1,721,089 research outputs found
Ipilimumab: a novel immunostimulatory monoclonal antibody for the treatment of cancer.
No full textIpilimumab (Yervoy, developed by Medarex and Bristol-Myers Squibb) is a fully
human monoclonal IgG1κ antibody against the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4
(CTLA-4), an immune-inhibitory molecule expressed in activated T cells and in
suppressor T regulatory cells. Interaction of the monoclonal antibody with CTLA-4
blocks inhibitory signals generated through this receptor and enhances T cell
activation, leading to increased antitumor responses. Ipilimumab has been
approved by FDA in March 2011 as monotherapy (3mg/kg every 3 weeks for 4 doses)
for the treatment of advanced (unresectable or metastatic) melanoma both in
pre-treated or chemotherapy naïve patients. Four months later, ipilimumab has
received a rapid approval by the European Commission, after a positive opinion
from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use. However, the indication
in the EU is limited to previously-treated patients with advanced melanoma.
Ipilimumab is the first agent that has demonstrated to improve overall survival
in patients with metastatic melanoma, which has a very poor prognosis, in
randomized phase III clinical trials. The patterns of tumour response to
ipilimumab differ from those observed with cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents,
since patients may have a delayed yet durable response and obtain long-term
survival benefit despite an initial tumour growth. The major draw-back of
ipilimumab is the induction of immune-related adverse effects; the latter can be
life-threatening, unless promptly managed with immunosuppressive agents (most
frequently corticosteroids) according to specific guidelines. Further development
of ipilimumab includes its use in the neoadjuvant or adjuvant high-risk melanoma
setting and for the treatment of other refractory and advanced solid tumours,
either as single agent or in combination with additional immunostimulating agents
or molecularly targeted therapies
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe 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
Variations on the Author
Full text link“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
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
La radioterapia frazionata stereotattica quale trattamento per i neurinomi del nervo acustico
Full text linkScopo dello studio: valutazione dell’efficacia della radioterapia conformazionale stereotassica frazionata (RFS) nel controllo tumorale e nella preservazione della funzionalità dei nervi cranici in pazienti affetti da neurinoma del nervo acustico (NA).
Pazienti e Metodi: Da Maggio 1999 a Settembre 2003, 29 pazienti affetti da NA sono stati trattati con RFS. Ventotto hanno ricevuto un dosaggio pari a 50 Gy mentre 1 paziente ha ricevuto soltanto 20 Gy a causa del suo scarso performance status. La mediana della durata del follow up è stata di 23 mesi. Sono stati valutati il controllo tumorale, la preservazione della funzionalità dei nervi cranici e altre tossicità legata al trattamento.
Risultati: La percentuale di controllo tumorale è pari al 100% a 3 anni. La preservazione della funzione uditiva è stata del 62% a 1 anno e del 46% a 2 anni. Nessun paziente ha avuto un miglioramento della funzionalità uditiva con la RFS.
Il trattamento è stato generalmente ben tollerato. Due pazienti hanno necessitato di intervento chirurgico per degenerazione cistica del tumore. Due paziente hanno avuto uno spasmo del nervo facciale permanente che è regredito con la terapia medica. Un paziente ha sviluppato una neuropatia del trigemino dopo circa 2 anni dal trattamento.
Conclusioni: La RFS rappresenta una valida alternativa terapeutica relativamente non-tossica per i NA anche nei casi di tumori di grandi dimensioni. Il controllo tumorale è sovrapponibile a quello che si ottiene con la radiosurgery o con il trattamento radioterapico convenzionale. Un più lungo follow-up è necessario per valutare il controllo tumorale a lungo termine.Purpose: Analysis of tumour control and cranial nerve function preservation for patients treated with Fractionated Stereotactic Radiotherapy (FSRT) for acoustic neuromas (AN).
Patients and Methods: From May 1999 and to September 2003, 29 patients with AN have been treated by FSRT. Twenty-eight patients received a dose of 50Gy and 1 received 20Gy because of poor performance status. The median follow up was 23 months. We evaluated tumour control rate, cranial nerve preservation and other treatment-related toxicity.
Results: The tumour control rates was 100% at 3years. None of these patients required surgical operation for tumour progression. Two patients needed surgery for cystic degeneration of the tumour.
Two patients complained chronic haemi-facial spasms, which were well controlled with medical therapy and a patient developed ipsilateral moderate facial dysfunction. Two patients developed trigeminal neuropathy approximately 2 year and 5 months after treatment. The hearing preservation was 68% at 1 year and 51% at 2 year. None of our patients showed improvement on hearing level.
Conclusion: FSRT is valid and safe treatment for AN, either as primary treatment or as treatment for progressive residual disease. SFRT consents alto to treat large tumor volume with low risk on developing major neurological complication. Longer follow up will be required to assess the durability of tumour contro
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe 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
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
No full textWe have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
I sistemi di riparo del DNA e resistenza a farmaci alchilanti e inibitori di PARP
No full textSistemi di riparo del DNA e resistenza a farmaci alchilanti e inibitori di PARP
Gli inibitori di poli (ADP-ribosio) polimerasi (PARP) sono una nuova classe di composti in grado di potenziare l’attività antitumorale di radiazioni ionizzanti e temozolomide che rappresentano la terapia standard del glioblastoma. Gli inibitori di PARP vengono anche usati in monoterapia contro tumori caratterizzati da difetti di riparo dei danni al DNA dovuti ad alterazioni di componenti del sistema di ricombinazione omologa. Recentemente è stato dimostrato che l’inibizione di PARP inibisce la neoangiogenesi contribuendo a ridurre la crescita dei tumori. Saranno discusse le implicazioni dell’utilizzo degli inibitori di PARP nelle nuove strategie terapeutiche per il trattamento di tumori cerebrali primari e secondari
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