bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A prototype for the PASS Permanent All Sky Survey
Authors: Deeg H. J. , Alonso R. , Belmonte J. A. , Horne K. , Alsubai K. , Cameron A. , Doyle L. R. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractA prototype system for the Permanent All Sky Survey (PASS) project is presented. PASS is a continuous photometric survey of the entire celestial sphere with a high temporal resolution. Its major objectives are the detection of all giant‐planet transits (with periods up to some weeks) across stars up to mag 10.5, and to deliver continuously photometry that is useful for the study of any variable stars. The prototype is based on CCD cameras with short focal length optics on a fixed mount. A small dome to house it at Teide Observatory, Tenerife, is currently being constructed. A placement at the antarctic Dome C is also being considered. The prototype will be used for a feasibility study of PASS, to define the best observing strategies, and to perform a detailed characterization of the capabilities and scope of the survey. Afterwards, a first partial sky surveying will be started with it. That first survey may be able to detect transiting planets during its first few hundred hours of operation. It will also deliver a data set around which software modules dealing with the various scientific objectives of PASS will be developed. The PASS project is still in its early phase and teams interested in specific scientific objectives, in providing technical expertise, or in participating with own observations are invited to collaborate. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
IBVS and the data from robotic observatories
Authors: Holl A. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractAutomatic telescopes and surveys dump stellar variability data at ever increasing rates.We discuss what the Information Bulletin on Variable Stars (Comm. 27 & 42 of the IAU) can do with this data and to what extent Virtual Observatory techniques could be applied.We introduce IBVS DataService, the figure database and the photometric sequence visualization project. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Super‐LOTIS (Livermore Optical Transient Imaging System)
Authors: Pérez‐Ramírez D. , Park H. S. , Williams G. G. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractThe 0.6‐m Super‐LOTIS telescope is a fully robotic system dedicated to the search for prompt optical emission from gamma‐ray bursts (GRBs). The telescope began routine operations from its Steward Observatory site atop Kitt Peak (KPNO) in April 2000. This system is capable of responding to the Gamma‐ray burst Coordinate Network (GCN) triggers within seconds. Together with LOTIS, these systems have been monitoring the GCN real‐time data for automatic HETE2 GRB triggers. We will summarize the current capabilities of the system and present recent scientific results. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The dust distribution in the central region of AGNs: New results from the MAGNUM telescope
Authors: Yoshii Y. , Kobayashi Y. , Minezaki T. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractThe Multicolor Active Galactic Nuclei Monitoring (MAGNUM) 2‐meter dedicated telescope was commissioned in early 2001 in the University of Hawaii's Lure Observatory in the Haleakala Observatories, and several tens of AGNs have been monitored since then in the optical and near‐infrared wave‐bands simultaneously. As the initial results from the MAGNUM telescope, the most intense monitoring observations yet made for two Seyfert 1 galaxies such as NGC 4151 and 5548 are presented. A delayed response of light variations in the V (0.55μm) band to those in the K(2.2μm) band was detected for each galaxy, and the lag time was measured by a cross‐correlation analysis. The measured lag time is interpreted as the light‐travel time from the central energy source to the surrounding dust torus. Compared with lag measurements of the broad emission lines in the literature, our results for such dust reverberation indicate that the broad emission‐line region is well within the inner hole of the dust torus. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
HPLC determination of four active saponins from Panax notoginseng in rat serum and its application to pharmacokinetic studies
Authors: Li Lie , Sheng Yuxin , Zhang Jinlan , Wang Chuanshe , Guo Dean 
Published: October 2004

AbstractFour main active saponins (ginsenosides Rg1, Rb1, Rd and notoginsenoside R1) in Panax notoginseng in rat serum after oral and intravenous administration of total saponins of P. notoginseng (PNS) to rats were determined using a simple and sensitive high‐performance chromatographic method. The serum samples were pretreated with solid‐phase extraction before analysis. The calibration curves for the four saponins were linear in the given concentration ranges. The intra‐day and inter‐day assay coefﬁcients in serum were less than 10.0% and the recoveries of the method were higher than 80.0% in the high, middle and low concentrations. This method was applied to study the pharmacokinetics following oral and intravenous administration of PNS. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Self‐Assembly of Human Serum Albumin (HSA) and l‐α‐Dimyristoylphosphatidic Acid (DMPA) Microcapsules for Controlled Drug Release
Authors: An Zhihua , Lu Gang , Möhwald Helmuth , Li Junbai 
Published: October 2004

AbstractHuman serum albumin (HSA) and l‐α‐dimyristoylphosphatidic acid (DMPA) were applied as a pair to encapsulate ibuprofen microcrystals by means of a technique based on the layer‐by‐layer (LbL) assembly of oppositely charged species, for the purpose of controlling drug release. The successful adsorption of HSA and DMPA multilayers onto ibuprofen crystals was confirmed by optical microscopy. The drug release process, in a solution of pH 7.4, was monitored by optical microscopy and UV spectroscopy. The results revealed that the rate of release of ibuprofen from HSA/DMPA microcapsules decreased as the capsule wall thickness and drug crystal size increased, indicating that the permeability of the microcapsules can be controlled by simply varying the number of HSA/DMPA deposition cycles.
