Phase II trial of isoflavone in prostate-specific antigen recurrent prostate cancer after previous local therapy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background-</p> <p>Data exist that demonstrate isoflavones' potent antiproliferative effects on prostate cancer cells. We evaluated the efficacy of isoflavone in patients with PSA recurrent prostate cancer after prior therapy. We postulated that isoflavone therapy would slow the rate of rise of serum PSA.</p> <p>Methods-</p> <p>Twenty patients with rising PSA after prior local therapy were enrolled in this open-labeled, Phase II, nonrandomized trial (Trial registration # NCT00596895). Patients were treated with soy milk containing 47 mg of isoflavonoid per 8 oz serving three times per day for 12 months. Serum PSA, testosterone, lipids, isoflavone levels (genistein, daidzein, and equol), and quality of life (QOL) were measured at various time points from 0 to 12 months. PSA outcome was evaluated.</p> <p>Results-</p> <p>Within the mixed regression model, it was estimated that PSA had increased 56% per year before study entry and only increased 20% per year for the 12-month study period (<it>p </it>= 0.05). Specifically, the slope of PSA after study entry was significantly lower than that before study entry in 6 patients and the slope of PSA after study entry was significantly higher than before study entry in 2 patients. For the remaining 12 patients, the change in slope was statistically insignificant. Nearly two thirds of the patients were noted to have significant levels of free equol in their serum while on therapy.</p> <p>Conclusion-</p> <p>Dietary intervention with isoflavone supplementation may have biologic activity in men with biochemical recurrent prostate cancer as shown by a decline in the slope of PSA. This study may lend support to the literature that nutritional supplements have biologic activity in prostate cancer and therefore, further studies with these agents in randomized clinical trials should be encouraged.</p

Method of analysis of the spatial galaxy distribution at gigaparsec scales. I. Initial principles

Initial principles of a method of analysis of the luminous matter spatial distribution with sizes about thousands Mpc are presented. The method is based on an analysis of the photometric redshift distribution N(z) in the deep fields with large redshift bins \Deltaz=0.1{\div}0.3. Number density fluctuations in the bins are conditioned by the Poisson's noise, the correlated structures and the systematic errors of the photo-z determination. The method includes covering of a sufficiently large region on the sky by a net of the deep multiband surveys with the sell size about 10^{\circ}x10^{\circ} where individual deep fields have angular size about 10'x10' and may be observed at telescopes having diameters 3-10 meters. The distributions of photo-z within each deep field will give information about the radial extension of the super large structures while a comparison of the individual radial distributions of the net of the deep fields will give information on the tangential extension of the super large structures. A necessary element of the method is an analysis of possible distortion effects related to the methodic of the photo-z determination.Comment: 12 page

Carotid Artery Stenting Using a Novel Self-Expanding Braided Nickel–Titanium Stent: Feasibility and Safety Porcine Trial

We studied the deliverability and safety of a braided, self-expanding, closed-cell nickel–titanium (NiTi) stent (E-volution, Jotec GmbH, Hechingen, Germany) especially designed for the endovascular treatment of carotid artery bifurcation stenosis with special regard to in-stent stenosis and thrombosis compared with a laser-cut reference nitinol stent in a porcine model of percutaneous vascular interventions. We aimed to assess histopathologic response in minipig carotid and subclavian arteries. Eight minipigs received a total of 42 stents: 14 reference stents and 28 E-volution stents. Eleven of the E-volution stents were additionally coated with heparin. Control angiography was obtained immediately before and after vascular intervention as well as 4 weeks after the procedure. Primary endpoints were 28 days of angiographic analyses as well as histomorphometric analysis, including injury score, inflammation score, luminal diameter, vessel diameter, maximal neointimal thickness, and area of in-stent stenosis. Secondary end points were procedural success, 28-day mortality, and stent thrombosis. All stents could be delivered successfully without procedural complications, morbidity, or mortality during our observation time. As confirmed by histology, no in-stent thrombosis was observed. Compared with common carotid arteries, subclavian arteries are significantly more vulnerable to developing in-stent stenosis caused by neointima proliferation (p < 0.05). Compared with the use of 1 single stent/artery, serial application of two stents leads to a more excessive but not significantly different neointimal proliferation (p > 0.05). The E-volution stent, especially when heparin coated, is in line with the comparison to the laser-cut reference stent displaying similar results of angiographic, histologic, and histomorphometric analyses (p > 0.05). Compared with the reference laser-cut stent, the self-expanding nitinol stent (E-volution) with its advanced braiding technology is feasible and safe. In our opinion, the high radial resistive force and the advanced braided design with tight stent-strut interstices may be beneficial in terms of plaque stabilization. Further studies are necessary and warranted

Measurement of D-s(+) and D-s(*+) production in B meson decays and from continuum e(+)e(-) annihilation at √s=10.6 GeV

