A Feasibility Study of Postoperative Adjuvant Therapy of Carboplatin and Weekly Paclitaxel for Completely Resected Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

IntroductionRecent clinical trials have shown significant survival benefits from postoperative adjuvant therapy for respectable nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, evaluation of adjuvant chemotherapy with carboplatin combination is still uncertain. The purpose of the study was to test the feasibility of adjuvant chemotherapy with carboplatin and separate weekly paclitaxel after complete resection of pStage IB, II, IIIA NSCLC in a multicenter study.MethodsThe study was conducted from 2001 to 2006 in the outpatient setting. A total of 61 patients were enrolled. Patients received adjuvant chemotherapy with 4 cycles of carboplatin (AUC 5) on day 1 and paclitaxel (70 mg/m2) on day 1, 8, and 15 every 4 weeks. Primary endpoints were toxicity and chemotherapy compliance. Secondary endpoints were disease-free survival and overall survival.ResultsMore than 65% of eligible patients had pStage IIIA. The median number of chemotherapy cycles was 4 (range 1–4). Grade 3 or 4 toxicities of neutropenia were 34% (grade 4: 2%). Other hematologic adverse effects were extremely less frequent. Regarding the nonhematologic adverse effect, hair loss was frequent; however, peripheral neuralgia was less frequent. Treatment-related death was not registered. During median follow-up of 21 months, 24 patients developed recurrent disease. Estimated disease-free survival and overall survival at 2 years was 51.2% and 84.6%, respectively.ConclusionsPostoperative carboplatin and weekly paclitaxel showed favorable feasibility and acceptable toxicity in comparison with the cisplatin-containing regimen. Consequently, it is desirable that this regimen would be validated in a phase III clinical trial for NSCLC after curative resection

Examination of density and mixing ratio of barium preparations, using an originally created phantom

胃Ⅹ線検査に造影剤として用いられる硫酸バリウム懸濁液の濃度を,簡便に,客観的に決定する目的で,歯科用アルギン酸塩印象材を用いて,コインの図柄を写しとったファントムを制作した｡これを使って二種類の硫酸バリウム製剤の適正濃度(PD)を調べた結果,BARITOP PとBARICON MEALを単体,若くは混合した場合には,おおよそ,PD(W/V%)=0.75C+165(ただし,CはBARICON MEALの混合比(%))となった｡また,BARICON MEALはコントラストが高く,精密検査に有利だと考えられ,BARITOP PとBARICON MEALを混合すると濃度の許容範囲が広がるため,通常の検査に都合がよいと考えられた｡更に,このファントムは簡便に作成することができ,しかも,硫酸バリウム懸濁 液との親和性も良いことから,硫酸バリウム製剤やⅩ線TV装置の評価,増感紙･フィルム系の評価等にも応用できると考えられた｡A phantom copied designs of coins was created with alginate dental impression material to establish a objective, simple and easy method for deciding density of barium sulfate suspensions which are used for stomach X-ray examination as contrast media. As a result of examining proper density (PD) of two kind of barium preparations with this phantom, in case of BARITOP P and BARICON MEAL, PD were almost shown by the next equation : PD(W/V%)=0.75C+165(C meant content of BARICON MEAL (%)). As BARICON MEAL resulted in hight contrast, it was thought to be suitable for a close examination. Mixture of BARITOP P and BARICON MEAL was thought to be suited to a routine examination becouse of wide permissible level of density. This phantom would be able to apply to the test of balium preparations, X-ray TV systems, screen/film systems and so on

Candida albicans

Genotypes of Candida spp. isolated from exhalation of 20 dolphins, 11 water samples from captive pools, and 24 oral cavities of staff members in an aquarium using a combination of multiple drug resistance 1 gene (MDR1) and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1 5.8s-ITS 2 regions of ribosomal RNA gene (ITS rDNA) sequences were studied. The holding ratios of the dolphins, captive pools, and staff members were 70, 90, and 29%, respectively. Isolated pathogenic yeast species common to the dolphins and environments were Candida albicans and C. tropicalis. Identical genotypes in both Candida spp. based on the combination of MDR1 and ITSrDNA were found in some dolphins, between a dolphin and a staff, among dolphins and environments, and among environments. The results indicated the diffusion and exchange of pathogenic yeasts at the aquarium among dolphins and environments. The isolates at the aquarium showed higher rates of resistance to azole antifungals compared to reference isolates

Adsorption myoglobin over mesoporous silica molecular sieves: Pore size effect and pore-filling model

The present work describes the adsorption of myoglobin over mesoporous materials with different pore diameters (SBA-15 and MCM-41) from buffered solutions. The Langmuir-type adsorption of myoglobin occurs with monolayer coverage on the inner surface of the mesoporous channels. These adsorbents were thoroughly characterized by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption/desorption and FT-IR spectroscopy before and after the myoglobin adsorption. The amount of myoglobin adsorbed significantly depends on the specific pore volume and/or the pore diameter of the mesoporous silica adsorbents. These experimental results were analyzed using pore-filling models, suggesting that myoglobin molecules are well-packed in the SBA-15 pores. FT-IR spectra before and after the adsorption confirm the structural stability of the adsorbed myoglobin

Recent progresses in bio-inorganic nanohybrids

This review presents a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in the field of bio-inorganic nanohybrids. In the first part of this review, examples on hybridization of biomembrane mimics with inorganic backbone are described. Silane-bearing amphiphile was used for the preparation of Langmuir-Blodgett films that are mechanically stable and capable of permeation controls and electrode modification with vitamin function. The similar amphiphiles were utilized to form organic-inorganic hybrid vesicle "Cerasome", which can be assembled in layer-by-layer manner to construct multi-cellular mimic. Furthermore, the potential applications of the above materials are reviewed and proposed. The second part of this review provides the methodology of immobilizing various biomolecules into nanosized inorganic structures including clay minerals and layer-by-layer (LBL) assemblies. Films and hollow capsules prepared through the LBL techniques offer sophisticated designs of the bio-inorganic nanohybrids that can be applied to biomaterial entrapment and bio-reactors. Examples on hybridization of biomolecules with mesoporous inorganic structure are also introduced in the last part. A controlled release of biochemical drugs and immobilization of bio-assemblies on the materials with welldefined pore structures in nanometer ranges are briefly examined, discussed and summarized

Large pore cage type mesoporous carbon, carbon nanocage: a superior adsorbent for biomaterials

Novel large pore cage type mesoporous carbon molecular sieves, carbon nanocage, (CKT) with various pore diameters have been prepared from KIT-5 as inorganic templates synthesized at different temperature. It has been found that the textural parameters of the above mesoporous carbons can be easily tuned by a simple adjustment of the weight ratio of sucrose to KIT-5 mesoporous silica. The specific pore volume and the specific surface area of CKT-3(A) are much higher as compared to CMK-3 mesoporous carbon materials prepared from SBA-15 materials synthesized at different temperature. Adsorption of lysozyme over CKT-3(A) and CKT-3(B) has been studied and the results have been compared with the CMK-3 mesoporous carbons with different pore diameters. CKT-3(A) shows superior lysozyme adsorption capacity as compared to other mesoporous carbon materials such as CMK-3-100 and CMK-3-150