Validation of the postoperative nomogram for 12‐year sarcoma‐specific mortality
Authors: Eilber Fritz C. , Brennan Murray F. , Eilber Frederick R. , Dry Sarah M. , Singer Samuel , Kattan Michael W. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractBACKGROUNDOn the basis of a prospectively followed cohort of adult patients with primary soft tissue sarcoma (STS) who were treated at Memorial Sloan‐Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC; New York, NY), a nomogram for predicting sarcoma‐specific mortality was developed. Although this nomogram was found to be accurate by internal validation tests, it had not been validated in an external patient cohort, and thus its universal applicability remained unproven.METHODSBetween 1975 and 2002, 1167 adult patients (age ≥ 16 years) underwent treatment for primary STS at the University of California–Los Angeles (UCLA; Los Angeles, CA). All patients treated with an ifosfamide‐based chemotherapy protocol (n = 238) were excluded from the current analysis. The remaining 929 patients constituted the population on which the validation study was performed. The nomogram validation process comprised two activities. First, the extent of discrimination was quantified using the concordance index. Second, the level of calibration was assessed by grouping patients with respect to their nomogram‐predicted mortality probabilities and then comparing group means with observed Kaplan–Meier estimates of disease‐specific survival.RESULTSWith median follow‐up intervals of 48 months for all patients and 60 months for surviving patients, the 5‐year and 10‐year disease‐specific survival rates were 77% (95% confidence interval [CI], 74–80%) and 71% (95% CI, 67–75%), respectively. Application of the nomogram to the UCLA data set yielded a concordance index of 0.76, and the observed correspondence between predicted and actual outcomes suggested a high level of calibration.CONCLUSIONSIn the current study, the MSKCC Sarcoma Nomogram was found to provide accurate survival predictions when it was applied to an external cohort of patients who were treated at UCLA. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Phase I clinical trial of fixed–dose rate infusional gemcitabine and dacarbazine in the treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcoma, with assessment of gemcitabine triphosphate accumulation
Authors: Buesa José M. , Losa Raquel , Fernández Aida , Sierra Marta , Esteban Emilio , Díaz Ángela , López‐Pousa Antonio , Fra Joaquín 
Published: October 2004

AbstractBACKGROUNDIn the current study, the authors set out to determine the dose‐limiting toxicity (DLT) and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) associated with a combination of gemcitabine and dacarbazine (DTIC) in patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma (ASTS), to obtain preliminary information on the activity of this combination, and to explore possible pharmacodynamic interactions between gemcitabine and DTIC.METHODSEvery 2 weeks, 22 patients with refractory ASTS received fixed–dose rate gemcitabine (10 mg/m2/min) at escalating doses, which ranged from 800 mg/m2 to 2160 mg/m2, plus 500 mg/m2 DTIC. Plasma concentrations of gemcitabine and 2′,2′‐difluorodeoxyuridine, along with gemcitabine triphosphate (dFdCTP) levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), were evaluated during the course of treatment.RESULTSGrade 3 elevation of transaminase and γ‐glutamyltransferase levels represented the DLT associated with the administration of 2160 mg/m2 gemcitabine plus 500 mg/m2 DTIC. This side effect was reversible, rather than cumulative, and did not exceed Grade 3 in its severity. The doses recommended for use in subsequent Phase II studies are 1800 mg/m2 gemcitabine (administered over the course of 3 hours) and 500 mg/m2 DTIC. Hematologic toxicity was moderate, and nonhematologic side effects that did not exceed Grade 2 in severity included the following: asthenia (75% of patients), fever (59%), nausea (52%), stomatitis (48%), anorexia (44%), emesis (40%), flulike syndrome (37%), and erythematous rash (26%). Alopecia was common. Intracellular dFdCTP levels, which were evaluated in 6 patients, reached a mean maximum value of 209 pmol per 106 cells (standard deviation, 59 pmol per 106 cells) at the conclusion of gemcitabine administration. DTIC had a limited effect on the elimination of dFdCTP from PBMCs. Objective responses were observed in 5 of the 19 patients who were evaluable for treatment efficacy.CONCLUSIONSThe combination of gemcitabine and DTIC possesses an acceptable toxicity profile and may warrant further investigation in patients with ASTS. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation among patients with leukemia of all ages in Texas
