196,330 research outputs found
Management of advanced colorectal cancer: state of the art
Colorectal cancer ( CRC) caused over 500 000 deaths worldwide in 2002. Recent advances in the treatment of advanced disease include the incorporation of two new cytotoxic agents, irinotecan and oxaliplatin, into first- line regimens. The concept of planned sequential therapy involving three active agents during the course of a patient's treatment is evolving. Coupled with the integrated use of targeted monoclonal antibodies, we can now expect overall survival rates for advanced disease to exceed 20 months. This review considers current treatments and suggests where future progress may occu
Dr. Duane M. Jackson, Morehouse College, July 2011
This video is a conversation with Dr. Duane M. Jackson. Dr. Jackson talks about his paper, "Recall and the Serial Position Effect: The Role of Primacy and Recency on Accounting Students' Performance." Jackie Daniel, AUC Woodruff Library, is the interviewer
"Reflections on the subject of Emigration from Europe with a view to Settlement in the United States" By M. Carey.
"Reflections on the subject of Emigration from Europe with a view to Settlement in the United States: containing bried sketches of the moral and political character of those states.
By M. Carey, member of the American philosophical, and of the American Antiquarian Society, and author of The Olive Branch, Cindiciae Hibernicae, essays on banking, on political economy, and on internal improvement.
To which are now added the English editor's comments on the subject; together with Important Advice to Emigrants, and Cautions Against Impositions Practiced in the Outports
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
We conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
Report of two protocol planned interim analyses in a randomised multicentre phase III study comparing capecitabine with fluorouracil and oxaliplatin with cisplatin in patients with advanced oesophagogastric cancer receiving ECF
The purpose of the study was to establish the optimal dose of capecitabine (X) to be used within a multicentre, randomised study evaluating the potential roles of oxaliplatin (O) and X in chemonaive patients (pts) with advanced oesophagogastric cancer. Two by two design was used, and pts were randomised to one of four regimens and stratified for extent of disease, performance status (PS) and centre. The treatment regimens are epirubicin, cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil (ECF), EOF, ECX or EOX. Doses: E 50 mg m-2, C 60 mg m-2 and O 130 mg m-2 i.v. 3 weekly; F 200 mg m-2 day-1 i.v. and X 500 mg m-2 b.i.d.-1 (escalated to 625 mg m-2 b.i.d.-1 after results of first interim analysis) p.o., continuously. First interim analysis was performed when 80 pts had been randomised. Dose-limiting fluoropyrimidine toxicities were stomatitis, palmar plantar erythema (PPE) and diarrhoea; 5.1% of X-treated pts experienced grade 3/4 toxicity. Protocol planned dose escalation of X to 625 mg m-2 b.i.d.-1 was instituted and a second interim analysis has been performed; results are presented in this paper. A total of 204 pts were randomised at the time of the protocol planned 2nd interim analysis. Grade 3/4 fluoropyrimidine-related toxicity was seen in 13.7% pts receiving F, 8.4% pts receiving X 500 mg m-2 b.i.d.-1 and 14.7% pts receiving X 625 mg m-2 b.i.d.-1. Combined complete and partial response rates were ECF 31% (95% CI 18.7-46.3), EOF 39% (95% CI 25.9-53.1), ECX 35% (95% CI 21.4-50.3), EOX 48% (95% CI 33.3-62.8). Grade 3/4 fluoropyrimidine toxicity affected 14.7% of pts treated with X 625 mg m-2 b.i.d.-1, which is similar to that observed with F, confirming this to be the optimal dose. The replacement of C by O and F by X does not appear to impair efficacy. The trial continues to total accrual of 1000 pts
Dr. Glendon Swarthout
Hosted by Roger M. Busfield, MSU Assistant Professor of Speech and Theater, Meet the Author is designed to introduce a general audience to a contemporary author and their work through in-depth interviews. This episode features a conversation between Dr. Glendon Swarthout, prolific author and English professor at MSU, and assistant professors Sam S. Baskett and Theodore B. Strandness
Efficacy and tolerability of chemotherapy in elderly patients with advanced oesophago-gastric cancer: a pooled analysis of three clinical trials
The aim of this study was to determine the benefits of chemotherapy for oesophago-gastric cancer (OGC) in patients 70 years and above ( ≥ 70) in comparison to younger patients. 1080 patients were enrolled into three randomised controlled trials assessing fluorouracil-based combination chemotherapy. Patients received either a platinum-containing regimen (ECF, MCF), PVI 5-FU (protracted venous infusion of 5-fluorouracil) ± mitomycin C (MMC), or FAMTX. Of the 1080 patients randomised, 257 (23.8%) were aged ≥ 70 years. There were no significant differences in the incidence of grades 3/4 toxicity between the two cohorts. Objective and symptomatic response rates, failure-free and overall survival were not significantly different. In a multivariate analysis, independent prognostic factors for survival were performance status and locally advanced disease, not age. Patients ≥ 70 years with OGC obtained similar benefits from palliative chemotherapy with respect to symptomatic response, tumour regression and survival, without increased toxicities. <br/
The association of clinical and patient factors with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in colorectal cancer: secondary analysis of the SCOT trial
Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common adverse effect of oxaliplatin. CIPN can impair long-term quality of life and limit the dose of chemotherapy. We investigated the association of CIPN over time with age, sex, body mass index, baseline neuropathy, and chemotherapy regimen in people treated with adjuvant oxaliplatin-containing chemotherapy for colorectal cancer. Patients and methods: We carried out secondary analysis of data from the SCOT randomised controlled trial. SCOT compared 3 months to 6 months of oxaliplatin-containing adjuvant chemotherapy in 6088 people with colorectal cancer recruited between March 2008 and November 2013. Two different chemotherapy regimens were used: capecitabine with oxaliplatin (CAPOX) or fluorouracil with oxaliplatin (FOLFOX). CIPN was recorded with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynaecologic Oncology Group-Neurotoxicity 4 tool in 2871 participants from baseline (randomisation) for up to 8 years. Longitudinal trends in CIPN [averages with 95% confidence intervals (CIs)] were plotted stratified by the investigated factors. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to analyse the association of factors with CIPN adjusting for the SCOT randomisation arm and oxaliplatin dose. P < 0.01 was adopted as cut-off for statistical significance to account for multiple testing. Results: Patients receiving CAPOX had lower CIPN scores than those receiving FOLFOX. Chemotherapy regimen was associated with CIPN from 6 months (P < 0.001) to 2 years (P = 0.001). The adjusted ANCOVA coefficient for CAPOX at 6 months was −1.6 (95% CIs −2.2 to −0.9) and at 2 years it was −1.6 (95% CIs −2.5 to −0.7). People with baseline neuropathy scores ≥1 experienced higher CIPN than people with baseline neuropathy scores of 0 (P < 0.01 for all timepoints apart from 18 months). Age, sex, and body mass index did not link with CIPN. Conclusions: A neuropathy assessment before treatment with oxaliplatin can help identify people with an increased risk of CIPN. More research is needed to understand the CIPN-inducing effect of different chemotherapy regimens.</p
Simulation of thermal plant optimization and hydraulic aspects of thermal distribution loops for large campuses
Following an introduction, the author describes Texas A&M University and its utilities system. After that, the author presents how to construct simulation models for chilled water and heating hot water distribution systems. The simulation model was used in a $2.3 million Ross Street chilled water pipe replacement project at Texas A&M University. A second project conducted at the University of Texas at San Antonio was used as an example to demonstrate how to identify and design an optimal distribution system by using a simulation model. The author found that the minor losses of these closed loop thermal distribution systems are significantly higher than potable water distribution systems. In the second part of the report, the author presents the latest development of software called the Plant Optimization Program, which can simulate cogeneration plant operation, estimate its operation cost and provide optimized operation suggestions. The author also developed detailed simulation models for a gas turbine and heat recovery steam generator and identified significant potential savings. Finally, the author also used a steam turbine as an example to present a multi-regression method on constructing simulation models by using basic statistics and optimization algorithms. This report presents a survey of the author??s working experience at the Energy Systems Laboratory (ESL) at Texas A&M University during the period of January 2002 through March 2004. The purpose of the above work was to allow the author to become familiar with the practice of engineering. The result is that the author knows how to complete a project from start to finish and understands how both technical and nontechnical aspects of a project need to be considered in order to ensure a quality deliverable and bring a project to successful completion. This report concludes that the objectives of the internship were successfully accomplished and that the requirements for the degree of Degree of Engineering have been satisfied
The impact of primary tumour origins in patients with advanced oesophageal, oesophago-gastric junction and gastric adenocarcinoma--individual patient data from 1775 patients in four randomised controlled trials
Background: it is unclear if differential chemotherapy effects exist on overall survival (OS), response rate (RR) and toxicity depending on primary tumour origin [oesophageal versus oesophago–gastric junction (OGJ) versus gastric adenocarcinoma]. Patients and methods: a total of 2110 patients were enrolled in four randomised controlled trials (RCTs) assessing fluoropyrimidine ± platinum-based chemotherapy. This analysis used individual patient data and restricted to patients with adenocarcinoma who received one or more dose of chemotherapy. Gastric origin was the control in comparisons of tumour origin. Results: of the 2110 patients randomised, 1775 (84%) patients had adenocarcinoma with oesophageal (n?=?485), OGJ (n?=?457) and gastric (n?=?833) origins. The median OS was 9.5 months in oesophageal, 9.3 months in OGJ and 8.7 months in gastric cancer (P?=?0.68). RR was 44.1% in oesophageal, 41.1% in OGJ and 35.6% in gastric cancers (P?=?0.11 and 0.27, respectively, compared with gastric cancer on multivariate analysis). Toxicity composite end point occurred in 46%, 47% and 45% in oesophageal, OGJ and gastric cancers, respectively (P?=?0.85 and 0.62 compared with gastric). Conclusions: in our large multicentre RCT dataset, no significant differences were demonstrated on multivariate analyses in OS, RR and toxic effects among patients with advanced oesophageal, OGJ and gastric adenocarcinoma. Future RCTs should not exclude oesophageal adenocarcinom
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