Evaluating the efficacy of vaginal dehydroepiandosterone for vaginal symptoms in postmenopausal cancer survivors: NCCTG N10C1 (Alliance).

Background: Women with estrogen deficiencies can suffer from vaginal symptoms that negatively impact sexual health. This study evaluated vaginal dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) for alleviation of vaginal symptoms.

Methods: This three-arm randomized, controlled trial evaluated DHEA 3.

North Central Cancer Treatment Group N10C2 (Alliance): a double-blind placebo-controlled study of magnesium supplements to reduce menopausal hot flashes.

Objective: Hot flashes are a common symptom in breast cancer survivors that can negatively impact quality of life. Preliminary data suggested that magnesium might be used as an effective low-cost treatment of hot flashes with minimal adverse effects.

Methods: A four-arm, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial was conducted.

Phase III randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study of intravenous calcium and magnesium to prevent oxaliplatin-induced sensory neurotoxicity (N08CB/Alliance).

Purpose: Cumulative neurotoxicity is a prominent toxicity of oxaliplatin-based therapy. Intravenous calcium and magnesium have been extensively used to reduce oxaliplatin-induced neurotoxicity. This trial was designed to definitively test whether calcium/magnesium decreases oxaliplatin-related neurotoxicity.

Raman spectroscopic analysis of human skin tissue sections ex-vivo: evaluation of the effects of tissue processing and dewaxing.

Raman spectroscopy coupled with K-means clustering analysis (KMCA) is employed to elucidate the biochemical structure of human skin tissue sections and the effects of tissue processing. Both hand and thigh sections of human cadavers were analyzed in their unprocessed and formalin-fixed, paraffin-processed (FFPP), and subsequently dewaxed forms. In unprocessed sections, KMCA reveals clear differentiation of the stratum corneum (SC), intermediate underlying epithelium, and dermal layers for sections from both anatomical sites.

Continuous flow enzyme-catalyzed polymerization in a microreactor.

Enzymes immobilized on solid supports are increasingly used for greener, more sustainable chemical transformation processes. Here, we used microreactors to study enzyme-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone to polycaprolactone. A novel microreactor design enabled us to perform these heterogeneous reactions in continuous mode, in organic media, and at elevated temperatures.

Phase III, placebo-controlled trial of three doses of citalopram for the treatment of hot flashes: NCCTG trial N05C9.

Purpose: Up to 75% of women experience hot flashes, which can negatively impact quality of life. As hot flash physiology is not definitively understood, it cannot be assumed that effective agents represent class effects. Therefore, there is a continued need for rigorous evaluation to identify effective nonhormonal options for hot flash relief.

Phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled evaluation of pregabalin for alleviating hot flashes, N07C1.

Purpose: Hot flashes are a common problem for which effective and safe treatments are needed. The current trial was conducted on the basis of preliminary promising data that pregabalin decreased hot flashes.

Patients And Methods: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial design was used to compare pregabalin at target doses of 75 mg twice daily and 150 mg twice daily with a placebo.

Methodology for detecting residual phosphoric acid in polybenzoxazole fibers.

Because of the premature failure of in-service soft-body armor containing the ballistic fiber poly[(benzo-[1,2-d:5,4-d']-benzoxazole-2,6-diyl)-1,4-phenylene] (PBO), the Office of Law Enforcement Standards (OLES) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) initiated a research program to investigate the reasons for this failure and to develop testing methodologies and protocols to ensure that these types of failures do not reoccur. In a report that focused on the stability of the benzoxazole ring that is characteristic of PBO fibers, Holmes, G. A.

Synthesis of Polymerizable Cyclodextrin Derivatives for Use in Adhesion-Promoting Monomer Formulations.

The synthesis of the cyclodextrin derivatives reported herein was assisted by extensive literature research together with structure-property relationships derived from three-dimensional molecular modeling. These studies led to the hypothesis that many of the 21 hydroxyl groups on beta-cyclodextrin molecules could be derivatized to form a closely related family of analogous chemical compounds containing both polymerizable groups and hydrophilic ionizable ligand (substrate-binding) groups, each attached via hydrolytically-stable ether-linkages. The vinylbenzylether polymerizable groups should readily homopolymerize and also copolymerize with methacrylates.

Randomized comparison of a nicotine inhaler and bupropion for smoking cessation and relapse prevention.

Objective: To compare the combination of a nicotine inhaler and bupropion to either treatment alone for initiating smoking abstinence and relapse prevention.

Methods: Smokers were randomized to receive a nicotine inhaler, bupropion, or both for 3 months. At 3 months, smoking-abstinent study participants were randomized to their initial medications or placebo.

Significant parameters in the optimization of MALDI-TOF-MS for synthetic polymers.

One of the most significant issues in any analytical practice is optimization. Optimization and calibration are key factors in quantitation. In matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), instrument optimization is a limitation restricting quantitation.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry interlaboratory comparison of mixtures of polystyrene with different end groups: statistical analysis of mass fractions and mass moments.

A matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) interlaboratory comparison was conducted on mixtures of synthetic polymers having the same repeat unit and closely matching molecular mass distributions but with different end groups. The interlaboratory comparison was designed to see how well the results from a group of experienced laboratories would agree on the mass fraction, and molecular mass distribution, of each polymer in a series of binary mixtures. Polystyrenes of a molecular mass near 9000 u were used.

The influence of electrospray deposition in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry sample preparation for synthetic polymers.

Although electrospray sample deposition in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry (MS) sample preparation increases the repeatability of both the MALDI signal intensity and the measured molecular mass distribution (MMD), the electrospray sample deposition method may influence the apparent MMD of a synthetic polymer. The MMDs of three polymers of differing thermal stability, polystyrene (PS), poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), and poly(propylene glycol) (PPG), were studied by MALDI time-of-flight (TOF) MS as the electrospray deposition voltage was varied. The MMDs obtained using the electrospray deposition method were compared with those obtained for hand-spotted samples.