bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Results of a Randomized Study of Preradiation Chemotherapy Versus Radiotherapy Alone for Nonmetastatic Medulloblastoma: The International Society of Paediatric Oncology/United Kingdom Children’s Cancer Study Group PNET-3 Study
Authors: Taylor Roger E. , Bailey Clifford C. , Robinson Kath , Weston Claire L. , Ellison David , Ironside James , Lucraft Helen , Gilbertson Richard , Tait Diana M. , Walker David A. , Pizer Barry L. , Imeson John , Lashford Linda S. 
Published: April 2003

Purpose: To determine whether preradiotherapy (RT) chemotherapy would improve outcome for Chang stage M0–1 medulloblastoma when compared with RT alone. Chemotherapy comprised vincristine 1.5 mg/m2 weekly for 10 weeks and four cycles of etoposide 100 mg/m2 daily for 3 days, and carboplatin 500 mg/m2 daily for 2 days alternating with cyclophosphamide 1.5 g/m2. Patients and Methods: Patients aged 3 to 16 years inclusive were randomly assigned to receive 35 Gy craniospinal RT with a 20 Gy posterior fossa boost, or chemotherapy followed by RT. Results: Of 217 patients randomly assigned to treatment, 179 were eligible for analysis (chemotherapy + RT, 90 patients; RT alone, 89 patients). Median age was 7.67 years, and median follow-up was 5.40 years. Overall survival (OS) at 3 and 5 years was 79.5% and 70.7%, respectively. Event-free survival (EFS) at 3 and 5 years was 71.6% and 67.0%, respectively. EFS was significantly better for chemotherapy and RT (P = .0366), with EFS of 78.5% at 3 years and 74.2% at 5 years compared with 64.8% at 3 years and 59.8% at 5 years for RT alone. There was no statistically significant difference in 3-year and 5-year OS between the two arms (P = .0928). Multivariate analysis identified use of chemotherapy (P = .0248) and time to complete RT (P = .0100) as having significant effect on EFS. Conclusion: This is the first large multicenter randomized study to demonstrate improved EFS for chemotherapy compared with RT alone. It is anticipated that this regimen could reduce ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity compared with cisplatin-containing schedules. The importance of avoiding interruptions to RT has been confirmed.
Presurgical Chemotherapy Compared With Immediate Surgery and Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Nonmetastatic Osteosarcoma: Pediatric Oncology Group Study POG-8651
Authors: Goorin Allen M. , Schwartzentruber Douglas J. , Devidas Meenakshi , Gebhardt Mark C. , Ayala Alberto G. , Harris Michael B. , Helman Lee J. , Grier Holcombe E. , Link Michael P. 
Published: April 2003

Purpose: Successful therapeutic interventions to prevent disease progression in patients with nonmetastatic osteosarcoma have included surgery with adjuvant chemotherapy. Presurgical chemotherapy has been advocated for these patients because of putative improvement in event-free survival (EFS). The advantages of presurgical chemotherapy include early administration of systemic chemotherapy, shrinkage of primary tumor, and pathologic identification of risk groups. The theoretic disadvantage is that it exposes a large tumor burden to marginally effective chemotherapy. The contribution of chemotherapy and surgery timing has not been tested rigorously. Patients and Methods: Between 1986 and 1993, we conducted a prospective trial in patients with nonmetastatic osteosarcoma who were assigned randomly to immediate surgery or presurgical chemotherapy. Except for the timing of surgery (week 0 or 10), patients received 44 weeks of identical combination chemotherapy that included high-dose methotrexate with leucovorin rescue, doxorubicin, cisplatin, bleomycin, cyclophosphamide, and dactinomycin. Results: One hundred six patients were enrolled onto this study. Six were excluded from analysis. Of the remaining 100 patients, 45 were randomly assigned to immediate chemotherapy, and 55 were randomly assigned to immediate surgery. Sixty-seven patients remain disease-free. At 5 years, the projected EFS ± SE is 65% ± 6% (69% ± 8% for immediate surgery and 61% ± 8% for presurgical chemotherapy; P = .8). The treatment arms had similar incidence of limb salvage (55% for immediate surgery and 50% for presurgical chemotherapy). Conclusion: Chemotherapy was effective in both treatment groups. There was no advantage in EFS for patients given presurgical chemotherapy.
Cancer Patients Seeking a Second Surgical Opinion: Results of a Study on Motives, Needs, and Expectations
Authors: Mellink W.A.M. , Dulmen A.M.V. , Wiggers Th. , Spreeuwenberg P.M.M. , Eggermont A.M.M. , Bensing J.M. 
Published: April 2003

