Association of hypoxia and mitochondrial damage associated molecular patterns in the pathogenesis of vein graft failure: a pilot study.

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the standard treatment modality in revascularization of the myocardium. However, the graft failure remains the major complication following CABG procedure. Involvement of mitochondrial damage-associated molecular patterns (mt-DAMPs) in the pathogenesis of vein-graft failure is largely unknown.

Spray-Processed Composites with High Conductivity and Elasticity.

Highly conductive elastic composites were constructed using multistep solution-based fabrication methods that included the deposition of a nonwoven polymer fiber mat through solution blow spinning and nanoparticle nucleation. High nanoparticle loading was achieved by introducing silver nanoparticles into the fiber spinning solution. The presence of the silver nanoparticles facilitates improved uptake of silver nanoparticle precursor in subsequent processing steps.

Simple and inexpensive quantification of ammonia in whole blood.

Quantification of ammonia in whole blood has applications in the diagnosis and management of many hepatic diseases, including cirrhosis and rare urea cycle disorders, amounting to more than 5 million patients in the United States. Current techniques for ammonia measurement suffer from limited range, poor resolution, false positives or large, complex sensor set-ups. Here we demonstrate a technique utilizing inexpensive reagents and simple methods for quantifying ammonia in 100 μL of whole blood.

Sprayable elastic conductors based on block copolymer silver nanoparticle composites.

Block copolymer silver nanoparticle composite elastic conductors were fabricated through solution blow spinning and subsequent nanoparticle nucleation. The reported technique allows for conformal deposition onto nonplanar substrates. We additionally demonstrated the ability to tune the strain dependence of the electrical properties by adjusting nanoparticle precursor concentration or localized nanoparticle nucleation.

Granular fingering in fluid injection into dense granular media in a Hele-Shaw cell.

We study experimentally spontaneous pattern formation in a dry dense granular medium invaded by an aqueous glycerin solution in a radial Hele-Shaw cell. By varying the invading fluid viscosity via the weight concentration of glycerin, and by adjusting the normalized injection velocity via the injection rate and the gap size of the cell, we observe four distinct fluid-grain displacement regimes: (i) a simple radial flow regime, (ii) an infiltration-dominated regime, (iii) a grain displacement-dominated regime, and (iv) a viscous fingering-dominated regime. We argue that these displacement regimes emerge as a result of competition among the various energy dissipation mechanisms and can be classified based on the characteristic times involved in the injection process.

Symptom improvement in lung cancer patients treated with erlotinib: quality of life analysis of the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group Study BR.21.

Purpose: This report describes the quality of life (QOL) findings of a randomized placebo controlled study of erlotinib, an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor, in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients And Methods: This double-blind phase III trial randomly assigned 731 patients with NSCLC who had progressed after prior chemotherapy to erlotinib 150 mg daily or placebo, with survival as the primary study outcome. QOL was assessed by European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and the lung cancer module QLQ-LC13.

Phase II multicenter study of induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent efaproxiral (RSR13) and thoracic radiotherapy for patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Purpose: Efaproxiral (RSR13) reduces hemoglobin oxygen-binding affinity, facilitates oxygen release, and increases tissue pO2. We conducted a phase II multicenter study that assessed the efficacy and safety of efaproxiral when administered with thoracic radiation therapy (TRT), following induction chemotherapy, for treatment of locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients And Methods: Fifty-one patients with locally advanced NSCLC were enrolled at 13 sites.

Vinorelbine plus cisplatin vs. observation in resected non-small-cell lung cancer.

Background: We undertook to determine whether adjuvant vinorelbine plus cisplatin prolongs overall survival among patients with completely resected early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer.

Methods: We randomly assigned patients with completely resected stage IB or stage II non-small-cell lung cancer to vinorelbine plus cisplatin or to observation. The primary end point was overall survival; principal secondary end points were recurrence-free survival and the toxicity and safety of the regimen.

Weekly paclitaxel and gemcitabine chemotherapy for metastatic non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC): a dose-optimizing phase II trial.

Background: The current dose-optimizing Phase II study evaluated the effect of weekly paclitaxel and gemcitabine on the response rate and survival of patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) using dose modifications that permitted optimal treatment intensity.

Methods: Forty-five patients (40 with TNM Stage IV and 5 with TNM Stage IIIB NSCLC) were treated with gemcitabine at 1000 mg/m(2) via a 30-minute intravenous (i.v.

A Quebec survey of issues in cancer pain management.

We report the results of a cancer pain survey mailed to Quebec hematologist-oncologists and palliative care physicians in 1999. The survey was designed to sample views on the current status of pain management and on obstacles to the provision of adequate pain relief for patients. The survey, formulated by an ethics network centered at the Clinical Research Institute of Montreal, was distributed to all members of the Association of Hematologist-Oncologists of Quebec and to all physician members of the Quebec Palliative Care Association.