Characteristics of low-angle normal fault formation on Kea (Western Cyclades, Greece)

The geology of Kea Island shows further evidence for low-angle normal fault (LANF) formation in the Western Cyclades. Structural investigations have demonstrated the existence of a hitherto unrecognised ductile-brittle shear zone with strikingly consistent top-to-SSW extensional kinematics together with a WNW-ESE oriented shortening component. The tectonostratigraphy comprises a >380 m thick, shallowly-dipping schist-calcite marble unit, overlain by ca. 150 m thick fault rocks consisting of cohesive cataclasites, ultramylonitic calcite marbles, brecciated dolostones and protomylonitic calcite marbles. The presence of blueschist-facies lenses and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology point to a significant role of LANFs in exhumation processes and greenschist-facies overprint during Miocene crustal evolution

Effective combination chemotherapy with paclitaxel and cisplatin with or without human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and/or erythropoietin in patients with advanced gastric cancer

A phase II trial was performed to determine the antitumour efficacy and tolerance of combined paclitaxel and cisplatin with or without hematopoetic growth factor support in patients with advanced gastric cancer. Forty-five patients with histologically confirmed metastatic gastric cancer were entered in this trial. Treatment consisted of 2-weekly courses of paclitaxel 160 mg per m2 and cisplatin 60 mg per m2 both given on day 1. Depending on absolute neutrophil counts on the days of scheduled chemotherapeutic drug administration (1000–2000 per μl), a 5-day course of human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor 5 μg kg−1 per day was given subcutaneously; in addition, if haemoglobin was <12.0 mg dl−1, erythropoietin 10 000 IU was administered subcutaneously three times per week. The confirmed overall response rate (intent-to-treat) was 44%, including five complete (11%) and 15 partial remissions (33%). Twelve patients had stable disease (27%), 11 (24%) progressed while on chemotherapy, and two patients were not evaluable. The median time to response was 3 months, the median time to progression 7.0 months, and the median survival time was 11.2 months with 12 patients currently alive. Haematologic toxicity was common, though WHO grade 4 neutropenia occurred in only five patients (11%). Apart from total alopecia in 16 patients (36%), severe non-haematologic adverse reactions included grade 3 peripheral neuropathy in six (13%) and anaphylaxis in two patients. In addition, there was one patient each who experienced grade 3 emesis, diarrhea, and infection, respectively. Our data suggest that the combination of paclitaxel and cisplatin with or without G-CSF and/or erythropoietin has promising therapeutic activity in patients with advanced gastric cancer