bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Capecitabine As First-Line Treatment for Patients Older Than 70 Years With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: An Oncopaz Cooperative Group Study
Authors: Feliu Jaime , Escudero Pilar , Llosa Ferrán , Bolaños Matilde , Vicent Jose-Manuel , Yubero Alfonso , Sanz-Lacalle Jose-Javier , Lopez Rafael , Lopez-Gómez Luis , Casado Enrique , Gómez-Reina María-José , González-Baron Manuel 
Published: April 2005

Purpose To determine the tolerability of capecitabine in elderly patients with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC). Patients and Methods Fifty-one patients with advanced CRC who were ≥ 70 years and considered ineligible for combination chemotherapy received oral capecitabine 1,250 mg/m2 twice daily on days 1 to 14 every 3 weeks. Patients with a creatinine clearance of 30 to 50 mL/min received a dose of 950 mg/m2 twice daily. Results A total of 248 cycles of capecitabine were administered (median, five cycles; range, one to eight cycles). The overall response rate was 24% (95% CI, 15% to 41%), including two complete responses (CR; 4%) and 10 partial responses (PR; 20%). Disease control (CR + PR + stable disease) was achieved in 67% of patients. The median times to disease progression and overall survival were 7 months (95% CI, 6.4 to 9.5 months) and 11 months (95% CI, 8.6 to 13.3 months), respectively. Of the 35 patients evaluated for clinical benefit response, 14 (40%; 95% CI, 24% to 58%) showed clinical benefit. Capecitabine was well tolerated. Treatment-related grade 3 and 4 adverse events were observed in only six patients (12%), and the most common events were diarrhea, hand-foot syndrome, and thrombocytopenia. One patient (2%) had an episode of angina, but no treatment-related deaths were reported. Conclusion Our findings suggest that capecitabine is effective and well tolerated in elderly patients with advanced CRC who are considered ineligible for combination chemotherapy.
Neoadjuvant Percutaneous 4-Hydroxytamoxifen Decreases Breast Tumoral Cell Proliferation: A Prospective Controlled Randomized Study Comparing Three Doses of 4-Hydroxytamoxifen Gel to Oral Tamoxifen
Authors: Rouanet Philippe , Linares-Cruz Gustavo , Dravet François , Poujol Sylvain , Gourgou Sophie , Simony-Lafontaine Joelle , Grenier Jean , Kramar Andrew , Girault Jean , Le Nestour Elisabeth , Maudelonde Thierry 
Published: April 2005

PurposeTwo chemoprevention randomized studies using tamoxifen showed drug efficacy; however, adverse effects such as hot flushes, endometrial cancer, and above all, thromboembolism, remain a problem. 4 hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT) is a very active metabolite of tamoxifen. This randomized study was designed to analyze if 4-OHT gel, administered percutaneously on the breast skin, can inhibit the proliferation of malignant breast cells to the same extent as orally administered tamoxifen.Patients and MethodsFifty-five postmenopausal women with an invasive estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer were randomly assigned to receive (for 2 to 3 weeks) either 4-OHT gel (0.5, 1, or 2 mg/d) or oral tamoxifen (20 mg/d) or no treatment. Response was evaluated using proliferation markers (Ki-67, proliferating cell nuclear antigen) and apoptosis markers in tissue samples obtained by Tru-cut biopsy before treatment, and at surgery after treatment.ResultsAdministration of 4-OHT gel resulted in reductions in tumor tissue proliferation indexes (Ki-67 and PCNA), with approximate equivalence between the1.0 mg/d or 2.0 mg/d 4-OHT dose, and oral tamoxifen, but had no effect on apoptotic markers. Plasma levels of 4-OHT were consistently higher in the oral tamoxifen group than in the gel groups. No dose-related pattern was shown for estrogen or progesterone receptor levels, and topical 4-OHT gel appeared to be generally well tolerated. Hot flushes are as common in the two higher gel doses as with tamoxifen.ConclusionPercutaneous 4-OHT gel has a local impact on tumor proliferation. It could be tested in future propective trials of chemoprevention or ductal carcinoma in situ adjuvant hormonotherapy.
Xerostomia Following Radiotherapy of the Head and Neck Affects Vocal Function
Authors: Roh Jong-Lyel , Kim Ah-Young , Cho Moon June 
Published: April 2005