Purpose: To explore the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of cancer patients seeking a second-opinion consultation and to analyze their second opinion–related motives, needs, and expectations. Patients and Methods: In 212 consecutive patients seeking a second opinion at the Surgical Oncology Outpatient Clinic, satisfaction with the first specialist, motivation for the second opinion, need for information, preference for decision participation, and hope for and expectation of a different second opinion were assessed with a questionnaire. Results: The mean age was 53 years. Most patients were women (82%), of whom 76% were diagnosed with breast cancer. Half of the patients (51%) had a low educational level. The majority of patients (62%) only had internal motives for second-opinion seeking associated with the need for reassurance and more certainty, whereas a substantial minority of patients (38%) also had external motives related to negative experiences or unfulfilled needs. The externally motivated patients had a higher anxiety disposition, were less satisfied with their first specialist, preferred a more active role in medical decision making, and more often hoped for and expected a different second opinion. Conclusion: Motives for second-opinion consultations differ greatly. Understanding the difference between internal and external motivation is necessary to develop strategies to prevent unnecessary second-opinion seeking. Additional studies are warranted to evaluate the objective and subjective outcomes of second-opinion consultations.
Intra- and Intermolecular Photochemical Properties of Poly(amidoamine) Dendrons with an Anthracene at Focal Point
Authors: Fujitsuka Mamoru , Ito Osamu , Takaguchi Yutaka , Tajima Tomoyuki , Ohta Kazuchika , Motoyoshiya Jiro , Aoyama Hiromu 
Published: April 2003

Abstract
Photophysical and photochemical properties of poly(amidoamine) dendrons containing an anthracene at the focal point have been studied by the steady-state and transient spectroscopic methods in solution. The fluorescence lifetime of the anthracene moiety in the higher generation dendron (G3.5) is slightly shorter than that of the lower generation homologue (G0.5). On the other hand, the triplet lifetime of G3.5 is longer than that of G0.5. The bimolecular rate constants for energy transfer from the triplet states of the anthracene moiety to O2 (kO2) and for T–T annihilation (kTT) were almost the same for the anthryl dendrons, G3.5 and G0.5, suggesting that the dendron groups do not hinder the approach of O2 or the anthracene moiety. Photodimerization of G3.5 took place at a similar rate to G0.5, while the photodissociation rates of these anthracene dimers increase in the order of anthracene &gt; G0.5 &gt; G3.5, suggesting the presence of some attractive forces between dendron wedges.
Exploration of Thermophilic Esterases/Lipases for Asymmetric Desymmetrization of Norbornane Derivatives
Authors: Kashima Yasuhiro , Liu Jianxiu , Takenami Shigeharu , Niwayama Satomi 
Published: April 2003

Abstract
Asymmetric monohydrolysis of a series of norbornane derivatives by a thermophilic esterase/lipase library was examined. Three esterases/lipases showed high enantioselectivities toward dialkyl bicyclo[2.2.1]hepta-2,5-diene-2,3-dicarboxylates with high chemical yields.
Determinants of User Innovation and Innovation Sharing in a Local Market
Authors: Morrison Pamela D. , Roberts John H. , von Hippel Eric 
Published: April 2003

It is known that end users of products and services sometimes innovate, and that innovations developed by users sometimes become the basis for important newcommercial products and services. It has also been argued and to some extent shown that such innovations will be found concentrated in a “lead user” segment of the user community. However, neither the characteristics of innovating users nor the scope of the community that they “lead” has been explored in depth. In this paper, we explore the characteristics of innovation, innovators, and innovation sharing by library users of OPAC information search systems in Australia. This market has capable users, but it is nonetheless clearly a “follower” with respect to worldwide technological advance. Wefind that 26% of users in this local market nonetheless do modify their OPACs in both major and minor ways, and that OPAC manufacturers judge many of these user modifications to be of commercial interest. We find that we can distinguish modifying from nonmodifying users on the basis of a number of factors, including their “leading-edge status” and their in-house technical capabilities. We find that many innovating users freely share their innovations with others, and find that we can distinguish users that share information about their modifications from users that do not. We conclude by considering some implications of our findings for idea generation practices in marketing.
Biocultural aspects of obesity in young Mexican schoolchildren
Authors: Brewis Alexandra 
Published: April 2003

