Is there a subgroup of long-term evolution among patients with advanced lung cancer?: Hints from the analysis of survival curves from cancer registry data

Background: Recently, with the access of low toxicity biological and targeted therapies, evidence of the existence of a long-term survival subpopulation of cancer patients is appearing. We have studied an unselected population with advanced lung cancer to look for evidence of multimodality in survival distribution, and estimate the proportion of long-term survivors. Methods: We used survival data of 4944 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) stages IIIb-IV at diagnostic, registered in the National Cancer Registry of Cuba (NCRC) between January 1998 and December 2006. We fitted one-component survival model and two-component mixture models to identify short-and long-term survivors. Bayesian information criterion was used for model selection. Results: For all of the selected parametric distributions the two components model presented the best fit. The population with short-term survival (almost 4 months median survival) represented 64% of patients. The population of long-term survival included 35% of patients, and showed a median survival around 12 months. None of the patients of short-term survival was still alive at month 24, while 10% of the patients of long-term survival died afterwards. Conclusions: There is a subgroup showing long-term evolution among patients with advanced lung cancer. As survival rates continue to improve with the new generation of therapies, prognostic models considering short-and long-term survival subpopulations should be considered in clinical research.

Enhancement of three-photon absorption cross-sections in a novel class of symmetrical charge transfer fluorene-based molecules

The three-photon absorption effect (3PA) of two novel symmetrical charge transfer fluorene-based molecules (abbreviated as BASF and BMOSF) has been determined by using a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser pumped with 38 ps pulses at 1064 nm in DMF. The measured 3PA cross-sections are 84 x 10(-78) and 114 x 10(-78) cm(6) s(2), respectively. The geometries and electronic excitations of these two molecules are systematically studied by PM3 and ZINDO/S methods. The relationships between 3PA cross-sections and intramolecular charge transfer are discussed micromechanically. The experimental and theoretical results have shown that the larger intramolecular charge transfer, which was characterized by the charge density difference between the ground state (SO) and the first excited state (S-I), the greater enhancement of the 3PA cross-sections. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Large three-photon absorption cross-section in a novel class of bis-(N-carbazolyl) fluorene derivatives

Two novel symmetrical charge transfer fluorene derivatives (abbreviated as BCZF and BVCZF) with carbazole end-group as the donor moieties have been synthesized. Three-photon absorption cross-sections of these two compounds have been determined by using a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser pumped with 38 ps pulses at 1064 nm in DMF. The measured 3PA cross-sections are 140 x 10(-78) and 400 x 10(-78) cm(6) s(2) for BCZF and BVCZF, respectively. The geometries, electronic structures and electronic spectra of these two compounds are systematically studied by AM1 and ZINDO/S methods. On the basis of correct UV-vis spectra, the influence of different molecular structure on three-photon absorption cross-sections is discussed micromechanically. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Large three-photon absorption and intramolecular charge transfer of the bis-donor fluorene-based molecules

Three-photon absorption (3PA) of two fluorene-based molecules with D-pi-D structural motifs (abbreviated as BPAF and BCZF) has been determined by using a Q-switched Nd: YAG laser pumped with 38 ps pulses at 1064 nm in DMF. The measured 3PA cross-sections are 222 and 140 x 10(-78) cm(6) s(2) for BPAF and BCZF, respectively. AM1 calculations show that attaching different donors changes the charge density distribution of the fluorene skeleton, and it is observed that the 3PA cross-section can be enhanced with increasing intramolecular charge transfer character, measured by the parameter Delta p(1)/Delta p(2)/Delta p(1)'. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All fights reserved.

Two- and three-photon absorption in a novel fluorene-based compound

A novel symmetrical charge transfer fluorene-based compound 2,7-bis (4-methoxystyryl)-9, 9-bis (2-ethylhexyl)-9H-fluorene (abbreviated as BMOSF) was synthesized and its nonlinear absorption was investigated using two different laser systems: a 140-fs, 800-nm Ti:sapphire laser operating at 1-kHz repetition rate and a 38-ps, 1064-nm Nd:YAG pulsed laser operating at 10-Hz repetition rate, respectively. Unique nonlinear absorption properties in this new compound were observed that rise from multiphoton absorption. The nonlinear absorption coefficients were measured to be 6.02

