Cetuximab plus platinum-based chemotherapy in head and neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: a retrospective study in a single Comprehensive European Cancer Institution

Background: The use of cetuximab in combination with platinum (P) plus 5-fluorouracil (F) has previously been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of metastatic squamous cell cancer of head and neck (SCCHN). We investigated the efficacy and outcome of this protocol as a first-line treatment for patients with recurrent or metastatic disease. We evaluated overall-survival (OS), progression-free-survival (PFS), overall response rate (ORR) and the treatment toxicity profile in a retrospective cohort. Patients and Methods: This study enrolled 121 patients with untreated recurrent or metastatic SCCHN. The patients received PF+ cetuximab every 3 weeks for a maximum of 6 cycles. Patients with stable disease who received PF+ cetuximab continued to receive cetuximab until disease progressed or unacceptable toxic effects were experienced, whichever occurred first. Results: The median patient age was 53 (37-78) years. The patient cohort was 86.8% male. The addition of cetuximab to PF in the recurrent or metastatic setting provided an OS of 11 months (Confidential Interval, CI, 95%, 8.684-13.316) and PFS of 8 months (CI 95%, 6.051-9.949). The disease control rate was 48.9%, and the ORR was 23.91%. The most common grade 3 or 4 adverse events in the PF+ cetuximab regimen were febrile neutropenia (5.7%), skin rash (3.8%) and mucosistis (3.8%). Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that cetuximab plus platinum-fluorouracil chemotherapy is a good option for systemic treatment in advanced SSCHN patients. This regimen has a well-tolerated toxicity profile.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Songbird Neurogenomics (SoNG) Initiative: Community-based tools and strategies for study of brain gene function and evolution

BACKGROUND: Songbirds hold great promise for biomedical, environmental and evolutionary research. A complete draft sequence of the zebra finch genome is imminent, yet a need remains for application of genomic resources within a research community traditionally focused on ethology and neurobiological methods. In response, we developed a core set of genomic tools and a novel collaborative strategy to probe gene expression in diverse songbird species and natural contexts. RESULTS: We end-sequenced cDNAs from zebra finch brain and incorporated additional sequences from community sources into a database of 86,784 high quality reads. These assembled into 31,658 non-redundant contigs and singletons, which we annotated via BLAST search of chicken and human databases. The results are publicly available in the ESTIMA:Songbird database. We produced a spotted cDNA microarray with 20,160 addresses representing 17,214 non-redundant products of an estimated 11,500–15,000 genes, validating it by analysis of immediate-early gene (zenk) gene activation following song exposure and by demonstrating effective cross hybridization to genomic DNAs of other songbird species in the Passerida Parvorder. Our assembly was also used in the design of the "Lund-zfa" Affymetrix array representing ~22,000 non-redundant sequences. When the two arrays were hybridized to cDNAs from the same set of male and female zebra finch brain samples, both arrays detected a common set of regulated transcripts with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.895. To stimulate use of these resources by the songbird research community and to maintain consistent technical standards, we devised a "Community Collaboration" mechanism whereby individual birdsong researchers develop experiments and provide tissues, but a single individual in the community is responsible for all RNA extractions, labelling and microarray hybridizations. CONCLUSION: Immediately, these results set the foundation for a coordinated set of 25 planned experiments by 16 research groups probing fundamental links between genome, brain, evolution and behavior in songbirds. Energetic application of genomic resources to research using songbirds should help illuminate how complex neural and behavioral traits emerge and evolve