Authors: Hwang Jessica P. , Lam Tony P. , Cohen Deborah S. , Donato Michele L. , Geraci Jane M. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractBACKGROUNDHematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is an effective but expensive medical procedure to which some ethnic minorities, the elderly, and those without insurance have been shown to have limited access. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether socioeconomic factors were associated with HSCT usage rates in patients with leukemia.METHODSThe authors identified 6574 patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute myelogenous leukeima, chronic myelogenous leukemia, or other leukemias from the 1999 Texas Hospital Inpatient Discharge Public Use Data File. Of these patients, 1604 received an autologous or allogeneic HSCT. The authors assessed patients' ethnicity, payer status, age, gender, and comorbid medical conditions. Logistic regression was used to control for patient characteristics and to evaluate associations among payer status, ethnicity, and HSCT use. P ≤ 0.05 indicated statistical significance.RESULTSPatients who self‐paid had the highest rate of HSCT use in all age groups (32%; P ≤ 0.01) and in the adult group (36%; P = 0.11). Elderly patients with Medicare had a low rate of HSCT use (17%; P = 0.13). Logistic regression showed no statistically significant associations between payer status or ethnicity and HSCT use. However, elderly women were significantly less likely to undergo HSCT than elderly men (odds ratio, 0.34; P ≤ 0.01).CONCLUSIONSThe lack of statistically significant differences in HSCT use among adult patients with leukemia was surprising because previous studies had shown differences in HSCT by ethnicity and insurance. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Neoadjuvant etoposide, ifosfamide, and cisplatin for the treatment of olfactory neuroblastoma
Authors: Kim Dong‐Wan , Jo Yo‐Han , Kim Jee Hyun , Wu Hong‐Gyun , Rhee Chae Seo , Lee Chol Hee , Kim Tae‐You , Heo Dae Seog , Bang Yung‐Jue , Kim Noe Kyeong 
Published: October 2004

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe optimal chemotherapy regimen for the treatment of olfactory neuroblastoma has not been clearly defined. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with the combination of etoposide, ifosfamide, and cisplatin (VIP) for patients with olfactory neuroblastoma.METHODSEleven consecutive patients with newly diagnosed olfactory neuroblastoma were treated with etoposide (75 mg/m2), ifosfamide (1000 mg/m2), and cisplatin (20 mg/m2) all administered intravenously on Days 1–5. Cycles were repeated every 21 days. Patients were excluded from analysis if they had previously received surgery or radiotherapy.RESULTSNine patients achieved objective responses (objective response rate, 82%; 95% confidence interval, 52–95%), which included 2 complete responses and 7 partial responses. The major side effect was hematologic toxicity, with Grade 3/4 neutropenia observed after the receipt of 37% of all cycles and febrile neutropenia observed after the receipt of 2 cycles. All toxic events were reversible, and no chemotherapy‐related deaths were documented. The median survival period was 18 months (range, 3–45 months).CONCLUSIONSNeoadjuvant VIP chemotherapy was active in the treatment of olfactory neuroblastoma. Cancer 2004. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
Quality of life impact of three different doses of suramin in patients with metastatic hormone‐refractory prostate carcinoma