两种新型芴类衍生物的三光子吸收特性研究

研究了两种新型芴类衍生物9，9-二(2-乙基已基)-2，7-二咔唑-9H-芴(简记为DCZF)和9，9-二(2-乙基已基)-2，7-二(2-(4-甲氧基)苯-2，1-乙烯基)芴(简记为BMOSF)在N，N-二甲基甲酰胺(DMF)中的线性吸收和单光子荧光行为，并用脉冲宽度为38ps，重复频率为10Hz的1064 nm Nd：YAG脉冲激光研究了两种化合物的三光子吸收性质．结果表明：两种新材料的最大线性吸收峰分别位于330和380nm，吸收区域覆盖了270-420nm波段．两种化合物的荧光带位于蓝-紫区，中心

Synthesis of nickel(II) complexes of alpha-isoxazolylazo-beta-diketones and their absorption of spin-coating films and thermal properties for HD-DVD-R

Three kinds of new nickel(II) complexes of alpha-isoxazolylazo-beta-diketones with blue-violet light absorption were synthesized. Their structures were postulated based on elemental analysis, MS and FT-IR spectra. Smooth films on K9 glass substrates were prepared using the spin-coating method. The absorption properties and thermal stability of these complexes were discussed. The static optical recording test for high density digital versatile disc-recordable (HD-DVD-R) system was also studied. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thiophene-fluorene derivatives with high three-photon absorption activities and their application to optical power limiting

The three-photon absorption (3PA) properties of two thiophene-fluorene derivatives (abbreviated as MOTFTBr and ATFTBr) have been determined by using a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser pumped wish 38ps pulses at 1064nm in DMF. The measured 3PA cross-sections are 152x10(-78)cm(6)s(2) and 139x10(-78)cm(6)s(2), respectively. The optimized structures were obtained by AM1 calculations and the results indicate that these two molecules show nonplanar structures, and attaching different donors has different effects on the molecular structure. The charge density distributions during the excitation were also systematically studied by using AM1 method. In addition, an obvious optical power limiting effect induced by 3PA has been demonstrated for both derivatives.

A new strategy of enhancing two-photon absorption in benzothiazole-containing fluorene molecules: Introduction of auxiliary donor-acceptor effects

A series of benzothiazole-containing fluorene molecules have been designed and their one- and two-photon absorption properties have been investigated theoretically by using the ZINDO method. The effects of electron-excessive/deficient heterocyclic bridges as auxiliary donors (auxD)/acceptors (auxA) on TPA cross-sections were studied. The results show that the molecules with D-pi-auxA-A, D-aux D-pi-A, or D-auxD-pi-auxA-A structure types have large TPA cross-section, which can be a valuable strategy in the design of two-photon absorption materials. Also, a linear relationship between the first hyperpolarizability and the TPA cross-section is observed. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Theoretical investigation on the one- and two-photon absorption properties for a series of symmetrical charge transfer fluorene-phenylene and fluorene-thiophene derivatives

One- and two-photon absorption properties of a series of fluorene derivatives with symmetrical charge transfer D-IT-D and A-IT-A structural motifs have been theoretically investigated with ZINDO/S method. The optimized structures and the characterization of frontier molecular orbitals were obtained by using AMI calculations. Two-photon absorption properties of molecules have been studied using three-state model. The calculation results have shown that fluorene-thiophene derivatives exhibit larger two-photon absorption cross-section as compared with other studied molecules. To illustrate the results, the crucial effects of thiophene ring on fluorenethiophene derivatives and the net charge changes on the pi-conjugated bridges are analyzed theoretically. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optical parameters and absorption of copper (II)-azo complexes thin films as optical recording media

Smooth thin films of three kinds of azo dyes of 2-(5'-tert-butyl-3'-azoxylisoxazole)-1, 3-diketones and their copper (II)-azo complexes were prepared by the spin-coating method. Absorption spectra of the thin films on a glass substrate in the 300-600 nm wavelength region were measured. Optical constants (complex refractive index N=n+ik) and thickness of the thin films prepared on single-crystal silicon substrate in the 300-600 nm wavelength region were investigated on rotating analyzer-polarizer type of scanning ellipsometer, and dielectric constants epsilon(epsilon=epsilon(1)+i epsilon(2)), absorption coefficients alpha as well as reflectance R of thin films were then calculated. In addition, one of the copper (II)-azo complex thin film prepared on glass substrate with an Ag reflective layer was also studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and static optical recording. AFM study shows that the copper (II)-azo complex thin film is very smooth and has a root mean square surface roughness of 1.89 nm. Static optical recording shows that the recording marks on the copper (II)-azo complex thin film are very clear and circular, and the size of the minimal recording marks can reach 200 nm. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.