Accurate masses and radii of normal stars: modern results and applications

This paper presents and discusses a critical compilation of accurate, fundamental determinations of stellar masses and radii. We have identified 95 detached binary systems containing 190 stars (94 eclipsing systems, and alpha Centauri) that satisfy our criterion that the mass and radius of both stars be known to 3% or better. To these we add interstellar reddening, effective temperature, metal abundance, rotational velocity and apsidal motion determinations when available, and we compute a number of other physical parameters, notably luminosity and distance. We discuss the use of this information for testing models of stellar evolution. The amount and quality of the data also allow us to analyse the tidal evolution of the systems in considerable depth, testing prescriptions of rotational synchronisation and orbital circularisation in greater detail than possible before. The new data also enable us to derive empirical calibrations of M and R for single (post-) main-sequence stars above 0.6 M(Sun). Simple, polynomial functions of T(eff), log g and [Fe/H] yield M and R with errors of 6% and 3%, respectively. Excellent agreement is found with independent determinations for host stars of transiting extrasolar planets, and good agreement with determinations of M and R from stellar models as constrained by trigonometric parallaxes and spectroscopic values of T(eff) and [Fe/H]. Finally, we list a set of 23 interferometric binaries with masses known to better than 3%, but without fundamental radius determinations (except alpha Aur). We discuss the prospects for improving these and other stellar parameters in the near future.Comment: 56 pages including figures and tables. To appear in The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review. Ascii versions of the tables will appear in the online version of the articl

Measurement of the inclusive and dijet cross-sections of b-jets in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The inclusive and dijet production cross-sections have been measured for jets containing b-hadrons (b-jets) in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV, using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements use data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 34 pb^-1. The b-jets are identified using either a lifetime-based method, where secondary decay vertices of b-hadrons in jets are reconstructed using information from the tracking detectors, or a muon-based method where the presence of a muon is used to identify semileptonic decays of b-hadrons inside jets. The inclusive b-jet cross-section is measured as a function of transverse momentum in the range 20 < pT < 400 GeV and rapidity in the range |y| < 2.1. The bbbar-dijet cross-section is measured as a function of the dijet invariant mass in the range 110 < m_jj < 760 GeV, the azimuthal angle difference between the two jets and the angular variable chi in two dijet mass regions. The results are compared with next-to-leading-order QCD predictions. Good agreement is observed between the measured cross-sections and the predictions obtained using POWHEG + Pythia. MC@NLO + Herwig shows good agreement with the measured bbbar-dijet cross-section. However, it does not reproduce the measured inclusive cross-section well, particularly for central b-jets with large transverse momenta.Comment: 10 pages plus author list (21 pages total), 8 figures, 1 table, final version published in European Physical Journal

A geopolítica do COVID-19

A crise sanitária de dimensões mundiais provocada pelo vírus COVID-19 tem resultado em situações semelhantes entre países de economia, cultura e políticas distintas. A acelerada dinâmica de contaminação e indícios que novos arranjos e estágios estão sendo esboçados apontam para possibilidade de mudanças no jogo geopolítico internacional. Um tabuleiro de xadrez onde as peças se movem cuidadosamente. Objetivando analisar seus efeitos socioterritoriais, o texto trata inicialmente da extrema interdependência que a globalização nos levou e dos questionamentos atuais a respeito de um processo inverso – desglobalizar, reterritorializar. Analisa, a seguir, as conjunturas francesa e brasileira e as diferentes medidas adotadas, o efeito territorial do vírus e o aparecimento de ações solidárias por parte de empresas. Um terceiro item explora se o retorno ao uso de produtos e comercio locais poderá significar possibilidades de aceitação e consolidação de novos paradigmas.La crise sanitaire de dimensions mondiales provoquée par le virus COVID-19 crée des situations semblables dans des pays d’économie, de culture et politiques différentes. La dynamique accélérée de la contamination et de ses étapes déjà esquissées indiquent la possibilité de grands changements dans le jeu géopolitique international. Un échiquier où les pièces bougent avec précaution. Avec pour objectif d’analyser ses effets socio-territoriaux, le début de l’article montre l’interdépendance à laquelle la globalisation nous a amenée et les questions actuelles sur un processus inverse – déglobaliser, relocaliser. Il analyse ensuite les conjonctures française et brésilienne et les différentes mesures adoptées, les effets territoriaux du virus et l’apparition d’actions solidaires du côté des entreprises. Un troisième point analyse si le retour à l’usage de produits locaux pourrait signifier des possibilités d’acceptation et de consolidation de nouveaux paradigmes.The global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 virus creates similar situations in countries with different economies, cultures and policies. The accelerated dynamics of contamination and its already outlined stages indicate the possibility of great changes in the international geopolitical game. A chessboard where the pieces move carefully. With the aim of analysing its socio-territorial effects, the beginning of the article shows the interdependence to which globalization has brought us and the current questions on a reverse process - deglobalizing, relocating. So it analyses the French and Brazilian conjunctures and the measures adopted, the territorial effects of the virus and the appearance of solidarity actions by companies. A third point underlines if the return to the use of local products could mean possibilities of acceptance and consolidation of new paradigms.La crisis de salud global causada por el virus COVID-19 ha resultado en situaciones similares entre países con diferentes economías, culturas y políticas. La dinámica acelerada de la contaminación y las indicaciones de que se están esbozando nuevos arreglos y etapas apuntan a la posibilidad de cambios en el juego geopolítico internacional. Un tablero de ajedrez donde las piezas se mueven con cuidado. Con el objetivo de analizar sus efectos socioterritoriales, el texto aborda inicialmente la extrema interdependencia que nos ha traído la globalización y las preguntas actuales sobre un proceso inverso: desglobalizar, reterritorializar. A continuación, analiza las coyunturas francesas y brasileñas y las diferentes medidas adoptadas, el efecto territorial del virus y la aparición de acciones solidarias por parte de las empresas. Un tercer ítem explora si el retorno al uso de productos locales y comercio puede significar posibilidades de aceptación y consolidación de nuevos paradigmas