AbstractObesity related to over‐nutrition is investigated in a sample of 219 Mexican children from affluent families, ages 6–12 years. Defined as weight‐for‐age at or above the 95thpercentile, obesity rates in middle childhood are very high in this population, being 24.2% of children (29.4% of boys and 19.1% of girls). Binary logistic regression shows that children are more likely to be obese if they are boys, from small households with few or no other children, and have more permissive, less authoritarian parents. Diet at school and activity patterns, including television viewing, are not different for boys and girls and so do not explain this gender variation. The value placed on children, especially sons, in smaller middle‐class families, can result in indulgent feeding because food treats are a cultural index of parental caring. Parents also value child fatness as a sign of health. These obese Mexican children have no greater social problems (peer rejection or stigma) or psychological problems (anxiety, depression, or low self esteem) than their non‐obese peers. More study specifically focused on feeding practices in the home environment is required to explain very high rates of child obesity. The differences in obesity risk related to specific aspects of children's developmental microniche emphasize the importance of including a focus on gender as a socio‐ecological construct in human biological studies of child growth, development, and nutrition. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 15:446–460, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Biological effects of asbestos: New York Academy of Sciences 1964
Authors: Greenberg Morris 
Published: April 2003

AbstractBackgroundIn 1964, the New York Academy of Sciences held a conference on asbestos that was to promote the slow decline in the fortunes of asbestos. It brought together a Who's Who of international scientists who had conducted and reported on experimental and human studies of the effects of asbestos. Very little new data were presented at the conference, but by bringing together a compendium of knowledge of the adverse effects of asbestos, it served further notice to asbestos‐using industry of the major public health problem that they had created. With the assistance of its employees and certain scientists, industry mounted public relations exercises to counter the adverse publicity of lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma. Attempts were made to minimize the impact of these diseases by suggesting that their alleged associations with asbestos were spurious, and by diversionary ad hominem attacks on Professor Irving J. Selikoff who had played an important role in the organization of the conference.MethodsConsideration of the contents of the meeting program, other previously published information and documents revealed through legal discovery by Chase Manhattan Bank provide the sources on which this paper is based.ConclusionsToday, asbestos is no longer seen as a material indispensable on technical grounds and a mainstay of industry and the economy. Its progressive banning in developed countries may be seen as the consequence of the momentum initiated in New York in 1964. Am. J. Ind. Med. 43:543–552, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Thermally stable high molecular weight polyoxymethylenes
Authors: Schweitzer C. E. , Macdonald R. N. , Punderson J. O. 
Published: April 2003

AbstractIn this, the first of a series of five papers, the historical development of formaldehyde polymers, beginning with the work of Butlerov and continuing through the investigations of Staudinger and his collaborators, is reviewed. Recent studies in these laboratories have led to thermally stable high polymers of formaldehyde. Initiators and the role of impurities in the polymerization are described. An explanation is offered to account for differences in thermal stabilities between old and new polymers. Esterification, by which further increases in thermal stability are achieved, is described. It is proposed that the generic term “acetal resin” be used to described high polymers that are composed of repeating oxymethylene units.
The ball‐milling of cellulose fibers and recrystallization effects
Authors: Howsmon J. A. , Marchessault R. H. 
Published: April 2003

AbstractA study has been made of the effect of fine structure on the decrystallization process which results from the ball‐milling of cellulose. The rate of decrystallization is sensitive to the type of fine structure and is accelerated by the presence of moisture. The extent of chain degradation was greater in air atmosphere than in carbon dioxide, suggesting that mechanically induced free radical degradation occurs along with other chain‐breaking processes. A study of the density and moisture regain of the samples after various times of milling showed that a linear relation between regain and density held over the entire range studied. The relation was the same for native and regenerated cellulose. The process of recrystallization of the ball‐milled samples was studied under various conditions and compared to the hydrolytically induced recrystallization of rayons. The type of lattice which develops on recrystallization was found to depend on the original lattice, the extent of ball‐milling and the conditions of recrystallization. A highly ball‐milled sample could be made to recrystallize as cellulose I, II, or IV depending on the conditions.
Infrared study of polypropylene
Authors: Luongo J. P. 
Published: April 2003