Purpose To investigate whether xerostomia induced by wide-field radiotherapy (RT) of the head and neck affects vocal function. Patients and Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study comparing 20 patients with early glottic cancer treated by limited RT of the larynx to 20 patients receiving wide-field RT of the primary tumor site and the lymphatic system of the entire head and neck, including the salivary glands. Salivary and vocal functions, as well as responses to questionnaires on xerostomia and quality of life were compared between groups. Twenty healthy volunteers matched for age, sex, and smoking status were included as controls. Results The wide-field RT patients showed high xerostomia-related symptom scores and significantly lower values of whole salivary flow rate compared to the limited RT and healthy patients (P < .001). Subjective vocal dysfunction and stroboscopic abnormality were observed in the wide-field RT group (P < .05), but acoustic or aerodynamic profiles showed no significant difference among groups (P > .05). Subjective and objective salivary gland hypofunction was significantly correlated to vocal dysfunction. Conclusion Our results suggest that xerostomia following extensive RT of the head and neck can affect vocal function. In the treatment of head and neck malignancies, efforts to prevent post-RT xerostomia would be anticipated to contribute to the preservation of vocal function.
Side Effects and Cancer-Related Stress Determine Quality of Life in Long-Term Survivors of Testicular Cancer
Authors: Mykletun Arnstein , Dahl Alv A. , Haaland Carl Fredrik , Bremnes Roy , Dahl Olav , Klepp Olbjørn , Wist Erik , Fosså Sophie D. 
Published: April 2005

Purpose The prevalence of long-term survivors after treatment for testicular cancer (TC) is increasing, and most studies display normal or only slightly reduced quality of life (QOL) in TC survivors (TCSs). Impaired QOL is claimed to be associated with treatment modality and its side effects, although most studies in this field can be criticized for various methodologic shortcomings. We wanted to examine variation in long-term QOL in TCSs in relation to TC treatment modality, side effects, and TC-related stress in a large population. Patients and Methods QOL, side effects, and TC-related stress were self-rated by a questionnaire at a mean of 11 years of follow-up in 1,409 TCSs treated from 1980 to 1994. Norm data was obtained from 2,678 males who were representative of the general population. QOL was measured with the Short Form-36 (SF-36), and TC-related stress was measured with the Impact of Event Scale. Results There were no clinically relevant differences in QOL between TCSs and age-adjusted norm data, although there was a slightly lowered SF-36 Physical Component Summary Score in TCSs. Variation of QOL in TCSs was related to self-reported side effects and TC-related stress but not to TC treatment modality. A significant association was found between side effects and TC-related stress. Conclusion TCSs do not suffer long term from reduced QOL, and only minor differences in QOL were found between different treatment modalities. TCSs who report more side effects or TC-related stress have increased risk for reduced QOL, but these associations are not explained by TC treatment modalities. Further QOL research in this area should explore vulnerability factors for side effects and TC-related stress.
Concomitant Boost Radiation Plus Concurrent Cisplatin for Advanced Head and Neck Carcinomas: Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Phase II Trial 99-14
Authors: Ang K. Kian , Harris Jonathan , Garden Adam S. , Trotti Andy , Jones Christopher U. , Carrascosa Luis , Cheng Jonathan D. , Spencer Sharon S. , Forastiere Arlene , Weber Randal S. 
Published: April 2005

