jürgen 
Published: July 2004

Abstract
Dieser Beitrag schlägt eine Strategie vor, um empirische Vorgehensweisen bei der Analyse von Zeitreihen zu formalisieren und in eine datenbasierte Auswertung zu integrieren. Bei dieser Strategie werden interpretierbare Merkmale extrahiert und verschiedene überwachte und unüberwachte Lernverfahren eingesetzt. Die Ergebnisse werden beispielhaft anhand der Analyse von Zeitreihen in der klinischen Bewegungsanalyse für Patienten mit inkompletter Querschnittlähmung demonstriert.
Beobachtergestützte Detektion von Fehlern in linearen zeitvarianten Systemen (Observer-based Fault Detection of Linear Time-varying Systems)
Authors: Zhang Ping , Ding Steven X. 
Published: July 2004

Abstract
Der vorliegende Beitrag befasst sich mit der Problematik der beobachtergestützten Fehlerdetektion für lineare kontinuierliche zeitvariante Systeme. Es wird zunächst der Entwurf von beobachtergestützten Fehlerdetektionssystemen mithilfe der eingeführten Operatoren und Normen als ein Optimierungsproblem formuliert. Es folgt dann die Herleitung analytischer Lösungen für dieses Optimierungsproblem, deren Kern aus der Lösung einer Riccati-Differential-Gleichung besteht. Abschließend wird das entwickelte Verfahren anhand eines Beispiels erläutert.
Faseroptische konfokale Mikroendoskopie für die In-vivo-Diagnostik (Fiber-Optical Confocal Microendoscopy for in-vivo Diagnostics)
Authors: Krohne Ingo 
Published: July 2004

Abstract
Eines der wichtigsten Ziele der modernen Medizin ist es, die Therapie und Diagnose für Patienten weniger belastend zu gestalten. Hierfür werden in zunehmendem Maße mikroelektronische und mikrooptische Technologien eingesetzt. In einem aktuellen Forschungsprojekt wird ein neuartiges Messsystem für den Einsatz in der In-vivo-Zellmikroskopie entwickelt. Es basiert auf dem Konzept eines miniaturisierten faseroptischen konfokalen Mikroskops.
Selection for Catalytic Function with Nucleic Acids
Authors: Breaker Ronald R. 
Published: July 2004

AbstractFor in vitro selection of catalytic polynucleotides, each new protocol must be designed to harness the desired catalytic activity to help propel the selection process itself. This unit gives guidelines for design of in vitro selection experiments for catalytic function. It outlines several representative protocols as examples of successful selection experiments, providing a conceptual basis for the design and implementation of new selective‐amplification protocols for nucleic acids.
Tensile stress relaxation of short‐coir‐fiber‐reinforced natural rubber composites
Authors: Geethamma V. G. , Pothen Laly A. , Rhao Bhaskar , Neelakantan N. R. , Thomas Sabu 
Published: July 2004

AbstractThe stress relaxation behavior of natural rubber (NR) and its composites reinforced with short coir fibers under tension was analyzed. The rate of stress relaxation was a measure of the increase in the entropy of the compounds: the higher the rate was, the greater the entropy was. At lower strain levels, the relaxation mechanism of NR was independent of strain level. However, the rate of relaxation increased with the strain level. Also, the strain level influenced the rate of stress relaxation considerably in the coir‐reinforced NR composites. However, the relaxation mechanisms of both the unfilled compound and the composite were influenced by the strain rate. The rate of relaxation was influenced by fiber loading and fiber orientation. From the rate of stress relaxation, we found that fiber–rubber adhesion was best in the composite containing fibers subjected to a chemical treatment with alkali, toluene diisocyanate, and NR solutions along with a hexaresorcinol system as a bonding agent. In this study, the stress relaxation curves could not be viewed as segments with varying slopes; however, a multitude of inflection points were observed on the curves. Hence, we propose neither a two‐step nor three‐step mechanism for the coir‐fiber‐reinforced NR composites as reported for some other systems. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 96–104, 2004
Thermal behavior of vinyl ester resin matrix composites reinforced with alkali‐treated jute fibers
Authors: Ray Dipa , Sarkar B. K. , Basak R. K. , Rana A. K. 
Published: July 2004

AbstractThe thermal behavior of vinyl ester resin matrix composites reinforced with jute fibers treated for 2, 4, 6, and 8 h with 5% NaOH was studied with Thermo‐gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The moisture desorption peak shifted to a higher temperature, from 37 to 58.3°C, for all the treated‐fiber composites because of improved wetting of the fibers by the resin and stronger bonding at the interface. The degradation temperature of the vinyl ester resin in the composites was lowered to 410.3°C from that of the neat resin, 418.8°C. The X‐ray diffraction studies showed increased crystallinity of the treated fibers, which affected the enthalpy of the α‐cellulose and hemicellulose degradation. The hemicellulose degradation temperature remained the same (299.7°C) in all the treated‐fiber composites, but the enthalpy associated with the hemicellulose degradation showed an increasing trend in the treated composites with a small increase in the weight loss. This could be attributed to the increased hydrogen bonding between the more accessible OH groups of the hemicellulose in the noncrystalline region of the jute fiber and the resin. The degradation temperature of α‐cellulose was lowered from 364.2 to 356.8°C in the treated composites. The enthalpy of α‐cellulose degradation showed a decreasing trend with a lowering of the weight loss. The crystalline regions of the fiber, consisting of closely packed α‐cellulose chains, were bonded with the resin mainly on the surface through hydrogen bonds and became more resistant to thermal degradation; this reduced the weight loss. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 123–129, 2004
Swelling and elasticity of poly (N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐4‐vinyl benzene sulfonic acid sodium salt) hydrogels
Authors: Gundogan Nermin , Melekaslan Demet , Okay Oguz 
Published: July 2004

AbstractThe mechanical properties and the swelling behavior of hydrogels based on N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPA) and 4‐vinylbenzenesulfonic acid sodium salt (styrene sulfonate, SSA) monomers were investigated. The mole fraction of SSA in the comonomer feed varied between 0 and 1, whereas the crosslinker ratio was fixed at 1/85. Both the swelling and the elasticity data of the hydrogels swollen in water show that they are in the non‐Gaussian regime. The exponents found for the charge density dependence of the equilibrium swelling ratio as well as for the volume dependence of the gel elastic modulus are in good agreement with the predicted course of the non‐Gaussian elasticity of swollen hydrogels. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 135–141, 2004
Thermal and optical properties of PMMA–titania hybrid materials prepared by sol‐gel approach with HEMA as coupling agent
Authors: Yeh Jui‐Ming , Weng Chang‐Jian , Huang Kuan‐Yeh , Huang Hsi‐Ya , Yu Yuan‐Hsiang , Yin Chung‐Hung 
Published: July 2004

AbstractA series of sol‐gel derived organic–inorganic hybrid materials consisting of organic poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and inorganic titania (TiO2) were successfully synthesized by using 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) as coupling agent. In this work, HEMA is first copolymerized with methyl methacrylate monomer at specific feeding ratios by using benzoyl peroxide (BPO) as initiator. Subsequently, the as‐prepared copolymer (i.e., sol‐gel precursor) is then cohydrolyzed with various contents of titanium butoxide to afford chemical bondings to the forming titania networks to give a series of hybrid materials. Transparent organic–inorganic hybrid materials with different contents of titania are always achieved. Effects of the material composition on the thermal stability, optical properties, and morphology of neat copolymer and a series of hybrid materials, in the form of both coating and free‐standing film, are also studied by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, UV–Vis transmission spectra, refractometer, and atomic force microscopy, respectively. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 400–405, 2004