1,721,064 research outputs found
Tivantinib for hepatocellular carcinoma
No full textIntroduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive primary tumor of the liver. It mostly occurs in patients with chronic liver disease. No effective systemic treatment is available for patients who progress on or are intolerant to sorafenib. The complexity of HCC, driven by multiple pathways and growth factor systems, is increased by the underlying cirrhosis, and by the lack of validated prognostic factors. Successful HCC therapy requires inhibition of the right target and an optimal drug safety profile.Areas covered: Tivantinib, an oral inhibitor of the hepatocyte growth factor receptor (MET), demonstrated promising antitumor activity in patients with HCC. We reviewed published clinical data on tivantinib for the second-line treatment of HCC. A randomized Phase II trial showed improved overall survival in patients with MET-high tumors. An ongoing Phase III study is investigating tivantinib in patients with advanced, pretreated, MET-high HCC.Expert opinion: Tivantinib significantly increased survival in patients with MET-high HCC. Many clinical trials with systemic therapy did not show a benefit in HCC, and second-line treatment remains a high unmet medical need. If the Phase III trial confirms the results obtained in Phase II, tivantinib will be the standard second-line treatment in patients with MET-high HCC
A modular serpentine rescue robot with climbing ability
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this paper is to present new locomotion and steering modules conceived and designed for rescue serpentine robots with enhanced climbing ability. The locomotion modules apply sock locomotion technology that allows great motion efficiency in rubble and confined environment due to the very high propulsion ratio. The steering joints guarantee good orientation dexterity by exploiting actuation based on smart materials. Design/methodology/approach: Great attention and time is dedicated to the design phase, digital mock-upping and virtual comparative assessment of different solutions. Mechatronic interdisciplinary design methodology including mechanisms analysis, sensory actuation issues and functional materials characterization, control and communication integration has been adopted. Findings: The locomotion modules are revised and updated versions improving climbing ability of the socked locomotion module originally proposed by the authors. New steering modules with high orientation workspace, based on smart actuation, are introduced. Research limitations/implications: The evaluation of the findings on the field is planned but no experimental result is today available. Practical implications: Agile serpentine robots are requested for quick and safe rescue and special risky interventions in environments where dense vegetation, rubble and confined spaces prevent human presence. These robots offer invaluable potential help in such risky interventions mainly by being agile in exploring the environment, robust, low cost, reliable, and tele-operated. Originality/value: The paper presents original issues in terms of concept and design of instrumental (locomotion and steering) modules for composing modular rescue robots with very high locomotion agility and climbing performances
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Tivantinib : a new promising mesenchymal–epithelial transition factor inhibitor in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma
No full textTivantinib (ARQ 197) is an orally administered, selective small molecule that inhibits mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (MET) via a novel, ATP-independent binding mechanism. Preclinical studies demonstrated that tivantinib has a broad-spectrum anti-tumor activity, especially in cells expressing high levels of MET. A randomized Phase II study in second-line hepatocellular carcinoma showed statistically significant improvement in time to progression with tivantinib compared to a placebo. Noteworthy, a significant pronounced benefit in time to progression and overall survival was observed in MET-high patients. In addition, MET expression was defined as a negative prognostic factor. The most frequent adverse events were hematologic events. A Phase III study in the MET-high hepatocellular carcinoma is actively recruiting patients. Phase II and III studies in non-small-cell lung cancer and colorectal cancer are ongoing
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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