AbstractThe structural configurations that distinguish the atactic phase from the isotactic phase give rise to infrared spectra characteristic of each phase. Since these differences are quite significant, a method is proposed with which the isotacticity can be determined. The relation between the isotactic phase and crystallinity is considered, and its application to this study is discussed. The formation of oxygen‐containing degradation products was followed during accelerated oxidation and the products identified. There is also evidence that more numerous oxygen containing degradation products form in polypropylene than in polyethylene. The type of unsaturation was also determined, and its presence confirmed by chlorination.
Condensation of poly(4‐vinylacetophenone) with various araldehydes
Authors: Unruh C. C. , Smith A. C. 
Published: April 2003

AbstractThe preparation of condensation products of poly(4‐vinyl‐acetophenone) with various substituted benzaldehydes is described. As in the case of the products obtained by condensing the poly(4‐vinylacetophenone) with benzaldehyde, these, too, show to varying degrees the property of becoming insoluble when exposed to light. This sensitivity to light is generally higher where the aldehyde used contains electrondonating substituent groups in the para‐position. This, in turn, is also related to the ability of such products to absorb a larger proportion of the longer wavelength portion of the emitted light.
Compounding rubber for radiation resistance
Authors: Anderson Herbert R. 
Published: April 2003

AbstractCompounding techniques to improve the radiation resistance of butadiene‐styrene tread vulcanizates in a radiation field are described. These include extension of rubber with an aromatic oil, incomplete curing of stocks containing sulfur vulcanization agents, and incorporation of additives. Incomplete curing produces vulcanization intermediates, which are affected by the ratio of sulfur to accelerator and by cure temperature and which are resistant to radiation. A combination of all these factors improved the lifetime of cold‐rubber tread vulcanizates by a factor of 5 to 6. Swelling and stress‐relaxation techniques are applied to follow quantitatively changes in the polymeric network, which are used to explain changes in stress‐strain properties. These techniques indicate that much of the scission that occurs is more than compensated for by crosslinking. Dilution of the polymer network with an aromatic oil decreases the ratio of crosslinking to scission to produce a more radiation‐resistant material. In the absence of oil, the decrease in radiation damage obtained by incomplete curing and with antirads is primarily the retardation of the crosslinking reaction. However, in the presence of oil, incomplete curing promotes and antirads retard radiation‐induced crosslinking and scission about equally. Substitution of air for helium as an irradiation atmosphere serves to accentuate the scission reaction and to lessen radiation‐induced changes in physical properties. A number of previously unreported retarders of radiation damage (antirads) are described.
X‐ray diffraction by hairs and feathers. Part II
Authors: Venkateswarlu K. , Pillai S. Padmanabha 
Published: April 2003

AbstractThe tail hairs of various mammals were subjected to different chemical treatments for different times and their x‐ray diffraction photographs obtained. The powder rings recorded in the case of buffalo hair disappeared after the fiber was treated in acetic or formic acid for 48 hr. On the other hand, inorganic salt solutions were practically inert.
Creep studies on gelatin at 100% relative humidity
Authors: Eliassaf J. , Eirich F. R. 
Published: April 2003

AbstractThe creep behavior of gelatin films was studied at 100% R. H. Under a given load the films either extend to an equilibrium length or break. Equilibrium stress–strain curves were obtained at 26.5, 31.5, 36.5, and 46.5°C. At 26.5°C., gelatin films exhibit essentially rubberlike behavior; at the higher temperatures they become stiffer. The films are brittle at 46.5°C. This course of behavior is explained by a decrease in uptake of moisture from the surrounding atmosphere with increasing temperature. At 26.5°C., enough water is absorbed (27%) to plasticize the gelatin, whereas the reduced amount absorbed at 46.5°C. (15%) is insufficient to modify the glass‐like behavior of dry gelatin. These results indicate that poor performance of gelatin used as glue under hot and humid conditions is not due to a deliquescent behavior; the latter occurs only on direct contact of gelatin with liquid water.
The strain dependence of rubber viscoelasticity. Part II. The influence of carbon black
Authors: Mason P. 
Published: April 2003