Purpose To investigate the feasibility of combining concomitant boost accelerated radiation regimen (AFX-C) with cisplatin and to assess its toxicity and the relapse pattern and survival in patients with advanced head and neck carcinoma (HNC). Patients and Methods Between April and November of 2000, 84 patients with stage III to IV HNC who met the eligibility criteria were enrolled; 76 of these patients were analyzable. Radiation consisted of 72 Gy in 42 fractions over 6 weeks (daily for 3.5 weeks, then twice a day for 2.5 weeks). Cisplatin dose was 100 mg/m2 on days 1 and 22. Tumor and clinical status were assessed, and acute late toxicities were graded. Results Sixty-five patients (86%) received both radiation and chemotherapy per protocol or with minor variations. The estimated 2-year locoregional relapse and distant metastasis rates were 34.7% and 16.1%, respectively. The estimated 2-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates were 71.6% and 53.5%, respectively. Three patients (4%) died of complications, 19 patients (25%) had acute grade 4 toxicity, and 49 patients (64%) had acute grade 3 toxicity. The 2-year cumulative incidence of late grade 3 to 5 toxicities was 51.3%. Conclusion These data showed that it was feasible to combine AFX-C with cisplatin. The compliance to therapy was high, and the locoregional control and survival rates achieved compared favorably with AFX-C alone or other concurrent chemoradiation regimens tested by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group. A phase III trial comparing AFX-C plus cisplatin against standard radiation plus cisplatin is ongoing to determine whether the use of AFX-C in the concurrent chemoradiation setting further improves outcome.
Functional analysis of the gibbon foot during terrestrial bipedal walking: Plantar pressure distributions and three‐dimensional ground reaction forces
Authors: Vereecke Evie , D'Août Kristiaan , Van Elsacker Linda , De Clercq Dirk , Aerts Peter 
Published: April 2005

AbstractThis paper gives a detailed analysis of bipedal walking in the white‐handed gibbon, based on collected pressure and force data. These data were obtained from four gibbons in the Wild Animal Park, Planckendael, Belgium, by using a walkway with integrated force plate and pressure mat. This is the first study that collects and describes dynamic plantar pressure data of bipedally walking gibbons, and combines these with force plate data. The combination of these data with previously described roll‐off patterns of gibbons, based on general observations, video images, force plates, and EMG data, gives us a detailed description of foot function during gibbon bipedalism. In addition, we compare the observed characteristics of hylobatid bipedalism with the main characteristics of bonobo and human bipedalism. We found that gibbons are midfoot/heel plantigrade, and lack the typical heel‐strike of other hominoids. The hallux is widely abducted and touches down at the onset of the stance phase, which results in an L‐shaped course of the center of pressure. The vertical force curve is trapezoid to triangular in shape, with high peak values compared to humans. The braking component is shorter than the accelerating component, and shortens further at higher walking velocities. Speed has a significant influence on the forefoot peak pressures and on most of the defined gait parameters (e.g., vertical force peak), and it alters the foot contact pattern as well. The investigation of existing form‐function relationships in nonhuman primates is essential for the interpretation of fossil remains, and might help us understand the evolution of habitual bipedal walking in hominids. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Knuckle‐walking anteater: A convergence test of adaptation for purported knuckle‐walking features of african Hominidae
Authors: Orr Caley M. 
Published: April 2005

AbstractAppeals to synapomorphic features of the wrist and hand in African apes, early hominins, and modern humans as evidence of knuckle‐walking ancestry for the hominin lineage rely on accurate interpretations of those features as adaptations to knuckle‐walking locomotion. Because Gorilla, Pan, and Homo share a relatively close common ancestor, the interpretation of such features is confounded somewhat by phylogeny. The study presented here examines the evolution of a similar locomotor regime in New World anteaters (order Xenarthra, family Myrmecophagidae) and uses the terrestrial giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) as a convergence test of adaptation for purported knuckle‐walking features of the Hominidae. During the stance phase of locomotion, Myrmecophaga transmits loads through flexed digits and a vertical manus, with hyperextension occurring at the metacarpophalangeal joints of the weight‐bearing rays. This differs from the locomotion of smaller, arboreal anteaters of outgroup genera Tamandua and Cyclopes that employ extended wrist postures during above‐branch quadrupedality. A number of features shared by Myrmecophaga and Pan and Gorilla facilitate load transmission or limit extension, thereby stabilizing the wrist and hand during knuckle‐walking, and distinguish these taxa from their respective outgroups. These traits are a distally extended dorsal ridge of the distal radius, proximal expansion of the nonarticular surface of the dorsal capitate, a pronounced articular ridge on the dorsal aspects of the load‐bearing metacarpal heads, and metacarpal heads that are wider dorsally than volarly. Only the proximal expansion of the nonarticular area of the dorsal capitate distinguishes knuckle‐walkers from digitigrade cercopithecids, but features shared with digitigrade primates might be adaptive to the use of a vertical manus of some sort in the stance phase of terrestrial locomotion. The appearance of capitate nonarticular expansion and the dorsal ridge of the distal radius in the hominin lineage might be indicative of a knuckle‐walking ancestry for bipedal hominins if interpreted within the biomechanical and phylogenetic context of hominid locomotor evolution. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cellulose: faszinierendes Biopolymer und nachhaltiger Rohstoff
Authors: Klemm Dieter , Heublein Brigitte , Fink Hans‐Peter , Bohn Andreas 
Published: April 2005