Authors: Ahles Tim A. , Herndon James E. , Small Eric J. , Vogelzang Nicholas J. , Kornblith Alice B. , Ratain Mark J. , Stadler Walter , Palchak David , Marshall M. Ernest , Wilding George , Petrylak Daniel , Holland Jimmie C. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractBACKGROUNDResearch has suggested that men with hormone‐refractory prostate carcinoma have a lower quality of life (QOL) compared with men who have hormone‐sensitive prostate carcinoma and that quality of life (QOL) steadily declines over the last year of life for men with prostate carcinoma. The primary purpose of the current study was to evaluate whether there was evidence of palliative effects associated with suramin at any of the three doses administered in the original clinical trial.METHODSPatients with histologically confirmed advanced hormone‐refractory adenocarcinoma of the prostate were randomized to receive suramin at a low dose (n = 129; median age, 69 years), an intermediate dose (n = 129; median age, 71 years), or a high dose (n = 127; median age, 70 years) as part of the Intergroup 0159/Cancer and Leukemia Group B 9480 trial. Patients completed a battery of assessment tools, including the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT)—Prostate, the Center for Epidemiological Studies—Depression Scale (CES—D), the Brief Pain Inventory, and an opioid medication log, at baseline, on Day 1 of the sixth week of active therapy, during the second week after treatment termination, and 3 months after administration of the final suramin dose.RESULTSPatients who received low‐dose suramin reported improvement in QOL (FACT—General: P < 0.01; FACT—Treatment Outcome Index: P < 0.01) and decreased levels of depression (CES—D: P < 0.0006) during treatment compared with patients in the intermediate‐ and high‐dose arms. After treatment, all groups experienced equal decreases in FACT and CES—D scores.CONCLUSIONSThe pattern of results suggests that the lowest dose of suramin administered had a palliative effect in terms of improvement in QOL and decreased levels of depression and that this effect was lost once suramin was discontinued. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Intraductal biopsy for diagnosis and treatment of intraductal lesions of the breast
Authors: Matsunaga Tadaharu , Kawakami Yoko , Namba Kiyoshi , Fujii Masahiko 
Published: October 2004

AbstractBACKGROUNDBloody nipple discharge is a significant clue in the detection of ductal carcinoma of the breast. In the past, pathologic diagnoses were obtained exclusively via excision, but recently developed mammoscopic techniques have been found to yield valuable information relating to the diagnosis of intraductal lesions.METHODSMammary duct endoscopy (i.e., mammoscopy) was performed a combined total of 407 times for 295 patients who experienced nipple discharge. Intraductal breast biopsy (IDBB) under mammoscopic observation was performed in 193 intraductal papillomas (from a total of 107 patients) and 30 ductal carcinomas (from a total of 27 patients); IDBB was performed a combined total of 36 times in the 27 patients who had breast carcinoma and yielded 21 diagnostic specimens (58.3%). In addition, the therapeutic value of IDBB was assessed in 70 patients with intraductal papilloma who had undergone more than 3 years of follow‐up; these 70 patients harbored a combined total of 75 intraductal papillomas.RESULTSIDBB correctly identified the presence of carcinoma in 9 of 27 patients (33.3%); 7 other lesions (25.9%) were placed in the suspected carcinoma (i.e., atypical papillary lesion) category, and 5 (18.5%) were identified as intraductal papillomas. Using IDBB, it was difficult to collect diagnostic specimens from patients with breast carcinoma, because of the location and weak tissue cohesiveness of these lesions compared with intraductal papillomas. The 193 intraductal biopsies performed on intraductal papillomas yielded only 20 specimens that were insufficient for diagnosis. IDBB exhibited therapeutic efficacy in 54 of 70 patients with intraductal papilloma (77.6%) who had more than 3 years of clinical follow‐up. Therapeutic results tended to be less favorable for patients who had intraductal lesions in multiple duct lobular units.CONCLUSIONSMammoscopy can contribute not only to the diagnosis of cases of nipple discharge but also to the treatment of intraductal papilloma. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Measuring circulating neuroblastoma cells by quantitative reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction analysis