AbstractElastic and viscous components of the dynamic Young's modulus were measured at strains up to 80% and over a temperature range of −30°C. to +30°C. for natural rubber containing 18% by volume of carbon black. These components were derived from the velocity and attenuation of 1 kcycle/sec. longitudinal waves in stretched filaments. Two types of carbon black were examined, with mean particle diameters of about 0.4 microns (MT black) and 0.04 microns (HAF black). It was possible to represent the strain dependence of the modulus components of the MT‐filled material by the linear relations previously developed for the gum rubber; division by a volume loading factor derived from the Guth‐Simha‐Gold equation gave close agreement with the corresponding values for the gum at the same strain and temperature. The strain dependence of the HAF‐filled rubber was analyzed with reference to the equilibrium modulus‐extension curve. This material showed increases in modulus components much greater than indicated by the volume loading factor and the temperature coefficients of these components were much less than for the gum rubber. The glass‐transition temperature of −65.7°C. for the gum rubber was not significantly affected by the presence of either carbon black.
Instrumentation and machines for dynamic tests
Authors: Scheetz Howard A. , Koh Severino L. , Brennan J. Norton 
Published: April 2003

AbstractIt has been shown that use of wide‐band instrumentation in dynamic mechanical measurements can reveal the presence of high‐frequency ringing and other mechanical defects in the wave form. The use of low‐pass filters to suppress electrical noise can hide such defects. It is therefore better to eliminate the electrical noise at the source. If the mechanical irregularities in the waveform are not tolerable, they must be removed by improving the design of the testing device. The drop tester described in this report illustrates one possible way in which this may be done.
Defects present within adhesive layers
Authors: Tarkow Harold 
Published: April 2003

AbstractA technique is described for liberating the adhesive layer from adhesive‐bonded aluminum panels. Procedures are described for demonstrating directly the presence of defects within adhesive layers. The presence of a variety of types of defects is undoubtedly responsible for the inability to develop a general nondestructive test for evaluating adhesivebonded panels.
Unsaturation in irradiated marlex 50 polyethylene: Dose rate and post‐irradiation effects
Authors: Fydelor P. J. , Pearson R. W. 
Published: April 2003

AbstractInfrared absorption spectroscopy has been used to demonstrate dose rate dependence of trans‐vinylene unsaturation in irradiated Marlex 50 polyethylene. When the irradiated polymer is stored in vacuum a decrease is observed in trans‐vinylene absorbance over a period of several weeks. After high dose rate irradiation the decay is preceded by an initial increase. These phenomena are ascribed to the reaction of “trapped” radicals.
Poly(4‐methyl‐1‐pentene) and some soluble crystalline copolymers
Authors: Campbell Tod W. 
Published: April 2003

AbstractPoly(4‐methyl‐1‐pentene) has been prepared by polymerizing the monomer over a catalyst made from titanium tetrachloride and lithium aluminum tetradecyl. The molecular weight of the crystalline polymer was invariably too high for fiber preparation, even when polymerization variables were varied drastically, so a technique for thermal cracking was developed. By heating grease‐free, crystalline poly(4‐methyl‐1‐pentene) in a vacuum at about 280°, it was possible to lower smoothly the molecular weight of the polymer to any desired value, without undesirable crosslinking or by‐product formation. The polymer was melt‐spun by conventional techniques to highly oriented, tough fibers. Copolymerization of 10–25% 1‐hexene and other linear 1‐olefins with 4‐methyl‐1‐pentene gives products which are still high‐melting, but which are readily soluble in such solvents as cyclohexane or chloroform, in contrast to the homopolymer which is only slightly soluble. Polymerization in solvents for the copolymer gave solutions which were converted to fibers and film without intermediate isolation of polymer or removal of the catalyst. An interesting terpolymer in which divinylbenzene was the third component was found to be initially soluble, but was readily crosslinked at elevated temperature.