AbstractAls wichtigster Gerüstbildner der Pflanzenwelt ist das Polysaccharid Cellulose ein nahezu unerschöpflicher polymerer Rohstoff mit einem faszinierenden Struktur‐ und Eigenschaftspotenzial. Durch reguläre Verknüpfung von D‐Glucose‐Bausteinen gebildet, zeichnet sich das hochfunktionalisierte lineare und kettensteife Homopolymer Cellulose durch Hydrophilie, Chiralität, Bioabbaubarkeit, breite chemische Modifizierbarkeit und den Aufbau vielfältiger teilkristalliner Fasermorphologien aus. Mit Blick auf die weltweit stark expandierende interdisziplinäre Celluloseforschung und Produktentwicklung der letzten Dekade verknüpft dieser Aufsatz den aktuellen Wissensstand zu Struktur und Chemie der Cellulose mit der Entwicklung innovativer Celluloseester und ‐ether für Beschichtungen, Filme, Membranen, Baustoffe, Bohrtechnologien, Pharmaka und Nahrungsmittel. Mit umweltfreundlichen Cellulosefaser‐Technologien, Bakteriencellulose‐Biomaterialien und In‐vitro‐Synthesen der Cellulose sind Wege ins Neuland einbezogen, ebenso Aussagen zu den weiteren Zielen, Strategien und Perspektiven der Celluloseforschung und ‐applikation.
Identifying critical foraging habitats of the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) along the Pacific coast of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico
Authors: López‐Mendilaharsu Milagros , Gardner Susan C. , Seminoff Jeffrey A. , Riosmena‐Rodriguez Rafael 
Published: April 2005

Abstract
The conservation of highly mobile and migratory species remains one of the most serious challenges to resource managers.
Intense mortality of immature green turtles has been identified at principal developmental–feeding habitats in Baja California, and is considered a great threat to the stability of the eastern Pacific population. Thus, coastal lagoons of the Baja California peninsula, such as Bahía Magdalena, have been identified as high priority areas for their protection.
Conservation efforts to date have focused on creating a sea turtle refuge in the northwestern part of the bay, but this area may not be sufficient for protecting all of the critical feeding areas used by green turtles.
The diet of green turtles was investigated through analysis of digestive tract contents from 24 green turtles that were drowned incidentally in fishing nets at feeding grounds in Bahía Magdalena and adjacent areas along the Pacific coast of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico.
Mean straight carapace length (SCL) differed significantly between localities: mean: 55.5 cm (range: 47.7–76.9 cm, n=11) in Bahía Magdalena; mean: 67.7 >cm (range: 49–87 cm, n=11) in adjacent coastal waters.
Green turtle diet consisted largely of marine algae and seagrasses, but food items varied spatially. The red algae Gracilaria pacifica, Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis and Hypea johnstonii were the most abundant diet items inside Bahía Magdalena, and the seagrass Phyllospadix torreyi was the most commonly ingested food in coastal areas outside of the bay.
Results indicate that green turtles utilize spatially distinct foraging habitats within this region. Therefore, it is recommended that any design of protected areas for sea turtles in Bahía Magdalena should consider a regional approach instead of a local approach, taking into account the most important feeding areas used by green turtles at different life stages.

Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Intertidal habitat conservation: identifying conservation targets in the absence of detailed biological information
Authors: Banks Simon A. , Skilleter Greg A. , Possingham Hugh P. 
Published: April 2005

Abstract
Growing concern associated with threats to the marine environment has resulted in an increased demand for marine reserves that conserve representative and adequate examples of biodiversity. Often, the decisions about where to locate reserves must be made in the absence of detailed information on the patterns of distribution of the biota. Alternative approaches are required that include defining habitats using surrogates for biodiversity. Surrogate measures of biodiversity enable decisions about where to locate marine reserves to be made more reliably in the absence of detailed data on the distribution of species.
Intertidal habitat types derived using physical properties of the shoreline were used as a surrogate for intertidal biodiversity to assist with the identification of sites for inclusion in a candidate system of intertidal marine reserves for 17 463 km of the mainland coast of Queensland, Australia. This represents the first systematic approach, on essentially one‐dimensional data, using fine‐scale (tens to hundreds of metres) intertidal habitats to identify a system of marine reserves for such a large length of coast. A range of solutions would provide for the protection of a representative example of intertidal habitats in Queensland.
The design and planning of marine and terrestrial protected areas systems should not be undertaken independently of each other because it is likely to lead to inadequate representation of intertidal habitats in either system. The development of reserve systems specially designed to protect intertidal habitats should be integrated into the design of terrestrial and marine protected area systems.
Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preparation of chitosan‐g‐polycaprolactone copolymers through ring‐opening polymerization of ϵ‐caprolactone onto phthaloyl‐protected chitosan
Authors: Liu Li , Wang Yusong , Shen Xiaofeng , Fang Yue'e 
Published: April 2005

AbstractThe new biodegradable chitosan graft copolymer, chitosan‐g‐polycaprolactone, was synthesized by the ring‐opening graft copolymerization of ϵ‐caprolactone onto phthaloyl‐protected chitosan (PHCS) at the hydroxyl group in the presence of tin(II) 2‐ethylhexanoate catalyst via a protection–graft–deprotection procedure. Toluene acted as a swelling agent in this heterogeneous system. The grafting reactions were conducted with various PHCS/monomer/toluene feed ratios to obtain chitosan‐g‐polycaprolactone copolymers with various polycaprolactone contents. The chemical structure of the chitosan‐g‐polycaprolactone was characterized by Fourier transform infrared and one‐ and two‐dimensional NMR spectroscopy. After deprotection, the phthaloyl group was removed and the amino group was regenerated. Thus the obtained chitosan‐g‐polycaprolactone was an amphoteric hybrid with a large amount of free amino groups and hydrophobic polycaprolactone side chains. Some properties of the final product were also investigated, such as crystallinity, thermal property, and solubility. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers, 2005
Degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons by white‐rot fungi in a historically contaminated soil
Authors: D'Annibale Alessandro , Ricci Marika , Leonardi Vanessa , Quaratino Daniele , Mincione Enrico , Petruccioli Maurizio 
Published: April 2005

AbstractPhanerochaete chrysosporiumNRRL 6361 andPleurotus pulmonariusCBS 664.97 were tested for their ability to grow under nonsterile conditions and to degrade various aromatic hydrocarbons in an aged contaminated soil that also contained high concentrations of heavy metals. After 24 days fungal incubation, carbon‐CO2liberated, an indicator of microbial activity, reached a plateau. At the end of the incubation time (30 days), fungal colonization was clearly visible and was confirmed by ergosterol and cell organic carbon determinations. In spite of unfavorable pH (around 7.4) and the presence of heavy metals, both fungi produced Mn‐peroxidase activity. In contrast, laccase and aryl‐alcohol oxidase were detected only in the soil treated withP. pulmonariusCBS 664.97 and lignin‐peroxidase in that withP. chrysosporiumNRRL 6361. No lignin‐modifying enzyme activities were present in non‐inoculated soil incubated for 30 days (control microcosm). Regardless of the fungus employed, a total removal of naphtalene, tetrachlorobenzene, and dichloroaniline isomers, diphenylether andN‐phenyl‐1‐naphtalenamine, was observed. Significant release of chloride ions was also observed in fungal‐treated soil, in comparison with that recorded in the control microcosm. Both fungi led to a significant decrease in soil toxicity, as assessed using two different soil contact assays, including theLepidium sativumL. germination test and the Collembola mortality test. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.