Authors: Cheung Irene Y. , Sahota Arvind , Cheung Nai‐Kong V. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractBACKGROUNDHistologic examination of bone marrow (BM) is an accepted clinical standard for the detection of metastatic neuroblastoma (NB). Circulating tumor cells in peripheral blood (PB) derive from depots other than BM, and its measurement may provide additional information in the management of patients with NB.METHODSOne hundred twenty patients with Stage 4 NB were evaluated for tumor cell content in PB by quantitative reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) analysis of GD2 synthase mRNA with a sensitivity of 1 NB cell in 106 normal cells. These findings were correlated with qRT‐PCR analysis of their simultaneously sampled BM aspirates and 5 standard modalities of disease detection (histology, computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging, bone scan, metaiodobenzylguanidine scan, and urinary homovanillic acid/vanillylmandelic acid levels).RESULTSDetection of GD2 synthase transcript was found in 62 patients: Eleven patients had positive (+) samples in their BM and PB (BM+PB+), 38 patients had BM+PB‐negative (BM+PB−) specimens, and 13 patients had BM−PB+ samples. BM+PB+ paired samples had the highest transcript levels. When the extent of disease was scored (from 0 to 5) according to the number of positive disease detection modalities, the magnitude of the transcript level correlated with disease score. Ninety‐one percent of patients with BM+PB+ samples had evidence of disease in ≥ 3 modalities, whereas 97% of patients with BM−PB− samples and 100% of patients with BM−PB+ samples had low disease scores ≤ 2. Marker positivity in BM correlated with disease score. Patients who had positive marker in BM or PB had higher rates of relapse and death compared with patients who had negative marker. Kaplan–Meier analysis demonstrated a significantly greater risk of death for patients who had BM+PB+ specimens compared with patients who had BM−PB− samples (P = 0.03).CONCLUSIONSBM monitoring should continue to be an integral part of disease follow‐up for patients with Stage 4 NB. PB monitoring to complement tumor surveillance in the BM can be informative. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Atmospheric Organic Aerosol Production by Heterogeneous Acid‐Catalyzed Reactions
Authors: Jang Myoseon , Czoschke Nadine M. , Northcross Amanda L. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractExploratory evidence from our laboratories shows that acidic surfaces on atmospheric aerosols lead to very real and potentially multifold increases in secondary organic aerosol (SOA) mass and build‐up of stabilized nonvolatile organic matter as particles age. One possible explanation for these heterogeneous processes are the acid‐catalyzed (e.g., H2SO4and HNO3) reactions of atmospheric multifunctional organic species (e.g., multifunctional carbonyl compounds) that are accommodated onto the particle phase from the gas phase. Volatile organic hydrocarbons (VOCs) from biogenic sources (e.g., terpenoids) and anthropogenic sources (aromatics) are significant precursors for multifunctional organic species. The sulfur content of fossil fuels, which is released into the atmosphere as SO2, results in the formation of secondary inorganic acidic aerosols or indigenous acidic soot particles (e.g., diesel soot). The predominance of SOAs contributing to PM 2.5 (particulate matter, that is, 2.5μm or smaller than 2.5μm), and the prevalence of sulfur in fossil fuels suggests that interactions between these sources could be considerable. This study outlines a systematic approach for exploring the fundamental chemistry of these particle‐phase heterogeneous reactions. If acid‐catalyzed heterogeneous reactions of SOA products are included in next‐generation models, the predicted SOA formation will be much greater and have a much larger impact on climate‐forcing effects than we now predict. The combined study of both organic and inorganic acids will also enable greater understanding of the adverse health effects in biological pulmonary organs exposed to particles.