Potential geographic distribution of Hantavirus reservoirs in Brazil

Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome is an emerging zoonosis in Brazil. Human infections occur via inhalation of aerosolized viral particles from excreta of infected wild rodents. Necromys lasiurus and Oligoryzomys nigripes appear to be the main reservoirs of hantavirus in the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes. We estimated and compared ecological niches of the two rodent species, and analyzed environmental factors influencing their occurrence, to understand the geography of hantavirus transmission. N. lasiurus showed a wide potential distribution in Brazil, in the Cerrado, Caatinga, and Atlantic Forest biomes. Highest climate suitability for O. nigripes was observed along the Brazilian Atlantic coast. Maximum temperature in the warmest months and annual precipitation were the variables that most influence the distributions of N. lasiurus and O. nigripes, respectively. Models based on occurrences of infected rodents estimated a broader area of risk for hantavirus transmission in southeastern and southern Brazil, coinciding with the distribution of human cases of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. We found no demonstrable environmental differences among occurrence sites for the rodents and for human cases of hantavirus. However, areas of northern and northeastern Brazil are also apparently suitable for the two species, without broad coincidence with human cases. Modeling of niches and distributions of rodent reservoirs indicates potential for transmission of hantavirus across virtually all of Brazil outside the Amazon Basin

The linked units of 5S rDNA and U1 snDNA of razor shells (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Pharidae)

[Abstract] The linkage between 5S ribosomal DNA and other multigene families has been detected in many eukaryote lineages, but whether it provides any selective advantage remains unclear. In this work, we report the occurrence of linked units of 5S ribosomal DNA (5S rDNA) and U1 small nuclear DNA (U1 snDNA) in 10 razor shell species (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Pharidae) from four different genera. We obtained several clones containing partial or complete repeats of both multigene families in which both types of genes displayed the same orientation. We provide a comprehensive collection of razor shell 5S rDNA clones, both with linked and nonlinked organisation, and the first bivalve U1 snDNA sequences. We predicted the secondary structures and characterised the upstream and downstream conserved elements, including a region at −25 nucleotides from both 5S rDNA and U1 snDNA transcription start sites. The analysis of 5S rDNA showed that some nontranscribed spacers (NTSs) are more closely related to NTSs from other species (and genera) than to NTSs from the species they were retrieved from, suggesting birth-and-death evolution and ancestral polymorphism. Nucleotide conservation within the functional regions suggests the involvement of purifying selection, unequal crossing-overs and gene conversions. Taking into account this and other studies, we discuss the possible mechanisms by which both multigene families could have become linked in the Pharidae lineage. The reason why 5S rDNA is often found linked to other multigene families seems to be the result of stochastic processes within genomes in which its high copy number is determinan

The use of nanocrystal quantum dot as fluorophore reporters in molecular beacon-based assays

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