This is the pre-print version of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the links below. Copyright @ 2002 APSNew measurements of Ds+ and Ds*+ meson production rates from B decays and from qq̅ continuum events near the Υ(4S) resonance are presented. Using 20.8 fb-1 of data on the Υ(4S) resonance and 2.6 fb-1 off-resonance, we find the inclusive branching fractions B(B⃗Ds+X)=(10.93±0.19±0.58±2.73)% and B(B⃗Ds*+X)=(7.9±0.8±0.7±2.0)%, where the first error is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third is due to the Ds+→φπ+ branching fraction uncertainty. The production cross sections σ(e+e-→Ds+X)×B(Ds+→φπ+)=7.55±0.20±0.34pb and σ(e+e-→Ds*±X)×B(Ds+→φπ+)=5.8±0.7±0.5pb are measured at center-of-mass energies about 40 MeV below the Υ(4S) mass. The branching fractions ΣB(B⃗Ds(*)+D(*))=(5.07±0.14±0.30±1.27)% and ΣB(B⃗Ds*+D(*))=(4.1±0.2±0.4±1.0)% are determined from the Ds(*)+ momentum spectra. The mass difference m(Ds+)-m(D+)=98.4±0.1±0.3MeV/c2 is also measured.This work was supported by DOE and NSF (USA), NSERC (Canada), IHEP (China), CEA and CNRS-IN2P3 (France), BMBF (Germany), INFN (Italy), NFR (Norway), MIST (Russia), and PPARC (United Kingdom). Individuals have received support from the Swiss NSF, A. P. Sloan Foundation, Research Corporation, and Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

Diffractive Dijet Production at sqrt(s)=630 and 1800 GeV at the Fermilab Tevatron

We report a measurement of the diffractive structure function $F_{jj}^D$ of the antiproton obtained from a study of dijet events produced in association with a leading antiproton in $\bar pp$ collisions at $\sqrt s=630$ GeV at the Fermilab Tevatron. The ratio of $F_{jj}^D$ at $\sqrt s=630$ GeV to $F_{jj}^D$ obtained from a similar measurement at $\sqrt s=1800$ GeV is compared with expectations from QCD factorization and with theoretical predictions. We also report a measurement of the $\xi$ ($x$-Pomeron) and $\beta$ ($x$ of parton in Pomeron) dependence of $F_{jj}^D$ at $\sqrt s=1800$ GeV. In the region $0.035<\xi<0.095$, $|t|<1$ GeV$^2$ and $\beta<0.5$, $F_{jj}^D(\beta,\xi)$ is found to be of the form $\beta^{-1.0\pm 0.1} \xi^{-0.9\pm 0.1}$, which obeys $\beta$-$\xi$ factorization.Comment: LaTeX, 9 pages, Submitted to Phys. Rev. Letter

An instrument to measure job satisfaction of nursing home administrators

BACKGROUND: The psychometric properties of the nursing home administrator job satisfaction questionnaire (NHA-JSQ) are presented, and the steps used to develop this instrument. METHODS: The NHA-JSQ subscales were developed from pilot survey activities with 93 administrators, content analysis, and a research panel. The resulting survey was sent to 1,000 nursing home administrators. Factor analyses were used to determine the psychometric properties of the instrument. RESULTS: Of the 1,000 surveys mailed, 721 usable surveys were returned (72 percent response rate). The factor analyses show that the items were representative of six underlying factors (i.e., coworkers, work demands, work content, work load, work skills, and rewards). CONCLUSION: The NHA-JSQ represents a short, psychometrically sound job satisfaction instrument for use in nursing homes

A Study of B0 -> J/psi K(*)0 pi+ pi- Decays with the Collider Detector at Fermilab

We report a study of the decays B0 -> J/psi K(*)0 pi+ pi-, which involve the creation of a u u-bar or d d-bar quark pair in addition to a b-bar -> c-bar(c s-bar) decay. The data sample consists of 110 1/pb of p p-bar collisions at sqrt{s} = 1.8 TeV collected by the CDF detector at the Fermilab Tevatron collider during 1992-1995. We measure the branching ratios to be BR(B0 -> J/psi K*0 pi+ pi-) = (8.0 +- 2.2 +- 1.5) * 10^{-4} and BR(B0 -> J/psi K0 pi+ pi-) = (1.1 +- 0.4 +- 0.2) * 10^{-3}. Contributions to these decays are seen from psi(2S) K(*)0, J/psi K0 rho0, J/psi K*+ pi-, and J/psi K1(1270)

Identification and manipulation of tumor associated macrophages in human cancers

Evading immune destruction and tumor promoting inflammation are important hallmarks in the development of cancer. Macrophages are present in most human tumors and are often associated with bad prognosis. Tumor associated macrophages come in many functional flavors ranging from what is known as classically activated macrophages (M1) associated with acute inflammation and T-cell immunity to immune suppressive macrophages (M2) associated with the promotion of tumor growth. The role of these functionally different myeloid cells is extensively studied in mice tumor models but dissimilarities in markers and receptors make the direct translation to human cancer difficult. This review focuses on recent reports discriminating the type of infiltrating macrophages in human tumors and the environmental cues present that steer their differentiation. Finally, immunotherapeutic approaches to interfere in this process are discussed

Search for Single-Top-Quark Production in p-pbar Collisions at sqrt(s)=1.8 TeV

We search for standard model single-top-quark production in the W-gluon fusion and W* channels using 106 pb^-1 of data from p-pbar collisions at sqrt(s)=1.8 TeV collected with the Collider Detector at Fermilab. We set an upper limit at 95% C.L. on the combined W-gluon fusion and W* single-top cross section of 14 pb, roughly six times larger than the standard model prediction. Separate 95% C.L. upper limits in the W-gluon fusion and W* channels are also determined and are found to be 13 and 18 pb, respectively.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures; submitted to Phys. Rev. Let